(Aired on October 1, 2010)
Two weeks ago, I theorized that advertising would be key in determining who gets the upper hand in the Harmonized Sales Tax campaign prior to next year's referendum. Turns out I was wrong. Or at least that's the way this week turned out.
First, there was the comments unearthed by the Liberals, attributed to Okanagan Fight HST organizer Al Romanchuk, who was sympathetic to holocaust-denier Ernst Zundel. Then, Liberal MLAs pointed to Cariboo-Chilcotin organizer Gary Edwards, who peppers his angry blog entries with profanities and vulgarisms. The Fight HST campaign countered by uncovering comments made by a former Young Liberal official, who tweeted that Bill Vander Zalm is to politics what Michael Jackson was to children.
So no, I suppose it won't be advertising or rational debate that will turn the tide. It will be the nastiest, most cynical form of political dirty tricks. Certainly, the comments made are deplorable, and in some cases, completely reprehensible. But it doesn't have any real impact on the debate. In fact, instead of changing the minds of the voters, it will only further entrench people in their own positions.
I thought sanity would be restored today when I learned that Cariboo-Chilcotin organizers are proceeding with a recall of MLA Donna Barnett. My idea was that maybe we'd get down to something real. But when I spoke to Barnett about it, all she wanted to do was direct me to read up more on the foul-mouthed blogger.
It's my hope that British Columbians keep their eyes on the prize, and consider all relevant points before making a decision on HST. Character assassination, to my mind, is not relevant.
Showing posts with label Harmonized Sales Tax. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harmonized Sales Tax. Show all posts
Monday, October 4, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Fight HST Turning Serious Debate into Clown Show
(Aired on September 21, 2010)
There probably isn't one person who sees this editorial who is surprised MLA Terry Lake's name is near the top of the list of targets for the anti-HST recall campaign. As the chair of the legislative committee who made the unpopular decision of going to a referendum on the HST, and an MLA who didn't have a big margin of victory last year, that shouldn't be surprising.
Lake's future is hardly in doubt, even though his committee copped out and took the easy way out of the HST controversy by going to a referendum a year away. It was a cop-out because by next September, the fuss over the HST will be gone, and we will have spent millions of dollars on nothing. All because the Liberal members of Lake's committee used the excuse that the referendum was a way to listen to the people instead of having the guts to debate the issue in the legislature and take a vote. This way, they blame the anti-HST forces for causing us to spend all that taxpayers money instead of simply saving it by voting on it instead. And if you're going to have a referendum, have it sooner rather than later so we can have a vote while the issue is still a hot topic.
What I can't figure out, though, is why Bill Vander Zalm and the anti-HST forces are turning the whole recall process into a clown show by making it into some kind of Survivor game. That's about as tactless as Lake's committee's decision on the referendum. If Chris Delaney and VanderZalm are serious about this issue, and they've put a lot of work into it so far, why would they cheapen the whole thing by this charade? Maybe they're simply giving up. They don't even have a proponent to run a recall campaign in Kevin Krueger's riding. Maybe it's all over and the anti-HST folks are just going through the motions. I can't think of anything else given the stupidity of their latest move. This is a serious thing. Treat it that way, or walk away.
There probably isn't one person who sees this editorial who is surprised MLA Terry Lake's name is near the top of the list of targets for the anti-HST recall campaign. As the chair of the legislative committee who made the unpopular decision of going to a referendum on the HST, and an MLA who didn't have a big margin of victory last year, that shouldn't be surprising.
Lake's future is hardly in doubt, even though his committee copped out and took the easy way out of the HST controversy by going to a referendum a year away. It was a cop-out because by next September, the fuss over the HST will be gone, and we will have spent millions of dollars on nothing. All because the Liberal members of Lake's committee used the excuse that the referendum was a way to listen to the people instead of having the guts to debate the issue in the legislature and take a vote. This way, they blame the anti-HST forces for causing us to spend all that taxpayers money instead of simply saving it by voting on it instead. And if you're going to have a referendum, have it sooner rather than later so we can have a vote while the issue is still a hot topic.
What I can't figure out, though, is why Bill Vander Zalm and the anti-HST forces are turning the whole recall process into a clown show by making it into some kind of Survivor game. That's about as tactless as Lake's committee's decision on the referendum. If Chris Delaney and VanderZalm are serious about this issue, and they've put a lot of work into it so far, why would they cheapen the whole thing by this charade? Maybe they're simply giving up. They don't even have a proponent to run a recall campaign in Kevin Krueger's riding. Maybe it's all over and the anti-HST folks are just going through the motions. I can't think of anything else given the stupidity of their latest move. This is a serious thing. Treat it that way, or walk away.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Can Advertising Change Our Minds on HST?
(Aired on September 15, 2010)
Advertising works. It's a slogan that has kept my industry afloat through some pretty tough times. But we'll see just how well advertising works in the next year.
