Anti-HST initiative crosses party lines

When the citizen’s initiative against the harmonized sales tax kicks off on April 6, volunteers from a number of political parties will be among the canvassers soliciting signatures across the province.

But don’t expect the Greens to be out knocking on doors.

“We’re not going to be out supporting it or endorsing it,” Jane Sterk, leader of the Green Party of B.C., told the Straight, referring to the initiative being spearheaded by former Social Credit premier Bill Vander Zalm. “The Green party believes that there is some value to simplifying our tax system.”

In contrast, the provincial NDP is encouraging its members and supporters to get involved in community efforts, like the initiative, that are opposed to the HST, according to first-term Vancouver-Kensington MLA Mable Elmore.

“We will deploy every means at our disposal to defeat the HST,” Elmore told the Straight by phone from Victoria after B.C. finance minister Colin Hansen introduced legislation on March 30 paving the way for the implementation of the tax on July 1.

Chris Delaney is the lead organizer of Vander Zalm’s Fight HST campaign, which includes the citizen’s initiative, and he’s a former deputy leader of the B.C. Conservative Party. Delaney told the Straight that in addition to the NDP and the B.C. Conservatives, the B.C. Refederation Party has endorsed the initiative. He added that many canvassers aren’t affiliated with parties.

“The gathering of signatures for the Fight HST group is a nonpartisan event,” Delaney said.

The initiative will have 90 days in which to gather the signatures of 10 percent of registered voters in each B.C. riding. If it’s successful, the province will have to either table a bill to scrap the HST or refer the issue to a provincewide vote.

Comments

16 Comments

seth

Apr 1, 2010 at 10:16am

Jane Sterk was Gordo's first lieutenant in the last election, the same post Lizzie May now holds on the Harpo team. Without her and her team of malevolent malcontents Gordo would not have been reelected.

Why would anybody be surprised when she's on board with the fascist program.

When you see fish farms, dead salmon, smell the sink of a sour gas well, see green space paved over, forests, rivers and a fertile valley destroyed for worthless power scams designed to bankrupt BChydro and enrich Gordo's cronies, pipelines and tanker routes guarded with automatic weapons and black gunships by Blackwater, and a thousand other environmental outrages, see the Bete Noir herself and her frightening visage lording over the destruction.

These are dangerous, nasty individuals that have hijacked the focus of the Green, from the support of the environment to support of ravaging Neocons.

Green voters and worse party members have incurred an enormous Karma debt They have to be out working tirelessly on the upcoming recall and referendum campaign to put a stop to the outrages they are responsible for.
seth

glen p robbins

Apr 1, 2010 at 1:20pm

A glen p robbins 'hurt locker':

A couple of polls of leader and party popularity to consider against the backdrop of the thesis of this article (below). One Green tidbit we ascertained from BC polling (Abortion poll) was that a trickle of BC NDP provincial support had moved over to the BC Greens--and was being replaced back to the BC NDP by eligible voters who did NOT vote in the last provincial election -- .

(Any consumption tax is retrogressive and hurts lower income people more than higher income people -- more able to make these purchases--is Jane Sterk saying she believes the tax considerations provided to low income earners is fair where it is at? If her answer to that is "Yes" she invites political raids -- if the answer to that is "No" she invites political raids for being inconsistent. On this, Ms. Sterk looks as she described herself and her party prior to the most recent provincial election----more as "influence" than "party" --politics. This position on the HST does not look like -- smart -- politics -- in my opinion).

Bear in mind that federally Elizabeth May and Greens are losing support to NDP and Liberals (trickle) and replacing with eligible voters who did not vote in the last federal election. A distinguishable difference ("dd") from their BC Green counterparts.

Given Ms. James fight against the HST (massively unpopular/statiscally across all party lines) as leader of the BC NDP-- and Jane Sterks position that she support the HST--will the HST thus provide the BC NDP with an opportunity to grab Green supporters?

From political science -- this means that the Opposition BC NDP, private citizen Bill Vander Zalm (known 'conservative' politician) and his close friend and HST battler Chris Delaney -- (former Deputy Leader BC Conservatives--current Policy co-ordinator BC Conservatives)---are the principles in the HST drive for signatures. If this drive is successful in ridings currently represented by BC New Democrats--status quo---If the drive is successful in ridings represented currently by BC Liberals--then the BC Liberals and the BC Greens (residually) will have not been successful--and the BC NDP (in close calls with BC Liberal seats) and (likely---{confusion in BC Conservative records over HST})--the BC Conservatives will benefit in these ridings.

