The new Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) will create a black market economy that will ultimately undermine the Canadian tax system and force the federal and provincial to increase taxes - this, says the former B.C. premier spearheading an anti-HST campaign, is only one of the problems with the proposal.
"We'll have an underground economy because, hey, if someone comes along and offers you a 12 per cent discount it could be tempting," said Bill Vander Zalm during a speech at the Sea to Sky Hotel Sunday (May 9). "That's what they're creating. A climate, an atmosphere where undoubtedly there will be a great amount of abuse."
About 60 people grabbed a seat to listen to Vander Zalm talk about the fight against HST a while an estimated 200 people signed petitions without staying for the speech.
Fight HST Sea to Sky co-ordinator Peter Harris said he was pleased to see the amount of support during the third stop on the weekend's corridor wide campaign, which saw Vander Zalm drop in to Whistler and Pemberton the day before.
The petition to stop the HST would lead to a referendum and possible bill in the legislature to stop its adoption.
Vander Zalm said people should sign the petition to stop the HST and to show the government it cannot do whatever it wants.
"They are completely ignoring the will of the people," he said. "This petition sends a message to this government, to future governments, to governments elsewhere in the country that people want a voice. The people are no longer satisfied in having a government that simply does what ever it wants regardless of what the people want."
He argued against the Liberal government's assertion that the HST would give the province an edge while competing against other provinces like Ontario.
"We compete with Alberta maybe," said the former leader of the Social Credit party.
"We're competing with all of those states to the south of us. We're not competing with Ontario, that's ludicrous. But they told us that because they don't have another reason to give."
HST advocates have said cost increases would be eased by refund cheques to businesses, but Vander Zalm said it's unlikely corporations would pass the savings on to consumers, as widely claimed by many HST proponents.
"They don't create jobs because they're getting a refund cheque from the government," he said. "Maybe the Chief Executive Officer will argue at the board meeting that he should get a bonus because the bottom line looks better - courtesy of you, but that won't be said.
"When the demand goes up and the price goes up, that's when they'll hire, that's when they'll expand, not because of a refund cheque from the government."
Vander Zalm discouraged British Columbians from aligning themselves politically on the issue since the HST tax would affect everyone.
"These are people issues. They have nothing to do with political parties."
To date, approximately 455,000 signatures have been collected in British Columbia, however each of the 85 ridings in the province must have signatures from at least 10 per cent of its eligible voters. Fifty-six of the 85 ridings have reached or surpassed the goal as of Monday (May 10).
Fight HST campaign lead organizer Chris Delaney said the Sea to Sky Corridor has gathered signatures from 7.5 per cent of the registered eligible voters in the riding, but Delaney is hoping to double that number by the end of May.
"We're well on our way to achieving that."
For more information on the campaign or to find out how to sign the petition visit fighthst.com or contact Harris at 604-898-9366.