A year from now, British Columbians will go to the polls to show their feelings on the Harmonized Sales Tax. If the referendum was to be held today, the results would likely be very ominous for the Liberal government. And as TRU Political Studies professor Ray Pillar said yesterday, the referendum will foreshadow the next provincial election.
But who knows how we'll all feel about the HST in a year's time. During that interval, the Campbell government and their big business friends will likely want to max out on advertising the benefits of the HST. There will surely be spending limits placed on direct advertising, but there are always ways in which special interest groups can skirt those rules. You can count on being blitzed with propaganda.
But the anti-HST crowd has a bit of an advantage. While money must be spent to explain the benefits of certain tax policy, no money will need to be spent to convince the public that politicians are shady and coniving. It's an instinct probably all of us have. The government will be successful if it can shift attention away from how it sprung the HST on an unsuspecting public, and onto the benefits of a particular tax policy. If the debate focuses on cynical politics, however, I'm afraid the HST - and the Liberal government in turn - will be sunk.
Advertising works. It's a slogan that has kept my industry afloat through some pretty tough times. But we'll see just how well advertising works in the next year.
A year from now, British Columbians will go to the polls to show their feelings on the Harmonized Sales Tax. If the referendum was to be held today, the results would likely be very ominous for the Liberal government. And as TRU Political Studies professor Ray Pillar said yesterday, the referendum will foreshadow the next provincial election.
But who knows how we'll all feel about the HST in a year's time. During that interval, the Campbell government and their big business friends will likely want to max out on advertising the benefits of the HST. There will surely be spending limits placed on direct advertising, but there are always ways in which special interest groups can skirt those rules. You can count on being blitzed with propaganda.
But the anti-HST crowd has a bit of an advantage. While money must be spent to explain the benefits of certain tax policy, no money will need to be spent to convince the public that politicians are shady and coniving. It's an instinct probably all of us have. The government will be successful if it can shift attention away from how it sprung the HST on an unsuspecting public, and onto the benefits of a particular tax policy. If the debate focuses on cynical politics, however, I'm afraid the HST - and the Liberal government in turn - will be sunk.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Why Should Campbell Resign Now?
(Aired on September 10, 2010)
The timing for this cry for Gordon Campbell's head is a little odd right now. We've known about the Harmonized Sales Tax for a while now. And ever since the surprise announcement last summer that the tax was happening, the call for Campbell to step down or retire has been a general dull roar. Cabinet minister Blair Lekstrom resigned, but other than that, the level of discontent inside the Liberal circle has been minimal. Now, however, it's starting to snowball. Donna Barnett's former riding association executive secretary is the latest to add his voice the choir.
But once again, it's the timing that is a bit confusing. The height of the HST deception happened when the tax was announced, just a few months after Finance Minister Colin Hansen swore up and down that it wasn't being considered. The feeling of betrayal by the party rank and file should have been at its zenith in the weeks following that epic flip-flop.
Today, the HST has taken effect. There is still anger over the tax, but at the very least, a legislative committee is looking into the initiative petition opposing the HST is meeting now. It will force action on the tax, whether that's by asking MLAs, or by asking all British Columbians. The end result - somewhere a long way down the line - could result in the HST being lifted. Campbell is at the point now where his party will live or die in spite of him, not because of him. For so-called Liberal insiders to be coming out of the woodwork now, calling for Campbell's head, smacks of pure opportunism.
If it was up to me, the exact moment Gordon Campbell should have resigned was in January of 2003, when he was arrested for drunk driving in Maui. If you ask me, that's a more heinous offense than changing tax policy.
The timing for this cry for Gordon Campbell's head is a little odd right now. We've known about the Harmonized Sales Tax for a while now. And ever since the surprise announcement last summer that the tax was happening, the call for Campbell to step down or retire has been a general dull roar. Cabinet minister Blair Lekstrom resigned, but other than that, the level of discontent inside the Liberal circle has been minimal. Now, however, it's starting to snowball. Donna Barnett's former riding association executive secretary is the latest to add his voice the choir.
But once again, it's the timing that is a bit confusing. The height of the HST deception happened when the tax was announced, just a few months after Finance Minister Colin Hansen swore up and down that it wasn't being considered. The feeling of betrayal by the party rank and file should have been at its zenith in the weeks following that epic flip-flop.
Today, the HST has taken effect. There is still anger over the tax, but at the very least, a legislative committee is looking into the initiative petition opposing the HST is meeting now. It will force action on the tax, whether that's by asking MLAs, or by asking all British Columbians. The end result - somewhere a long way down the line - could result in the HST being lifted. Campbell is at the point now where his party will live or die in spite of him, not because of him. For so-called Liberal insiders to be coming out of the woodwork now, calling for Campbell's head, smacks of pure opportunism.
