B.C. Liberals’ big donors fight HST opponents
Several of the corporations represented by a coalition of business groups that’s challenging the legality of the anti–HST citizen initiative are also huge donors to the B.C. Liberal Party, according to a Vancouver-based retired accountant.
Citing Elections B.C. records, Gordon Robertson noted that members of the Mining Association of B.C. have contributed at least $1.5 million to the ruling party since 2005. Companies that are part of the Council of Forest Industries handed over $1.2 million during the same period of time. He added that members of the Coast Forest Products Association have donated $910,872 in the last five years.
“Companies do not donate their shareholders’ money without hoping to get something in return,” Robertson told the Straight by phone. “It’s not surprising that these three associations whose members had contributed huge amounts of money are now coming up and going to bat for the Liberal party.”
MABC president and CEO Pierre Gratton asserted that his group joined the court challenge because the mining industry believes in the HST.
“We’re not doing this for the Liberal party,” Gratton told the Straight by phone. “We’re doing this for our industry.”
On June 29, six business associations, including the three mentioned above, filed a petition before the B.C. Supreme Court questioning the constitutionality of the citizen initiative against the HST. One of these groups is the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association. This construction-industry organization has donated at least $60,000 to the B.C. Liberals since 2005, according to Elections B.C. records.
ICBA president Philip Hochstein isn’t making any apologies for his group’s support of the B.C. Liberals.
“Why we donated to the party is because their policies were the right policies for construction and investment,” Hochstein told the Straight by phone. “And this tax is good for our industry as well. We support the tax, and we support the government that brought it in.”
Comments
19 Comments
Camero409
Jul 15, 2010 at 7:16am
These are same culprits who want to drain Fish Lake in the interior and fill it with poison mine tailings. They will lose the HST fight and the LIbERalS will face recall and lose that as well.
adibese
Jul 15, 2010 at 7:45am
Considering 76 percent of businesses do not want the HST, I could care less if the mining industry does. What we are seeing is a corrupt government being ruled by a small minority of people.
Amazing
Jul 15, 2010 at 8:11am
Its amazing that stuff like this is legal.
pippatch
Jul 15, 2010 at 9:06am
These organizations have made the public even more determined to get rid of tHE LIEberal govt. They should have just said nothing one way or the other about the HST. Too bad we can't boycott their businesses but they don't deal retail.
Big Daddy
Jul 15, 2010 at 9:17am
Many taxes, the GST and HST in particular shift Gov't revenue sources from large corporations to the consumer with no measurable benefits to the consumer. This legal challenge is surprisingly mean spirited and is nothing more than a bullying proxy attack by the government instead of dealing wih the HST in a forthright manner.
The most sickening aspect of this situation is that the disgustingly bloated salaries, wastefull programs and arrogant, high spending MLA's
continue without challenge.
If big business reall wanted some altruistic benefit to the economy they would be taking action to eliminate waste and reduce salaries, bonuses etc. paid to useless bureacrats and not kicking at consumers and samll business.
Lorenzo
Jul 15, 2010 at 10:14am
Stop supporting any member of Chamber of Commerce!!! Ift the members dont like the HST they should quit the commerce. Our company not longer goes to Second Cup on Burrard because of this. They emailed us because they knew something was up or somebody told them because none of the 25 workers are going there anymore. We used to spend an average of $200 a person a month between coffee and lunch, close to 5K.
We told them as long as you are a member of the commerce we are not going. Our boss has to do with insurance for the building next month over $25K and he is changing his insurance because they are a member. Every Friday we have lunch meeting covered by our company we still go to the same place since they are not a member, but no more 20% tip is 10% before taxes. Last week the manager came to our table and ask if something was wrong. Since the workers leave the tip we left $25 on a $280 bill and our boss no longer lets us have 2-3 drinks like before so usually our bill is over $500. First of all I was surprised the manager came and then told us that usually on a big table he adds 18% but since we come regularly and always leave over 20% we never bothers. We told him that because of the HST we would only be leaving 10% before taxes from now and no more drinking.
I couldnt beleive this manager he first tried to explain that the server have to 4% and then told us that next time he would be charging us 18%. My boss that is usually really calm got upset and told him that over the last 4 years his company has spend over $100K there and if he didnt want our business we could go somewhere else. He told them we are 25 people here and if you treat us bad no only we never come here for work meals but also none of us will come back for with friends or family either.
Two day later the owner of the restaurant called and asked us to come back and he discount our meals and alcohol 10% in the future. We told him as long as that manager is not there we will return but we will still only leave 10% tip before taxes.
Bruce
Jul 15, 2010 at 10:30am
Talk about desperation! These corporate goons will blow thousands maybe millions on legal fees that will accomplish zero. It doesn't make one iota of difference if the law on the petition is valid. The government will most likely go with a referendum in September 2011. The voters will not wait that long they will turf the idiots and Bill Vander Zalm will not be able to hold them back.
glen p robbins
Jul 15, 2010 at 11:30am
The BC Liberals gave huge tax breaks to their donor friends -- when they first took power from the BC NDP at the turn of the century. That break/rich person subsidy/ was in the personal income ledger.
The BC Liberals are now giving huge tax breaks to their donor friends -- a decade of taking power from the BC NDP. This break/rich person subsidy is in the corporate ledger.
One has to admire the consistency and continuity of BC Liberal public policy -- even if it deprives 75-80% of the population.
cherylb
Jul 15, 2010 at 12:20pm
Surprise!! All the voters know this already and the Libs will pay with Recall in the Fall for deliberately pitting business against consumers. It's not nice to f**k with the people who voted for you. It won't happen again. Good-bye Liberal Party of BC. You didn't last even an iota as long as the Socreds did. I'm still waiting for the Green Party to surpass you in popularity. Won't be long :)
Birdy
Jul 15, 2010 at 2:39pm
"Too bad we can't boycott their businesses they don't deal retail."
Fortunately you're mistaken my friend - The Western Convenience Stores Association is also taking part in the lawsuit. So you can tell 7-11 how you feel next time you need a slurpee, as well as Canadian Tire, BC Ferries, ESSO, and about a million others.
The naughty list, compiled:
http://festiverants.wordpress.com/2010/06/30/b-c-business-community-come...