Voting on the HST is happening now. The BC Liberals have characterized the vote in favour of the HST as a “vote for lower taxes.” Lower than what? The ten percent HST, should it ever be implemented, is lower than a twelve percent HST if that’s what they mean but it’s certainly not lower than the GST/PST we used to pay. In fact, according to Statistics Canada, the HST adds $521 per person in taxes to B.C. families every year. This additional cost to families comes as a result of HST tax breaks to some businesses, particularly the largest businesses in the province.
The low income HST tax credits do not make up for the extra costs that seniors and others on low incomes are paying. The $175 for children and some seniors is a one-time payment only. The HST, if it passed the referendum, would be forever.
The HST taxes many items and services that were not taxed before by the PST. Everything from buying a new house, a used car privately, home renovations and repairs, restaurant meals, haircuts, school supplies, funeral services, legal services, packaged food and dozens of other items are now taxed 7% more by the HST.
The BC Liberals said before the election in 2009 they would not introduce an HST then after the election they did just that. They said the HST would be revenue neutral to the government but instead the government is collecting much more than the tax credits and low income credits cost. The government said all the HST would be dedicated to healthcare then they flip-flopped on that. They said spending on the HST campaigns would be split equally between the pro HST and the anti HST sides. Then they proceeded to give the anti-HST side less than 4% of the spending while they went on to spend seven million dollars of taxpayers money to try to convince you the HST is good for you, including a half million dollars on a pamphlet last year that they ended up scrapping.
The BC Liberals have no credibility on the HST issue. They have misled British Columbians time after time about the tax. Now they want British Columbians to forget all that and hand them the power to continue to stick it to B.C. families to the tune of 1.3 billion dollars a year.
The HST is a bad tax, introduced, packaged and being sold in a dishonest way. It hurts B.C. families by further widening the tax paying gap between corporations and average citizens. British Columbians want the government to be held to account for this fiasco.
These are the reasons I’ll be voting Yes to extinguish the HST.
