From Eric Freeston Regional Organizer
Fight HST
HST Signatures Swell to 7500 in Cariboo Chilcotin
Cariboo Chilcotin - “On a slow day canvassers gather 50 signatures while on a most days 100 signatures are collected”, says Eric Freeston, regional organizer in Cariboo Chilcotin for the Initiative to End the Harmonized Sales Tax. “Now, just seven weeks into a 90 day campaign, we have 7500 names - approximately 2000 more signatures than the number of people who voted for Donna Barnett in the 2009 Provincial Election.”
“This response shows that citizens are angry with both the tax and the way it was introduced – immediately after the Liberal election win in May. And anger towards the Liberal Government and the Harmonized Sales Tax continues to grow. We expect to exceed 8000 signatures in the next five days. As long as people want to sign the petition, we will be out on the streets taking their names.”
Following the July 6 deadline for the HST initiative, Elections BC will validate petition signatures. Once the initiative is declared successful it will be sent to an all-party committee of the BC Legislature. This committee will have two options: holding a province-wide referendum or turning the petition into a bill to present to the legislature. If the bill is presented in the legislature but voted down by the Liberal-majority government, the Citizen Initiative has two further options: a recall petition or a legal challenge.
A recall petition can be conducted no earlier than November 2010. This initiative requires 40% of registered voters of a particular constituency to sign a petition to recall their MLA. If the recall petition is successful, the MLA for that constituency would be recalled and Elections BC would hold a by-election.
Legal advisors believe the HST may contravene the Constitution Act 1867 that gives exclusive authority for direct taxation for provincial revenue to the provincial legislatures only. The HST may also contravene the Excise Tax Act that forbids the federal government from implementing an “unequal” tax within the provinces. Any legal challenges to the HST would be accompanied by an application for an injunction to stop the tax until the court can determine its legality.
Freeston concluded, “During the election Liberal MLA Donna Barnett promised to represent her constituents in Cariboo Chilcotin. Now her constituents are clearly telling her they don’t want the HST. Is she listening?” end
For anyone looking for places to sign the Initiative in their area please go to www.fighthst.com
The first Red Banner that you see is for the locations. Look up your riding then simply identify your town and a location near you.
4 comments:
Gary--
In response to an inquisitive caller that actually managed to get through...Even the Ledgie Boys reluctantly admitted this morning that the petition may garner more signatures than the LINOs did votes in the last election.
And not just in the Cariboo.
But in the entire province....
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Oh I know Ross. I am mainly concerned personally with Cariboo Chilcotin but I get most of the info from around the province. For example Cariboo North which required a few more signatures than us, are very close to the same numbers.I suspect that the 50% that were lulled to sleep by the LIEberals last year have woken up. And I know first hand that their own previous supporters have jumped ship over this.
Even Campbells own riding will probably exceed his votes.
The ledgie boys are a sham in my opinion. They still can't bring themselves to admit that this money grab is wrong.All they seem to want to admit is that it is a problem. And, when and if they do, I predict they will blame the NDP for all the problems.
By the way, you have been doing some great things on the BC Rail Trial. So great in fact you seem to be in my mind on a lot of things. Which is a good thing. It frees me up a little for the HST.
I am having great success in my riding as well, Juan de Fuca. As for the courts deciding this issue, looking at railgate, I doubt there would be justice.
Great to know you are working in Juan de Fuca Kim.
As to this being decided in court I pretty sure it won't get that far.
There is a certain amount of impatience even among Liberal Supporters to get rid of this thing. Stalling is just not a tactic that I personally would recommend to Campbell at this time.
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