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.

Comments

15 Comments

City Observer

Apr 27, 2010 at 10:38am

Smart politickin' on the part of Carole Taylor, and just what she needs to do -- seem to distance herself from the current government, and most particularly the hated HST -- to cement her role as the odds-on favourite to take over the leadership of the provincial Liberals once Campbell steps down next year, thus allowing her to sweep to power in 2013 as a "woman of the people." Yep, it's all going according to plan.

WestCoastLass

Apr 27, 2010 at 11:14am

They went to a Calgary-based economist for the report that recommends they do this. Not only do they appear to be basing their flip-flop decision to adopt the HST on Albertan ideology, they sent BC tax dollars to Alberta to commission the report. Couldn't they at least have used our money to support economists (and therefore jobs) in our own province???

ds

Apr 27, 2010 at 5:27pm

Can not for the life of me figure out this so called leader of our province.
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.

BruceMcAra

Apr 27, 2010 at 7:44pm

WestcoastLass - it is incredible to me that any economist would allow his name to appear on the so called "study" by Mintz. The paper pulls numbers out of thin air without a shred of support. It doesn't even make sense mathematically. Somehow business is supposed to invest $1.1 billion per year because they save $2.6 - $1.7 after tax. On top of that they will create 113,000 jobs that would have ongoing costs of $8 billion a year and yet somehow have cash left over to reduce prices.

Alan

Apr 28, 2010 at 8:57am

Perhaps Mr. Hanson could also consider that consumer spending is also a major catalyst to job creation and economic growth - in fact, it is the largest factor in a free economy. The advent of politicians who utilize taxation without consideration to the economic capabiity of a strong middle class - are the biggest risk to our economic viability and for our children's generation. With the anti-HST movement we have a means of really informing politicians that their are limits - where we are able to put restrictions on the Colin Hansons and Gordon Cambells of the world. Conisder, three years ago 3 cents a litre for highway improvement, 7.5 for the carbon initiative (which was designed to capture the the green vote and restrict it from moving to the NDP) - which of course adds the last 2.5 cents the same time they want to introduce the HST. This type of unrestricted taxation places an unacceptabel burden on the very engine that is currently lifting the auto industry out of the abyss.

glen p robbins

Apr 28, 2010 at 10:05am

It might have been more timely for Ms. Taylor to make her comments when British Columbians were first defrauded by Mr. Campbell and Hansen -- way back during the election. The former minister looks pretty good now -- but it is tantamount to piling on --.

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?

Socred=BCLiberal=

Apr 28, 2010 at 4:38pm

-- but it is tantamount to piling on --

It is odd how quickly neocons eat their own.

Fransen

Apr 29, 2010 at 9:23am

Considering Carole Taylor axed provincial income tax for banks and then a few short months later became a director of a bank with a huge stipend and expense account (bigger than her pay as MLA) I don't consider her comments as an exhibit of public courage.

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.

Shame on You

Apr 29, 2010 at 3:19pm

To all those that voted for Gordo...didn't anybody tell you ..I told you so?

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.

Cory

Apr 30, 2010 at 11:57am

Carole Taylor for Premier!!!!!!