OSOYOOS TIMES-February 17, 2010

By Laurena Weninger - Osoyoos Times

Osoyoos town councillors have agreed to give free space to anti-HST petitioner Paul McCavour to assist him in his bid to collect local signatures against the pending HST.
“This is not an endorsement by council,” said Coun. CJ Rhodes at council’s Feb. 15 meeting about the donation of space at the Sonora Community Centre for collecting signatures on April 15, 16, and 17. “This is a political process we are supporting.”
Earlier this month, Elections BC gave its formal approval for an initiative petition process.
Last summer, the provincial government announced its intention to harmonize the Provincial Sales Tax (PST) with the federal Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Effective July 1, 2010, the tax will combine the five-per-cent GST with the seven-per-cent PST.
The result will be a 12-per-cent tax that will be levied on virtually every item that was previously subject to the GST.
But a group of people, led by former B.C. premier Bill Vander Zalm, are determined to quash the tax.
Between April 6 and July 5, names will be collected on an official petition to extinguish the HST.
If more than 10 per cent of registered voters in all 85 of B.C.’s ridings sign the petitions, the proposed bill to extinguish the tax would have to either be forwarded to the Legislature or go to an official “Initiative Petition” vote.
If the vote were to pass, the bill to reverse the establishment of the tax would be forwarded to the Legislature, again for the government’s consideration.
In either case, the government would not be forced to repeal the tax, but only to consider the bill in the Legislature.
While a resolution was passed at the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) convention last fall that stated the organization’s opposition to the tax, Coun. Margaret Chadsey also said this is a good opportunity for the public to speak their minds.
“I just think this is a wonderful opportunity for us in the province to say how we feel, one way or another.”

reporter@osoyoostimes.com

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