VICTORIA – The B.C. Liberals’ piecemeal rebates will not address the serious concerns raised by British Columbians angry over the HST betrayal, the New Democrats said recently. “The B.C. Liberals are trying to appease British Columbians with one-off rebates. But that’s just not going to cut it. The B.C. Liberals lied about the HST, and British Columbians are overwhelmingly opposed to this tax,” said New Democrat finance critic Bruce Ralston.
Ralston was responding to news that the government is trying to placate criticism of its HST betrayal by awarding rebates to qualifying schools and hospital authorities. “British Columbians have every right to feel betrayed. For the Liberal government to think they can now buy people off with piecemeal rebates is simply ridiculous,” said Ralston. “The HST doesn’t need cosmetic changes. It needs to be scrapped.”
Ralston noted that the HST will come before the legislature this spring, and it would only take seven Liberal MLAs voting against the bill to stop the tax. “The fact remains that the HST is a $1.9 billion tax shift on to consumers. Families and small businesses across the province are going to be hit hard by this new tax, and that’s not going to be changed by a few rebates,” said Ralston.
“The B.C. Liberals don’t have a mandate to bring in the HST, and so New Democrats will continue to work with people around the province from all walks of life to stop this tax.”
Carole James and the New Democrats have been holding the B.C. Liberals accountable for breaking their word on the HST, and for backtracking on their election promises to protect health care, education, and other vital services.
