Paul McCavour has been the lead voice behind an anti-HST movement in Osoyoos. Photo by Julie Turner/ Osoyoos Times File - Click on picture for larger image
OSOYOOS TIMES-February 10, 2010
By Laurena Weninger – Osoyoos Times
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.
Last summer, the provincial government announced it intends to harmonize the seven-per-cent Provincial Sales Tax (PST) with the five-per-cent federal Goods and Services Tax (GST).
The result will be a 12-per-cent tax scheduled to take effect this July that will be levied on most consumer items previously subject to the GST.
But if those fighting the implementation of the harmonized tax can collect signatures from at least 10 per cent of voters in each of the province’s 85 electoral districts, they can force an initiative vote and potentially squash the new tax.
In order to start the process, Vander Zalm, who is considered the “proponent,” had to apply to Elections BC.
As of Feb. 4, B.C.’s chief electoral officer, Harry Neufeld, granted approval in principle to Vander Zalm’s initiative.
It’s called “An initiative to end the harmonized sales tax,” and starting April 6, those behind Vander Zalm can start collecting signatures on official petitions against the HST.
They will have 90 days to collect signatures from 10 per cent of registered voters in each riding.
If they succeed, their initiative could trigger an Initiative Vote.
That would take place on Sept. 24, 2011, and would let the public vote on a bill to extinguish the HST.
If more than 50 per cent of the province’s electorate – with at least 50 per cent of voters in two-thirds of B.C.’s electoral districts – are in support of the initiative to extinguish the HST, the government would be required to introduce the bill in the Legislature.
Alternately, the government could skip the vote and just go ahead and introduce the bill.
Either way, just because the bill is introduced to the house doesn’t mean it will be adopted by Legislature.
It only means the government will have to address the bill and can either give it readings or defeat it.
“It will be decided by the majority of government,” explained Boundary-Similkameen MLA John Slater.
McCavour isn’t planning on going door-to-door to collect signatures, but instead is going to rent a hall and advertise.
Those who want to sign the petition can come down and add their name to McCavour’s list.
In order to sign the petition, McCavour said, one has to be a registered voter as of April 6.
Those wanting to volunteer with the collection of names also have to be registered with Elections BC.
It’s not going to be an easy task.
“It’s a very daunting task to get all 85 ridings,” McCavour said, noting that if even one riding does not give up the 10 per cent support needed, the referendum effort will fail.
But McCavour has a backup plan.
“The jewel in the crown for me is the recall,” he said. “I can recall the MLA in this riding.”
In B.C., starting 18 months after an election, voters in an electoral district can have their Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) ousted if they can collect signatures from 40 per cent of the registered voters.
It’s nothing personal to Slater, said McCavour.
“It doesn’t matter which MLA it is,” said McCavour, adding that it would be the MLA’s support of the HST that would be the deciding factor. “This is democracy in action.”
Bill Tieleman, who writes a column in the 24 Hours newspaper and The Tyee, points out that the only way to threaten the Liberals’ legislative majority is to recall some of the MLAs.
He gives a list of the 13 B.C. Liberal MLAs who would be “easiest to recall” due to their win by a low percentage of votes in last year’s election.
The second MLA on his list is Slater, who received 37 per cent of votes in this riding in the May election.
But that doesn’t seem to faze Slater.
“We live in a democracy and I encourage people to learn all sides of an issue before making their decision,” he said. “This spring I will be having town hall meetings to explain the HST when all the correct information is assembled. I will continue doing my job representing the people of Boundary-Similkameen to the best of my ability.”
[email protected]