If it was up to me, the exact moment Gordon Campbell should have resigned was in January of 2003, when he was arrested for drunk driving in Maui. If you ask me, that's a more heinous offense than changing tax policy.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Hard to Trust Politicians After HST Revelation
(Aired on September 2, 2010)
It's hard to believe now that the B.C. government, or at least the Minister of Finance, didn't have some advance knowledge of the HST before last year's provincial election. It's no wonder politicians are so low on the list of people most trusted by the public. So much damage control, so much double talk it's so hard to know who, if anyone, you can believe.
New information out shows that bureaucrats in the finance ministry were preparing briefing notes for Finance Minister Colin Hansen well before last year's election campaign. This contrasts directly with government statements that the government didn't start discussing the issue until much later.
While the information shows Hansen may not have pushed the tax heavily until after the election, it's hard to imagine that he had absolutely no knowledge of what people under his control were doing. Hansen says he didn't ask for the research to be done, and staff were doing it on their own. Hansen says they were just doing their job researching tax policy and weren't taking any direction from the Liberals. If that's true, then Hansen wasn't doing his job. If the Minister doesn't know what his bureaucrats are doing, he isn't doing his job keeping track of what's happening in his department. And I find that really hard to stomach. If that's the case, Hansen should be turfed for incompetence.
Either way, the government comes out the loser, and we lose even more faith in our politicians. I've been around this game a long time, and I often try to think back to when we really started to lose faith in our elected officials. Was it Watergate that started it all? Or were there times before that when government scandals rocked our senses? Whenever it started, it seems to have ballooned to alarming proportions. And now it doesn't matter what government says, we have our doubts about their sincerity, their honesty and integrity. And that's a very sad state of affairs.
It's hard to believe now that the B.C. government, or at least the Minister of Finance, didn't have some advance knowledge of the HST before last year's provincial election. It's no wonder politicians are so low on the list of people most trusted by the public. So much damage control, so much double talk it's so hard to know who, if anyone, you can believe.
New information out shows that bureaucrats in the finance ministry were preparing briefing notes for Finance Minister Colin Hansen well before last year's election campaign. This contrasts directly with government statements that the government didn't start discussing the issue until much later.
While the information shows Hansen may not have pushed the tax heavily until after the election, it's hard to imagine that he had absolutely no knowledge of what people under his control were doing. Hansen says he didn't ask for the research to be done, and staff were doing it on their own. Hansen says they were just doing their job researching tax policy and weren't taking any direction from the Liberals. If that's true, then Hansen wasn't doing his job. If the Minister doesn't know what his bureaucrats are doing, he isn't doing his job keeping track of what's happening in his department. And I find that really hard to stomach. If that's the case, Hansen should be turfed for incompetence.
Either way, the government comes out the loser, and we lose even more faith in our politicians. I've been around this game a long time, and I often try to think back to when we really started to lose faith in our elected officials. Was it Watergate that started it all? Or were there times before that when government scandals rocked our senses? Whenever it started, it seems to have ballooned to alarming proportions. And now it doesn't matter what government says, we have our doubts about their sincerity, their honesty and integrity. And that's a very sad state of affairs.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Unlikely Liberals Influenced Elections BC
(Aired on August 12, 2010)
It was only a year and a half ago that Terry Lake was being touted as a poster boy for the Liberal Party. A bright man, with experience as Mayor of Kamloops, well-spoken, looked good, the kind of guy you might want to have eventually as a Premier of the Province. Now Terry might become a poster boy of another kind.
Now that the Anti-HST petition has been declared valid, and yet delayed at the hands of the Chief Elections Officer, Lake could well become the first recall target in the province. Anti-HST forces are upset that Elections B.C. is refusing to send the petition on to the government until legal action over the petition clears the court. That could be some time down the road. I'm not expert enough on constitutional law to know whether that's outside Elections B.C.'s mandate or not.
But while pro-HST forces are pleased with the decision, what it means is that there is now a bigger perception than ever that the government is influencing the decision. Whether they are or not is immaterial. Do you think anyone out there believes the government that they didn't have anything to do with the delay? What Elections B.C.'s move has done is to inflame the situation even more, and provide Anti-HST forces with even more ammo going forward.
And even if they aren't successful in forcing the recall of a single MLA, what they have accomplished is to stretch out the Anti-HST and anti-government sentiment in the province for a longer period of time. While the Liberals would dearly love to deal with the HST petition and get it out of the way, in order to have things quiet down before the next election, they've been stymied by yesterday's decision. And that's why, if you think about it, the Liberals likely had nothing to do with any decision by Elections B.C. yesterday. They would have much preferred, I believe, to get it to government, deal with it, and get it over with. Now, they're forced to wait even longer, taking us that much closer to May of 2013. Not an enviable position to be in.
