Carole Taylor highlights B.C. Liberal flip-flop on HST
The NDP has taunted the B.C. Liberals over the upcoming harmonized sales tax by highlighting comments made by former B.C. finance minister Carole Taylor on CTV.
NDP energy critic John Horgan raised the issue yesterday (April 26) during the legislature's question period.
“Let’s move to another powerful person, the former minister of finance, who said not only did the government mislead the public during the election, she said the following: 'This particular tax takes the tax off businesses. It takes $1.8 billion off of businesses and puts it onto consumers. So that shift is a shift that is ideological as well as factual'," Horgan said, quoting Taylor.
NDP MLA Doug Donaldson asked Finance Minister Colin Hansen whether he’d consider withdrawing a bill to eliminate the provincial sales tax--to pave the way for the HST--based on Taylor’s comments.
Hansen responded: “I agree with leading economists in Canada who actually say that the elimination of the provincial sales tax and the adaptation of the HST is the single biggest thing we can do as a government to create jobs and stimulate the economy.”
Elsewhere in the CTV interview, Taylor said that before the election, the B.C. Liberals said they wouldn't introduce the HST. "Then right after the election they decided to do it," she quickly added.
As the finance minister in the last B.C. Liberal government, Taylor opposed the introduction of the HST.
The HST is slated to go into effect on July 1, and would combine the seven-percent provincial sales tax with the five-percent federal GST in a new 12-percent levy. It will be extended over many services, such as tickets and professional services, that are not currently captured by the provincial sales tax.
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Comments
He won't spend a dime here, instead he farms everything out to other goverment or countries while he's trying his hardest to make life as hard as he can for the rest of us. Tears up conracts and at the same time tells people they have to live with the contract some got rooked into with natural gas, rolls back wages while he gives himself a hefty increase and brings back his golden pension and now he wants us to pay more taxes while he give big busness more tax breaks. I always thought goverment was suppose to make things better for the voters that pay their salaries. It sure doesn't seem like it to me. They should amend that recall to include their pension.
Quite frankly, the only political actor from the ranks of the established sytem who exhibited any courage was Vander Zalm --/who says he has no political ambitions -- beyond doing "the right thing".
Are Ms. Taylor's comments also without self-serving strings attached?
It is odd how quickly neocons eat their own.
Also, the constant mention of tax shift is not clearly spelled out and it is time someone did. What it means is that now, in addition to getting credit for GST in their expenses, business will also get credit for PST, while you will pay for that additional bonus to them by paying more.. Hell, now you have to lay aside money to pay tax on the undertaker, the tea at your funeral, and the church hall your grieving family rents to say goodbye.
Mr. Campbell:
1. Take early retirement and get your pension because I suspect soon the Canadian people will decide to cancel the pensions of those who have committed crimes against society.
2. Vow never to get involved in public life again as you are no good at it even though you may have good intentions (
whispered snicker).
3. Buy some property near Powell River where it is walking distance to the closest gin joint....and fade into the abyss.
One never really knows what their motives are! VanderZalm, Carol Taylor and whats left of the greedy ones after they have pillaged our province.
Certainly our former Premier Bill V. and Carol T. are not any poorer than when they first got into politics. Our provincial economy and its populace do look rather worse for wear at this point. So I ask myself, do I trust them to look after the common person's interests. Not a chance! Do I trust Carol James and the NDP, absolutely, and their record shows a caring and more than compassionate group. They may not be perfect, but they are a far cry from the disingenuous lot who have ruled this province for too long now.
I recently spoke with Mr. Vander Zalm -- and he is quite unequivocal about (not) re-entering politics as a candidate or a leader -- yet -- how do you fill a vacuum as large as this one is growing---?
My advice to anyone, would be get involved politically, don't bother with MainStreamMedia, most of the journalists are afraid of losing their jobs if they offend the powers that be. Follow your heart and we just might elect a real BC gov't in 2013.