HST opponents launch “Survivor” contest to pick B.C. MLAs for recall

    1 of 1 2 of 1

      Bill Vander Zalm’s Fight HST campaign is drawing inspiration from reality television to pick which Liberal MLAs will be first to face possible recall over the Harmonized Sales Tax.

      In a nod to the popular Survivor series, the anti-HST group has launched a contest dubbed “MLA Survivor Recall—Vote them off the Island”.

      According to a news release today (September 20) from Fight HST, 18 B.C. ridings will vie for the “right” to hold the initial MLA-recall drives.

      Winning ridings will be picked based on how many canvassers they register. Three recall efforts would be launched at first, with one added each following month.

      The contest runs from September 27 to November 15, when the recall efforts could start.

      Fight HST organizers say they want to see a binding referendum on the unpopular tax within the year, instead of a provincewide initiative vote in September 2011.

      Meanwhile, B.C. New Democrat leader Carole James has proposed a change to provincial legislation to allow a referendum as early as this fall on the HST.

      “British Columbia’s economy simply cannot afford the unnecessary uncertainty brought about by the year-long referendum delay,” James writes in a letter today to Premier Gordon Campbell.

      Fight HST has also released a list of the 18 MLAs that could face recall campaigns. Finance minister Colin Hansen is named on the list but Campbell is not.

      The MLAs include:

      Bill Barisoff Penticton

      Donna Barnett Cariboo-Chilcotin

      Bill Bennett Kootenay East

      Ron Cantelon Parksville-Qualicum

      Ida Chong Oak Bay-Gordon Head

      Marc Dalton Maple Ridge-Mission

      Eric Foster Vernon-Monashee

      Colin Hansen Vancouver-Quilchena

      Terry Lake Kamloops-North Thompson

      John Les Chilliwack

      Norm Letnick Kelowna-Lake Country

      Joan McIntyre West Vancouver-Sea to Sky

      Don McRae Comox Valley

      John Rustad Nechako Lakes

      John Slater Boundary-Similkameen

      Ben Stewart Kelowna-Westside

      Steve Thomson Kelowna-Mission

      Jane Thornthwaite North Vancouver-Seymour

      Comments

      27 Comments

      Ziggles

      Sep 20, 2010 at 4:18pm

      Does anyone else find it a bit disturbing that Vander Zalm bears a striking resemblance to Donald Rumsfeld?

      Ron McMillan

      Sep 20, 2010 at 4:27pm

      We don't need Vander Zalm playing neocon games. Anyone can start a recall campaign, we don't need VZ's 'permissions' (sarcasm intended)
      With all his horseshit delaying tactics and not targetting Campbell he has snatched defeat from the very jaws of victory. He saw history smiling on him and didn't have the heart, the nerve or the moral compass to grasp the golden ring and ascend to the ranks of those whose very memory is loved by all. The whole world was watching and saw him play us for fools. We have an Angus Reid poll showing that 76% of the people in at least 12 Liberal ridings would actually go to the polls and vote for recall. What does Vonder Boy do? He holds a contest to possibly put some pressure on in three ridings and which will ensure that this rotten government we all suffer under will not be defeated! That is called a red herring, also know as lying to the people in an effort to divert their attention from the subject at hand. Thing is, it is so crude and so obvious that it may not have its desired effect. People who are fed up with lies may just throw Vander Zalm off the train and roll on to victory without him. Or we lose one of the very few chances we will ever have to improve our standard of living and standard of political reality - our choice.
      And today on the CBC, they had Chris Delany on for all of a few minutes and he was pushing the same 'Survival' malarky when who should phone and scold him like a schoolboy but Bill Bennet. (the former premier of British Columbia who was convicted of insider trading and banned from securities trading for 10 years, was up on his high horse telling us how honest he is compared to Delaney)
      Well Chris, I guess it's nice to know who your friends are. The CBC has never been balanced - they'll snow you blind with stories about Peter Gzowski or Farley Mowat's boat, but when it comes down they always land hard right just like they did today. Don't you know you are being taken for a fool?
      So that leaves the NDP, don't expect too much. If they had a real leader, now is the time to take the gloves off and come out fighting. But they don't. Some people even suspect they'be been infiltrated and nullified by the neocons. Well, I can't think for you.
      So to all those people who canvassed for petition votes, well you have my sympathy, but they only way to get back on track is to throw away those leaders who have stabbed you in the back and start organizing riding by riding. You don't have to listen to Vander Zalm if you think he is just another neocon emerging from his Trojan horse. Throw him off the train!

