The provincial government passed a binding motion in the B.C. Legislature on May 31 to reduce the rate of the harmonized sales tax to 10 per cent by July of 2014 should British Columbians vote no in an upcoming referendum to have the tax quashed.
As a result of the motion being passed, B.C.’s finance minister must advise the federal finance minister to cut B.C.’s portion of the HST to six per cent on July 1, 2012 and then to five per cent on July 1, 2014, should the “no” side win in the initiative vote. [...more]
“The law is clear – the petition must be forwarded by the chief electoral officer before the committee acts,” said Boundary-Similkameen MLA John Slater, one of the members of the Select Standing Committee for Legislative Initiatives.
On Aug. 11, Craig James, the acting chief electoral officer for Elections BC, sent a letter to Bill Vander Zalm, the former B.C. premier who is spearheading the Initiative Petition process to have the harmonized sales tax (HST) repealed. [...more]
B.C. is one step closer to implementing the harmonized sales tax (HST).
Last week, the Consumption Tax Rebate and Transition Act eliminating the provincial sales tax (PST) passed in the provincial Legislature. [...more]
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.” [...more]
Paul McCavour is determined to help former B.C. premier Bill Vander Zalm extinguish the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) – and the formal part of the process has officially begun.
“We have a 60-day waiting period, and after that we can start gathering names,” said McCavour, who is spearheading the local movement to convince the B.C. government to abandon the idea of bringing in the HST. [...more]