It was only a year and a half ago that Terry Lake was being touted as a poster boy for the Liberal Party. A bright man, with experience as Mayor of Kamloops, well-spoken, looked good, the kind of guy you might want to have eventually as a Premier of the Province. Now Terry might become a poster boy of another kind.
Now that the Anti-HST petition has been declared valid, and yet delayed at the hands of the Chief Elections Officer, Lake could well become the first recall target in the province. Anti-HST forces are upset that Elections B.C. is refusing to send the petition on to the government until legal action over the petition clears the court. That could be some time down the road. I'm not expert enough on constitutional law to know whether that's outside Elections B.C.'s mandate or not.
But while pro-HST forces are pleased with the decision, what it means is that there is now a bigger perception than ever that the government is influencing the decision. Whether they are or not is immaterial. Do you think anyone out there believes the government that they didn't have anything to do with the delay? What Elections B.C.'s move has done is to inflame the situation even more, and provide Anti-HST forces with even more ammo going forward.
And even if they aren't successful in forcing the recall of a single MLA, what they have accomplished is to stretch out the Anti-HST and anti-government sentiment in the province for a longer period of time. While the Liberals would dearly love to deal with the HST petition and get it out of the way, in order to have things quiet down before the next election, they've been stymied by yesterday's decision. And that's why, if you think about it, the Liberals likely had nothing to do with any decision by Elections B.C. yesterday. They would have much preferred, I believe, to get it to government, deal with it, and get it over with. Now, they're forced to wait even longer, taking us that much closer to May of 2013. Not an enviable position to be in.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
MLA Lake in the Crosshairs
(Aired on August 11, 2010)
This is a pre-taped segment, so as much as I'd love to comment on the decision of elections BC with regards to the anti-HST petition, it's impossible. The petition organizers seemed to make every effort to ensure that the petition would be valid. And say what you want about the leaders of the campaign, but they aren't quacks or political neophytes. They should know the process and what is required.
Having said that, it is entirely bizarre to me how this entire process has put one man in the crosshairs. If the petition moves to the next stage, that will involve the parliamentary committee chaired by Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Terry Lake. The government will need to take the initiative seriously, and that committee will be tasked with determining how that's done.
But then there is the prospect of province-wide recall campaigns for MLAs. If that is what the anti-HST organizers are up to next, the first MLA they target will no doubt be - drumroll please - Terry Lake. Why? Because not only did Lake win a close election in a riding that has plenty of NDP support, but he is a rookie at the provincial level. Whatever happens, the man is going to be under pressure.
Lake has a sharp mind, and occasionally an even sharper tongue that can get him into trouble. But he will be prepared for whatever happens, as he is someone with good political instincts and a lot of fight in him. The only thing he shouldn't do is underestimate the fight in the anti-HST crowd.
This is a pre-taped segment, so as much as I'd love to comment on the decision of elections BC with regards to the anti-HST petition, it's impossible. The petition organizers seemed to make every effort to ensure that the petition would be valid. And say what you want about the leaders of the campaign, but they aren't quacks or political neophytes. They should know the process and what is required.
Having said that, it is entirely bizarre to me how this entire process has put one man in the crosshairs. If the petition moves to the next stage, that will involve the parliamentary committee chaired by Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Terry Lake. The government will need to take the initiative seriously, and that committee will be tasked with determining how that's done.
But then there is the prospect of province-wide recall campaigns for MLAs. If that is what the anti-HST organizers are up to next, the first MLA they target will no doubt be - drumroll please - Terry Lake. Why? Because not only did Lake win a close election in a riding that has plenty of NDP support, but he is a rookie at the provincial level. Whatever happens, the man is going to be under pressure.
Lake has a sharp mind, and occasionally an even sharper tongue that can get him into trouble. But he will be prepared for whatever happens, as he is someone with good political instincts and a lot of fight in him. The only thing he shouldn't do is underestimate the fight in the anti-HST crowd.
Monday, July 5, 2010
HST Backlash Continues Because of Deception, not Tax Itself
(Aired on July 2, 2010)
I paid the Harmonized Sales Tax for the first time this morning. My extra-large mocha at Tim Horton's now sets me back to the tune of $2.60 - up about 15 cents from what it cost earlier this week. It was mildly annoying, but on the other hand the world did not end, I paid the extra 15 cents and went on my way.
For most of us in the middle class, that's what the HST will always be - mildly annoying. If you are in the upper income bracketm you may be more irritated than that - at least, that's dealing in stereotypes. Low income people will be impacted the most, of course, but Premier Campbell and the provincial government would argue that those people get a juicy rebate. And, in fact, that's the matrix the government is banking on for survival - that those less impacted will be less annoyed, and that the low income British Columbians can be bought with a rebate.
