Login / RegisterB.C. government unveils $5 million HST information campaign
The B.C. government says it will spend up to $5 million on a television, print, and online campaign meant to help voters get informed before the upcoming HST referendum.
Finance Minister Kevin Falcon today (May 12) unveiled the campaign, which will run until early July.
Information on the campaign website—www.HSTinBC.ca—shows British Columbians have significant misunderstandings about the 12-percent tax, the government says.
These include incorrect beliefs about the costs under the HST for basic groceries, electronics like iPods, and prescription drugs, according to a government news release.
“With the important decision British Columbians have to make this summer, this information campaign encourages them to get the information they need to make the most informed decision they can,” the news release says.
B.C. voters will be asked in the provincewide referendum if the HST, which came into effect in July 2010, should be extinguished and the provincial sales tax and federal GST reinstated.
The referendum stems from last summer’s successful anti-HST petition, which gathered signatures from at least 10 percent of voters in each of B.C.’s 85 electoral districts.
The mail-in HST referendum ballots will be due by July 22, according to Elections B.C.
HST is applied differently to muffins based on how many you buy and whether the muffins are "sweetened"
Just say no to multi-tiered muffin tax fuckery.
Infuriating that they'd go and spend $5,000,000 of our dollars to get a stickman my kid could draw to tell us we're idiots.
Yup. You've gotta love BC politics.
This means of course that based on the history of lies and deceit associated with the HST - the fact that one of the arguments for keeping it is the cost of undoing the lie (your own money ya stupid bitches)----and most recently Jim Dinning's report that the information provided to date by the BC Liberal government was false - and yet again the information by Dinning that the $325 cost of HST to each family -- was only based on average purchases and NO extraordinary purchases - which would raise this amount to the $1,000 ROBBINS originally announced way back when.
Against this history - this background - Falcon makes the biggest mistake of his career and says not one dollar of the $5 million will be used to persuade British Columbians on the HST.
There is no chance -- that the BC Liberals can do this. Watch the BC Conservatives replace the BC Liberals ---------------no way Christy Clark can hold this - but watch for a major push by the retail press - the cheat factor is going to go through the stratosphere.
Most recent cheats: Stephen Harper on Bill Good on federal election day;
Keith Baldrey announcing at dinner news hour - the night of the by-election that if Christy loses she might call a provincial election ---- no way should this type of speculation be permitted on election day - what if some voters said - let the little witch in now so we don't have to go to a general election right after a federal election?
BC vs Afghanistan/Pakistan/Uganda/Libya for right to best of the worst democracies.
The additional monies raised to the Crown Corporation - off the government books - is the early set up by the Campbell Liberals (see Christy Clark - as pretty proxy "PP" no "PPP") to:
a) raise monies to replace 1% off HST in year one and 1% down the line; OR alternatively TO:
b) pay for the messy cost that Campbell created with his paper napkin (see Viagra receipt) calculation to bring in HST without any public consultation--------once the HST is voted out.
Harper gives, banks, mines, large corporations, gas and oil company's, billions of our tax dollars. They also get huge tax reductions. I saw that motion pass, on the House of Commons TV channel. Now the monster Harper, gave big business another tax reduction, which comes off Canadians paychecks.
Perhaps Mr. Falcon should speak to Harper, regarding his theft of our tax money, being given to the wealthiest outfits in the world.
So can it already about the HST. You would have to be as brain dead as Martyn Brown, not to see the damage the HST has done to this province and the BC people.
The HST has cost us jobs. The HST has forced the cost of living through the roof. The HST has destroyed small businesses, BC people aren't left with any money, to support small businesses. Mr. Hochstein bragged, he has 2 trillion dollars to donate to the BC Liberals, to fight to keep the HST. I suggest, since Hochstein has money to throw away, Mr. Falcon should take one trillion of the throw away money, from Hochstein. Wealthy company's, should be paying the peoples HST for them.
The cost of gas is asinine. I think Falcon really should have a word with Harper. He gives gas and oil company's, a big chunk of our tax money, and huge tax reductions. Stop playing the BC people for fools. Do they think we can't see that, we are being ripped off by the BC Liberals and Harper too?
Christy and her Liberals say, it's ok we can trust them now. Forget it, there is still Campbell's theft and sale of the BCR, the valuable real estate, that went with the BCR. Who thieved that money? The forced HST on us.
The theft and sale of our rivers. The eco damage of those thieved rivers, is horrific. All the BC Liberals, backed the monster Campbell to the hilt. Calling the BC people names, and we are supposed to trust them again? Not on your Nelly.
Example "Over 80% of your spending is taxed exactly as before". True but 71% was untaxed by the PST. The tax base has increased from 29% to 46%. Therefore it is equally true to say "The tax base and thus the tax collected has increased by 60% over the PST".
Which statement clearly discloses the increase in tax?
How much did we spend on the Panel? And now they want to spend even more for stick man cartoons to push even more voters to their propaganda web site?
Former West Vancouver Reform-Alliance-Conservative John Reynolds and his assistant - and Howe Street rounder Brian Archer were linked to the Howe Street BC Liberals--the predominantly Toronto Bay St retail media that dominates BC - and the big advertising dollars that are predominantly Canadian (cars etc.). None of these players likes the NDP or unions. (Reform Liberals sit in the middle making up institutions usually with flimsy reasons for existence - BC Human Rights - and other legal - social policy things).
Campbell did the HST deal - because he had snuck through on his third election win -----------and wanted to feather his own nest with the federal Conservatives - Senator or some other political thing that overpays him-gives an excuse to pay a huge severance and pension to accompany his already huge severance and pension and where he never has to sweat - never has to worry or be accountable----like a prince or a King.
Politics - life in the bubble.
This is an unfair depiction and not a fair use of tax payer money as the commercial is clearly intended to say that the HST is the same as the GST plus PST - as it was - (because the GST plus PST no longer exists)--and when it did exist - there were many exemptions to the PST - SO - the commercial is persuasian - Falcon has lied the day following - nowhere does the commercial state that the GST plus PST had exemptions which the HST does not.
Whoever produced the commercial and the broadcaster that received the money for showing it (Global) either knew or ought to know it was an unfair depiction of the truth - and the government who paid for the commercial----knew it was an unfair depiction - lied about its intent (the $5 million) - therefore a continuation of a policy built on a lie - featuring more and more lies - and now a planned lie intended to misrepresent the reality.
If your going to say you will tell the truth - then produce an ad which tells the truth - or amend the current tax to include the same exemptions (which cannot be fulfilled because only the PST {when it existed} had exemptions {because the federal government has jurisdiction over the GST}) - so make some policy amendment to the current HST tax policy to make it equivalent in absolute terms to that which existed before British Columbians were lied to - and cheated.
It's simple BC Liberal people - try telling the truth once//wake up and make that effort to tell the truth for that first time/that baby step/one truth/no more con jobs - just once/the truth-
and flowers might start bloomin for ya if you do.