Theory that follows: If the Initiative to stop the HST is successful -- the BC Liberals will implode (from political science perspective -- they must) and the BC Greens will realize decreased support--while the NDP will likely rise to the 50 per cent range in public support---BC Greens 5-6%, BC Liberals 20-23% or thereabouts.

If the Initiative does relatively poorly in current BC NDP ridings then politically the BC NDP will be hurt---and this will mitigate to a small degree on the political hurt that will come to the BC Liberals one way or another. If the BC NDP does poorly in its 'ridings' over the HST -- and Bill VZ et al are successful --- than the BC Conservatives will likely benefit--if the connection can be made (that former BCC leader Wilf Hanni and BCC Board weren't FOR the HST)----during the most recent BC election quasi-fraud.

If the anti HST is ultimately a failure -- then the next political position which is most viable is glen p robbins -- BC Conservative position to 'rip up the HST deal' as is and demand restitution and reconciliation from the Ottawa Conservatives: featuring James Moore -- in the amount of 6 billion dollars.

(tip of baby finger touching lips)

_____________________________________________________________

ZEUS Poll: H.S.T.--Politics of British Columbia-- Valkyrie II
http://www.robbinssceresearch.com/polls/poll_685.html

ZEUS- British Columbia Abortion poll -- with leader and party totals---shasta!
http://robbinssceresearch.com/polls/poll_686.html

glen p robbins

Apr 1, 2010 at 2:14pm

Some sad (cruel) irony to the HST battle. British Columbia is now (12%) below the national average on minimum wage with the highest poverty rate in the country and the highest cost of living.

The HST will add another (12%) to the misery (although there is no tax on anything from a food bank or dumpster).

glen p robbins

Apr 1, 2010 at 5:26pm

Thanks for the opportunity to blog Georgia Straight -- Seth -- if you don't mind-- some nice writing.

willie wonka

Apr 1, 2010 at 7:09pm

I knew that this province was full of whackjobs (comes with the air, I guess- but seriously, folks.....
robbinsresearch???? world renowned? This from a guy who seems to worship the ground that Sarah Palin walks on? (Check out his website's home page and find the link -if you can stop laughing at some of the other stuff- to his S.P. link.

JC

Apr 2, 2010 at 10:00am

We pretty much all hate the HST...our alternatives?

Another lefty liberal whack-job in Carole James, someone who feels it's somehow OK to illegally discriminate against Canadian men, and on the other side, a conservative party that for the most part does not exist.

The Green party supports the HST, so who's left? Marc Emery?

Basically, get rid of James and you have a landslide. Keep her, and you have decade's worth of legal challenges for a party that'll be in office for a very brief period.

glen p robbins

Apr 3, 2010 at 9:20am

Willie Wonka -- there is no evidence that we support Sarah Palin or anyone else --although we have been criticized of late for tilting toward Obama--(a little inconsistent with your lazy stupidity) ---our federal and provincial polls measured against basket of mainstream polls are on average 1.25% (3.86//2.6%) closer to outcomes over a history of published polls for a decade (all polls are sent to AP and CP time stamped etc)--and who are you--to judge this work--you aren't even close on Palin--and you use a made up name--you are a coward.

Stand up and show a little spine--state the name on your birth certificate and use it in the blogroll-- rather than hiding in the closet---Boo

Our polling record is easily more accurate than any other pollster in this country/province/ and likely the states over the past 8-10 years--the calculations are easy to do IF you have a clue what you are doing.

You must be a politico---or one of the rank and file pukes in public affairs--(part of the easy street of bureaucracy) that's why you hide behind like a rat.

Step up or shut up--!

glen p robbins

Apr 3, 2010 at 10:33am

Wonka -- you don't even have a history as a closet opinion provider--what else have you contributed -- where is it?

No wonder you don't do your homework.

yeeeha!

Apr 3, 2010 at 11:29am

Willie, do not give glen your full name. There is a good chance he is "packing"

glen p robbins

Apr 3, 2010 at 7:00pm

We will find out who Willie the Worm is--we always do ---, the search is already narrowing---and we won't tell Willie when we know---and once we do---we'll squeeze what is important ---

When we confront Willie's real person -- we'll use our confrontation with the gutless puke --- as film evidence for why Dana White and UFC should let glen p fight Arnold of Kellyfornya at the next UFC event -- //

and I'll be wearing my pink shirt --