That's not playing out. Backlash over the HST is stronger than many - including myself - ever thought it would be. That's because, as I've said before, the tax itself is one thing. Most of us know paying an extra 7% on 20% of goods and services will not break the bank. On the other hand, there is little doubt that British Columbians are chafing over how the HST policy was announced and implemented.
They don't care that the HST is a consumption tax and thus supposedly more fair. They don't care that business groups love it. They don't care that it's a federally administered tax, and they don't care that the PST was abolished to bring it in.
They do care that the Liberal government signed on the dotted line just days after winning an election with a platform that did not include a major shift in tax policy. And that may be enough to end Campbell's government.
I paid the Harmonized Sales Tax for the first time this morning. My extra-large mocha at Tim Horton's now sets me back to the tune of $2.60 - up about 15 cents from what it cost earlier this week. It was mildly annoying, but on the other hand the world did not end, I paid the extra 15 cents and went on my way.
For most of us in the middle class, that's what the HST will always be - mildly annoying. If you are in the upper income bracketm you may be more irritated than that - at least, that's dealing in stereotypes. Low income people will be impacted the most, of course, but Premier Campbell and the provincial government would argue that those people get a juicy rebate. And, in fact, that's the matrix the government is banking on for survival - that those less impacted will be less annoyed, and that the low income British Columbians can be bought with a rebate.
That's not playing out. Backlash over the HST is stronger than many - including myself - ever thought it would be. That's because, as I've said before, the tax itself is one thing. Most of us know paying an extra 7% on 20% of goods and services will not break the bank. On the other hand, there is little doubt that British Columbians are chafing over how the HST policy was announced and implemented.
They don't care that the HST is a consumption tax and thus supposedly more fair. They don't care that business groups love it. They don't care that it's a federally administered tax, and they don't care that the PST was abolished to bring it in.
They do care that the Liberal government signed on the dotted line just days after winning an election with a platform that did not include a major shift in tax policy. And that may be enough to end Campbell's government.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Recall the Wrong Course of Action for Anti-HST Forces
(Aired on June 24, 2010)
I have to tell you. Enough is enough. It is one thing to campaign to have the Harmonized Sales Tax reviewed by the B.C. government. Anti-HST organizers have enough signatures in every riding to force the government to have a review, or maybe even a referendum on the tax. I have no issue with their efforts. In fact, I applaud their initiative. That's what democracy is about.
What democracy is not about is trying to target 24 MLAs for a possible recall just because they voted in favour of the HST. That is going way beyond what the recall initiative should be about. And if Bill Vander Zalm carries out this recall initiative, I think he is destroying anything good that the anti-HST initiative was supposed to accomplish.
To recall an MLA, the MLA should stand accused of some gross wrongdoing, maybe facing some criminal charges, or perhaps unethical behaviour of some sort. That's the kind of thing that the recall laws were meant to deal with. To try to recall an MLA simply because you disagree with the government's policy on something is wrong. And way beyond the scope of what the legislation was intended to deal with.
The time to disagree with the government's policies is at a provincial election, and there's one coming three years down the road. If, at that time, you think the government was wrong in putting some sort of policy or tax in place, that's where you deal with it. To target a whole group of potentially vulnerable MLAs because you happen to think the HST is bad is not the right approach. And if organizers in our area try to do that, I hope people will give the anti-HST forces the message that they're carrying things a little too far.
I have to tell you. Enough is enough. It is one thing to campaign to have the Harmonized Sales Tax reviewed by the B.C. government. Anti-HST organizers have enough signatures in every riding to force the government to have a review, or maybe even a referendum on the tax. I have no issue with their efforts. In fact, I applaud their initiative. That's what democracy is about.
What democracy is not about is trying to target 24 MLAs for a possible recall just because they voted in favour of the HST. That is going way beyond what the recall initiative should be about. And if Bill Vander Zalm carries out this recall initiative, I think he is destroying anything good that the anti-HST initiative was supposed to accomplish.
To recall an MLA, the MLA should stand accused of some gross wrongdoing, maybe facing some criminal charges, or perhaps unethical behaviour of some sort. That's the kind of thing that the recall laws were meant to deal with. To try to recall an MLA simply because you disagree with the government's policy on something is wrong. And way beyond the scope of what the legislation was intended to deal with.
The time to disagree with the government's policies is at a provincial election, and there's one coming three years down the road. If, at that time, you think the government was wrong in putting some sort of policy or tax in place, that's where you deal with it. To target a whole group of potentially vulnerable MLAs because you happen to think the HST is bad is not the right approach. And if organizers in our area try to do that, I hope people will give the anti-HST forces the message that they're carrying things a little too far.
Monday, May 3, 2010
HST Sold, but not Bought
(Aired on April 30, 2010)
If you felt a mysterious force pulling at your wallet today, you should probably know that Colin Hansen was in town. The B.C. finance minister really does make a compelling argument for the Harmonized Sales Tax. He says the gamut of costs that businesses will save is almost as long as the list of items that will be subject to the full HST.
