Former B.C. premier Bill Vander Zalm is bringing his anti-Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) petition campaign to the Sea o to Sky Corridor this weekend with presentations in Pemberton and Whistler on Saturday (May 9) and in Squamish on Sunday (May 10) at the Sea to Sky Hotel from 1 to 5 p.m.
And the meeting is shaping up to be a barnburner, according to local anti-HST co-ordinator Peter Harris.
"Everybody's really excited about it," said Harris.
Vander Zalm is spearheading a petition campaign to force the government to hold a referendum on the question of whether British Columbians want the HST, which replaces the five per cent GST and seven per cent PST with one 12 per cent HST across the board, including on items previously exempt from PST such as restaurant purchases.
The petition initiative would require 10 per cent of the registered voters in each constituency to sign on by June 25.
Harris said so far, three per cent, or 1,600 West Vancouver-Sea to Sky riding members have signed the petition, and he believes the weekend blitz will boost local numbers significantly.
"We're going to be almost there ourselves after this weekend," he said.
Other ridings have shown tremendous support for the anti-HST initiatives. As of Tuesday (May 4), 17 voting districts were "well over" the required amount, said Harris.
"Everybody is very upset about it," he said, adding people are even angrier with the Liberal government in the wake of allegations against Solicitor General Kash Heed over election campaigning and subsequent questions over the viability of the investigation that exonerated him.
Penticton needed 6,200 names to meet their target, and over 10,000 voters signed up. The Peace River South district required 2,500 names, and 3,700 signed the petition.
In total, more than 300,000 British Columbians have added their names to the petition.
"The problem here is that we have a premier who is operating more and more by stealth," wrote Vander Zalm in a column printed in the Georgia Straight.
"The consequences of his actions are extremely damaging to our province, and in many cases, can never be reversed. The HST is just the latest betrayal -but for most British Columbians, it is the straw that broke the camel's back."
Elections BC oversees a process allowing such petitions to pressure government to introduce a bill to the legislature, however provincial representatives' votes still have the final say.