      Clive

      Sep 20, 2010 at 5:27pm

      I was hoping for recall on a much wider scale all at once, but this is a start I guess. Waiting to hold the referendum til next September 24th doesn't help any of its citizens or BC businesses. The referendum is being delayed simply to try to buy time to save Gordon Campbell's ass. Its too late though; he no longer has any credibility; nor does Hansen. Finally all the lies and deception have come to a head.

      Taxpayers R Us

      Sep 20, 2010 at 5:56pm

      Why isn't Scambell's riding on that list?

      RunningFrog

      Sep 20, 2010 at 5:57pm

      Can we not also toss in Andrew Saxton pretty puleaze?! ;)

      What is with all this Imperialist 'entertainment'?! Is this just more action to CONVOLUTE, DELAY, AND DENY???

      So why is Scrambull tossing all our civil liberties, assets, private information; and public funds out the window?!

      I read that there is a test for this; EEG. Which reveals the full impairment for genuine empathy.. Just like most serial killers, these people have abject zero accountability and feelings for the people and damage they create.

      IT IS A FULLY RELIABLE TEST.

      Therefore, there should also ALWAYS be a EEG Test for every single last politician right along with their merit prior to ever being placed anywhere in Our Canadian government.

      MUST BE THE FACE OF THE FUTURE; anything else is NOT WORTHY.

      CLEAN OUR FULL HOUSES NOW.

      AUTHENTICITY FRAUD DOES NOT MAKE FOR ETHICAL POLITICS ~ we are very simply not interacting with qualified people; obviously.

      the_rest_of_us

      Sep 20, 2010 at 6:23pm

      Vander Zalm never fails to make a mockery of himself and BC politics and this latest stunt is certainly no exception.

      Don't just recall the Liberals...

      Sep 20, 2010 at 6:29pm

      ...because the NDP isn't as opposed to the tax as the recall campaign would have you believe. Why not add Carole James to the recall list unless she unequivocally comes out in opposition to it? Wouldn't that let our politicians know we mean business?

      If you're genuinely opposed to the tax, you'll apply the screws to any politician regardless of their party affiliation.

      Ron McMillan

      Sep 20, 2010 at 7:18pm

      I owe an apology to the NDP. I didn't see the part of the above article which says:
      'Meanwhile, B.C. New Democrat leader Carole James has proposed a change to provincial legislation to allow a referendum as early as this fall on the HST.'
      Way to go Carol!

      Jim Van Rassel

      Sep 20, 2010 at 8:15pm

      You know that the Devil is in the details right? I find It amazing at how refind the Media has become at not reporting all the details. After having a conversations with Mike Farnworth as to the "details" of what and how the process works as to last weeks HST committee vote, Mike I thank you for your time and clarifications of this open ended process.
      Jim Van Rassel
      Coquitlam BC

      Ron McMillan

      Sep 20, 2010 at 8:17pm

      I owe an apology to Carol James and the NDP. In the above article it states:

      "Meanwhile, B.C. New Democrat leader Carole James has proposed a change to provincial legislation to allow a referendum as early as this fall on the HST.

      “British Columbia’s economy simply cannot afford the unnecessary uncertainty brought about by the year-long referendum delay,”

      Way to go, Carol.

      But it would be nice if they took the recall campaign and ran with it. It would be even nicer if they would distance themselves from a tax which takes a disproportunate amount from the poor and the middle classes as a percentage of their income. As in 12% for the poor and lower middle, who spend all their income each year, 8 or 10% for the upper middle, who spend most of their income in a year, and nickels and dimes for the rich and super rich who spend a tiny percentage of their income in a year. Sales taxes have always been another way to tax the poor.