Hansen's problem is that he was in the wrong room. Speaking at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon will hardly give him any skeptics to sway. If Bill Vander Zalm can mobilize an army of volunteers to oppose the tax, then the provincial government should be able to organize some semblance of a counter campaign. Instead, they have an ill-advertised website and leave it up to government MLAs to sell. Hansen seems a bit like a one-man band, and he needs to mobilize the Liberal faithful if really believes that the anti-HST campaign is spreading misinformation.
----
As I say, Hansen makes a decent argument, but he hasn't convinced me quite yet. Why? Because the benefits to the people of this province are all contingent on businesses passing on their savings to consumers. That's something they have little-to-no incentive to do. I am still extremely skeptical that prices for goods and services subject to the HST won't stay exactly where they are, giving businesses higher profit margins. I'm not signing my name on any petition, but i'm not drinking the Colin Hansen Kool-aid yet either.
If you felt a mysterious force pulling at your wallet today, you should probably know that Colin Hansen was in town. The B.C. finance minister really does make a compelling argument for the Harmonized Sales Tax. He says the gamut of costs that businesses will save is almost as long as the list of items that will be subject to the full HST.
Hansen's problem is that he was in the wrong room. Speaking at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon will hardly give him any skeptics to sway. If Bill Vander Zalm can mobilize an army of volunteers to oppose the tax, then the provincial government should be able to organize some semblance of a counter campaign. Instead, they have an ill-advertised website and leave it up to government MLAs to sell. Hansen seems a bit like a one-man band, and he needs to mobilize the Liberal faithful if really believes that the anti-HST campaign is spreading misinformation.
----
As I say, Hansen makes a decent argument, but he hasn't convinced me quite yet. Why? Because the benefits to the people of this province are all contingent on businesses passing on their savings to consumers. That's something they have little-to-no incentive to do. I am still extremely skeptical that prices for goods and services subject to the HST won't stay exactly where they are, giving businesses higher profit margins. I'm not signing my name on any petition, but i'm not drinking the Colin Hansen Kool-aid yet either.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
HST Itself Won't Dethrone Liberals
(Aired on April 27, 2010)
The uproar over the Harmonized Sales Tax has reached jet engine-like decibel levels in this province. Observe any anti-H.S.T. petition signing event, and you will see people more than eager to sign up to voice their displeasure. We've heard stories of canvassers being chased down the street by potential signatories they inadvertently missed - people desperate to ensure the tax will fail.
And while all of this outrage is being directed at the provincial Liberals - and very little at Ottawa where the idea originated - my prediction is that it won't be enough to torpedo the Campbell government. The fact that the next provincial election is three years away is part of the reason behind that theory. This degree of pissed-offedness cannot be sustained for that long. But the real reason the H.S.T. itself won't sink the B.C Liberals has more to do with their opposition.
The provincial N.D.P. simply can't position itself against a tax as a matter of principle. I know the B.C. political scene is screwed up, but it's not completely upside down. Not long ago, the New Democrats came out great guns against the carbon tax with an "Axe the Tax" campaign. That effectively raised the hackles of the public.
But if the N.D.P. is going to come out great guns against the H.S.T. as well, it will soon be known as the anti-tax party. Cariboo-North M.L.A. Bob Simpson acknowledged this positioning problem in an interview with me several months ago. He said the party would have to focus on the fact that the Liberals deceived voters by not making the H.S.T. an election issue. Already, though, that argument is losing steam, and the opposition is focused on the effects of the tax itself. In three years' time the N.D.P's argument of "remember what they did last time" won't be nearly as effective as the argument "look what they're doing to you right now."
By then, the sting of the tax will have subsided and the Liberals will live to rule another day.
The uproar over the Harmonized Sales Tax has reached jet engine-like decibel levels in this province. Observe any anti-H.S.T. petition signing event, and you will see people more than eager to sign up to voice their displeasure. We've heard stories of canvassers being chased down the street by potential signatories they inadvertently missed - people desperate to ensure the tax will fail.
And while all of this outrage is being directed at the provincial Liberals - and very little at Ottawa where the idea originated - my prediction is that it won't be enough to torpedo the Campbell government. The fact that the next provincial election is three years away is part of the reason behind that theory. This degree of pissed-offedness cannot be sustained for that long. But the real reason the H.S.T. itself won't sink the B.C Liberals has more to do with their opposition.
The provincial N.D.P. simply can't position itself against a tax as a matter of principle. I know the B.C. political scene is screwed up, but it's not completely upside down. Not long ago, the New Democrats came out great guns against the carbon tax with an "Axe the Tax" campaign. That effectively raised the hackles of the public.
