Vander Zalm tells Chamber HST will hurt middle class and seniors the most

John O'Connor Photo

Former Premier Visits Merritt

Former B.C. premier Bill Vander Zalm speaks to a business audience at the Merritt Desert Inn last Wednesday about his concerns over the HST. He is looking for volunteers to register with Elections B.C. as canvassers to collect signatures from constituents in an attempt to overturn the HST.

Former B.C. premier Bill Vander Zalm sees the B.C. government’s proposed Harmonized Sales Tax as a direct threat to B.C.’s middle class and those on budgets like seniors.

That was the warning to about 60 people attending the Merritt and District Chamber of Commerce’s annual general meeting last Wednesday night.

Guest speaker Vander Zalm, B.C.’s premier with the Social Credit party from 1986 to 1991, made a stop in Merritt last week as one of many on his Stop The HST campaign.

Not only does Vander Zalm say he believes the HST will greatly affect the ever shrinking middle class, seniors, and those on fixed incomes, he says the current state of affairs in not only B.C. but all of Canada is undemocratic and the HST is an example of this.

“When I was the premier, I brought in legislation that I thought would democratize B.C.,” said Vander Zalm, who now believes B.C. is under a “dictatorship.”

“By introducing initiative, referendum, and recall, we could enjoy democracy.”

He says B.C.’s referendum legislation, which he helped implement, needs to be redone before it can be used effectively.

However, whatever flaws the legislation may have, Vander Zalm is finding all the volunteers he can to help collect signatures from British Columbians – 10 per cent of registered voters in each of B.C.’s provincial constituencies – to be used to overturn the B.C. government’s plan for the HST tax.

“They talk about this HST as if it was little or nothing,” said Vander Zalm.

“The real beneficiaries are big industries.”

Vander Zalm says the restaurant industry will be among those businesses to suffer the most should the HST be implemented.

While some proponents of the HST point to the existing tax systems in developed nations like the Value Added Tax (VAT) in Europe and even right here at home in Quebec and Ontario, which also have harmonized taxes, Vander Zalm pointed out the differences.

“The European example isn’t all that great.”

He says VAT has created an underground economy in Europe that is as big as the real economy.

“In Quebec, they’re smart; they played it right,” says Vander Zalm.

He points out that the HST rate in Quebec is set provincially and the proposed B.C. HST would be set by Ottawa.

“We’re better to run on a deficit than to sell our provincial jurisdiction to Ottawa that our children and grandchildren will have to live with forever more.”

Vander Zalm says the Quebec model is irrelevant, though, because British Columbians are not being given an option regarding the HST.

Vander Zalm and his volunteer canvassers will start going door to door around B.C. looking for signatures starting April 6. They will have 90 days.

Once 10 per cent of each constituency electorate has signed, a bill can be attached to the initiative and brought before the B.C. Legislature.

Once in the Legislature, the bill can be voted down but Vander Zalm says it is unlikely.

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