The editorial “Election races offer promise” (March 30) presents some interesting views. But one major candidate, and a major concern of many voters on the south Island care about – the HST – are missing
In Saanich-Gulf Islands only one candidate opposes the HST – Edith Loring-Kuhanga of the NDP. Both the federal Conservatives and Liberals supported the imposition of HST legislation in Ottawa. The federal NDP opposed the imposition of the HST. Yet no mention was made of Loring-Kuhanga in the editorial.
Surprisingly, the federal Green Party in a Sept. 28, 2009 policy statement called the tax “a good idea,” but questioned some aspects of its timing and scope: Support in principle for a tax that the Green leader is used to in her home province of Nova Scotia, but not one that the majority of British Columbians will accept.
The NDP views the imposition of the HST as the deceitful imposition of an unjust tax, and that it is a massive tax shift from corporations onto individuals, which is not a good idea. It also warned of the consequences of imposing the tax at a time of fragile economic recovery.
Since the imposition of the HST last July, the unemployment rate in B.C. has risen from about seven per cent to 8.8 per cent. Now only Atlantic Canada has higher unemployment rates than B.C.! So much for the HST as a job creator, as promised by the B.C. Liberals.
Further, the B.C. cost of living has increased by more than three per cent since the imposition of the HST and StatsCan states than 60 per cent of the increase is attributed to the HST.
Ron Faris
Saanich