But if the N.D.P. is going to come out great guns against the H.S.T. as well, it will soon be known as the anti-tax party. Cariboo-North M.L.A. Bob Simpson acknowledged this positioning problem in an interview with me several months ago. He said the party would have to focus on the fact that the Liberals deceived voters by not making the H.S.T. an election issue. Already, though, that argument is losing steam, and the opposition is focused on the effects of the tax itself. In three years' time the N.D.P's argument of "remember what they did last time" won't be nearly as effective as the argument "look what they're doing to you right now."
By then, the sting of the tax will have subsided and the Liberals will live to rule another day.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Taxed to the Max
(Aired on April 19, 2010)
I'm surprised at a recent report from the Fraser Institute which says we're paying 41.7% of our total income to taxes. Not surprised that almost half yours and my income goes to taxes. We've known that for a long time. Every time we turn around, the government hits us with a tax on something. Now what surprises me is that the figure isn't very much changed in the past 20 years. In 1981, taxes accounted for 40.8% of income. So while we've gone up a full percentage point in that time, I actually thought it would be more than that.
Every time we reach into our pockets, the government seems to be there first. It never occurred to me that the moths flying out of my pockets were some cruel government joke. And of course, soon the HST will take even more money from us. Governments are quick to defend taxes, suggesting that the money is needed to fund health care, education, you name it. But I don't think many of us are convinced that our tax dollars are being used to best advantage.
In the fiscal year ending March 2005, the government collected $198.4-billion in taxes and other revenues. That doesn't count money taken in by the provinces or municipalities. The largest single spending item was repayment on our national debt. Now that we've spent a lot of money trying to stimulate our economy in light of the downturn, I wonder how long it will be before the tax bite hits even further. The downturn will play a bigger role than it has already when it comes time to repay the money the feds used to try and keep the economy afloat.
If you think it's bad that almost half your income goes towards taxes, you probably are going to be even more disappointed in the years ahead as we try to repay an even bigger debt load. And here is our federal government telling us we're not putting enough away for our retirement years. How do they expect that to happen? If they'd give us back even a small percentage of the tax dollars they drain from us each year, think of how much we could salt away for our so-called golden years. The thought is mind-boggling.
I'm surprised at a recent report from the Fraser Institute which says we're paying 41.7% of our total income to taxes. Not surprised that almost half yours and my income goes to taxes. We've known that for a long time. Every time we turn around, the government hits us with a tax on something. Now what surprises me is that the figure isn't very much changed in the past 20 years. In 1981, taxes accounted for 40.8% of income. So while we've gone up a full percentage point in that time, I actually thought it would be more than that.
Every time we reach into our pockets, the government seems to be there first. It never occurred to me that the moths flying out of my pockets were some cruel government joke. And of course, soon the HST will take even more money from us. Governments are quick to defend taxes, suggesting that the money is needed to fund health care, education, you name it. But I don't think many of us are convinced that our tax dollars are being used to best advantage.
In the fiscal year ending March 2005, the government collected $198.4-billion in taxes and other revenues. That doesn't count money taken in by the provinces or municipalities. The largest single spending item was repayment on our national debt. Now that we've spent a lot of money trying to stimulate our economy in light of the downturn, I wonder how long it will be before the tax bite hits even further. The downturn will play a bigger role than it has already when it comes time to repay the money the feds used to try and keep the economy afloat.
If you think it's bad that almost half your income goes towards taxes, you probably are going to be even more disappointed in the years ahead as we try to repay an even bigger debt load. And here is our federal government telling us we're not putting enough away for our retirement years. How do they expect that to happen? If they'd give us back even a small percentage of the tax dollars they drain from us each year, think of how much we could salt away for our so-called golden years. The thought is mind-boggling.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Increased Fees no April Fools Joke
(Aired on April 1, 2010)
You may have seen a story in the Kamloops Daily News this morning announcing coin-operated water meters for the city. A funny story and of course, an April Fools' Day story.
But the rest of the news relating to money this April Fool's Day is no joke. In fact, it's a cruel scenario being played out as fees for a whole bunch of things are up today. Many of them affect the coast, but some affect all of us. B.C. Hydro rates are up over 9% today. Terasen Gas ups its rates 6%. If you take the ferry, use Transit at the coast, you'll pay more starting today. Overnight camping fees in provincial parks are up as much as $6 per night. You'll start paying PST on EnergyStar appliances.
What kind of message does that send about going green? Dig deeper in your pockets, folks.
And we're not done yet. The harmonized sales tax isn't far off, and the Bank of Canada is going to start increasing interest rates again in a month or two. The Banks, who take in billions and billions of dollars in profits every year, have already jumped the gun on that, raising many mortgage rates. Once you've got all the moths out of your pockets, start thinking ahead to what all this means. Individuals and corporations hurt by the global recession make less money, meaning less tax revenue for the government, but also the bigger chance for layoffs.
