Normally I wouldn't advocate something to publicly, but in this case I thought I would bring it up.

If 10% of the BC population (10% from each riding) signs the anti-HST petition, there will have to be a referendum.

Here is a link to one of the electronic petitions (on the official oppositions' website):
http://www.bcndp.ca/hstpetition

All political standing asside, I'm not interested in having absolutely everything be subject to a higher tax.

We're largely econ students here, so we should be able to see why this tax at this time is not a very good idea (if we don't understand why, I can explain )

 

explain please
I know the HST is supposed to help out the big companies or something like that, and I kind of understand the theory behind it, but further explanation would be good.

Off topic, how do you like your M3 Fayme, and what year is it?

 

good thing I won't be here to pay for the HST lol

 

basic explanation with out much elaboration:

We can all agree that the economy is not so great right now. We can also agree that stimulating the economy should come from increased consumer spending (greater demand of goods and services such that supply would also raise to meet said new and presumably sustainable level of demand) otherwise the increased output is likely to be a falsely high and likely not sustainable.

A tax, at the most basic level, will reduce the individual consumer purchasing power such that they will be more inclined to not spend on supurfluous things (ie: not a necessity, less likely for consumers to spend on it).

In addition, we're about to experience increased unemployment due to the plethora of VANOC people who are no unemployed and are looking for a new job; keep in mind that many people have been working for VANOC since shortly after we were awarded the games, some even since before we put in the bid for the games, the majority of the Olympics workers weren't just short term, 2 and 3 week contracts.

Just for fun we can add in the increased mortgage rates (banks began posting these on Monday I believe)

Now, if you put these things together (depressed economy, reduced purchasing power due to higher tax, increased unemployment and greater cost to borrow) you can see how greater tax on everything we buy proobably isn't such a great idea about now give that we are trying to move past the economic slump as opposed to going further into it.

 

off topic - re: my M.

I love every minute of it.
It's a 2004

 

Thanks for the explanation. Higher taxes at this point doesn't seem to be a good idea (to me, at any point lol), might make lots of people suffer instead of helping the economy..

 

Not surprised this is being imposed. The current government is only Liberal in name. They are more pro-business than the federal Conservatives; and couldn't give a damn about the people. I don't blame them 100% though, as people did vote them into power. It's like those people who stay in an abusive relationship...the person doing the abusing knows they can get away with it. So it is obvious to the people in power ("Liberals") that they can do anything they want and get away with it.
Lots of the Liberal MLAs (and NDP too with unions) have very strong business ties...and abuse their power to reward their business partners. I could list dozens of things that are blatantly obvious, but don't want to turn this political.

We need a more centre leaning party (both financial and social). NDP is too left wing and Liberals are too right wing. Something along the lines of the federal Liberals.

 

^ don't forget the big party we just had ...