No wonder Canadians surveyed by the Royal Bank are pessimistic about things. How can they be anything but? I think a good stiff drink is in order to calm the nerves, but the government taxes that to death as well. It's not a rosy situation, despite indicators that show we're back on track for an economic recovery. It looks like we're getting that recovery off the backs of taxpayers, and eventually the taxpayers backs are simply going to give out. What then?
You may have seen a story in the Kamloops Daily News this morning announcing coin-operated water meters for the city. A funny story and of course, an April Fools' Day story.
But the rest of the news relating to money this April Fool's Day is no joke. In fact, it's a cruel scenario being played out as fees for a whole bunch of things are up today. Many of them affect the coast, but some affect all of us. B.C. Hydro rates are up over 9% today. Terasen Gas ups its rates 6%. If you take the ferry, use Transit at the coast, you'll pay more starting today. Overnight camping fees in provincial parks are up as much as $6 per night. You'll start paying PST on EnergyStar appliances.
What kind of message does that send about going green? Dig deeper in your pockets, folks.
And we're not done yet. The harmonized sales tax isn't far off, and the Bank of Canada is going to start increasing interest rates again in a month or two. The Banks, who take in billions and billions of dollars in profits every year, have already jumped the gun on that, raising many mortgage rates. Once you've got all the moths out of your pockets, start thinking ahead to what all this means. Individuals and corporations hurt by the global recession make less money, meaning less tax revenue for the government, but also the bigger chance for layoffs.
No wonder Canadians surveyed by the Royal Bank are pessimistic about things. How can they be anything but? I think a good stiff drink is in order to calm the nerves, but the government taxes that to death as well. It's not a rosy situation, despite indicators that show we're back on track for an economic recovery. It looks like we're getting that recovery off the backs of taxpayers, and eventually the taxpayers backs are simply going to give out. What then?
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
VanderZalm has Uphill Fight
(Aired on March 29, 2010)
If Bill VanderZalm is going to derail the Harmonized Sales Tax, I think he's going to have to do better than he did in Kamloops Saturday. If people were so upset about the tax, I would have thought people would have come from all over the Interior to participate in the rally. Nothing gets government thinking like large rallies to bring matters to the forefront.
No matter what the turnout, the big push will come starting this weekend, when the battle to find enough people to sign a petition gets underway. 10% of the registered voters in each riding must sign a petition to move it to the next level, which could be either a bill by a standing committee to eliminate the HST or a move for a vote which would be held in September, 2011. It's an uphill battle, but it will that battle which will determine just how much opposition there is to the tax.
To get 10% of voters in every single one of the 85 ridings in the province is a huge task. Organizers will have to make sure they have committed people on board. It's not just a matter of going around the neighbourhood to get names. You have to make sure every one of those signatories is eligible to be there. But if the opposition is truly there, we might find an interesting situation where the government has to face the people on the matter.
The tax is controversial because it will vastly increase the number of things we are taxed on. It's a cash grab of the highest magnitude, forced on us by the federal government who dangled the funding carrot over the B.C. government's head and pretty much pushed us into going along with it. It gives the federal government way too much power over the province, and sooner or later, Ottawa will begin to tell us how much to tax and when, and we will lose a vital part of our control provincially over how we tax our residents. That may be more important than the actual money we will have to fork out if the tax comes into effect.
If Bill VanderZalm is going to derail the Harmonized Sales Tax, I think he's going to have to do better than he did in Kamloops Saturday. If people were so upset about the tax, I would have thought people would have come from all over the Interior to participate in the rally. Nothing gets government thinking like large rallies to bring matters to the forefront.
No matter what the turnout, the big push will come starting this weekend, when the battle to find enough people to sign a petition gets underway. 10% of the registered voters in each riding must sign a petition to move it to the next level, which could be either a bill by a standing committee to eliminate the HST or a move for a vote which would be held in September, 2011. It's an uphill battle, but it will that battle which will determine just how much opposition there is to the tax.
To get 10% of voters in every single one of the 85 ridings in the province is a huge task. Organizers will have to make sure they have committed people on board. It's not just a matter of going around the neighbourhood to get names. You have to make sure every one of those signatories is eligible to be there. But if the opposition is truly there, we might find an interesting situation where the government has to face the people on the matter.
The tax is controversial because it will vastly increase the number of things we are taxed on. It's a cash grab of the highest magnitude, forced on us by the federal government who dangled the funding carrot over the B.C. government's head and pretty much pushed us into going along with it. It gives the federal government way too much power over the province, and sooner or later, Ottawa will begin to tell us how much to tax and when, and we will lose a vital part of our control provincially over how we tax our residents. That may be more important than the actual money we will have to fork out if the tax comes into effect.
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