Your opening paragraph on today's paper (Aug. 18) regarding the HST reads, “The controversial HST is a federal tax, imposed on British Columbia by an act of Parliament, lawyers for both the provincial government and six leading business groups argued on Tuesday.”

Tell me this isn’t true. The logical extension of what that says is that the B.C. government just sold off its provincial sales tax (seven per cent) to the federal government for a paltry $1.6 billion so the federal government can collect 12 per cent HST on virtually every sales transaction within B.C. for eternity. That figure ($1.6 billion) barely even covers the cost of the Olympics! Has this provincial government completely lost its mind?

All along, I couldn't figure out what’s in it for the federal government to promote the HST if they're still collecting just the five per cent GST. Turns out they’re not! According to the provincial lawyers, the feds are getting the whole 12 per cent to distribute as they see fit.

And why B.C. and Ontario, while not Alberta or Manitoba or Saskatchewan?  Well, guess which two provinces are in the two worst deficit positions and to whom $1.6 billion starts sounding pretty good as a short-term solution.

Let's skip the HST battle and go straight for the recall Initiative — the Liberal government for treason in high places and the NDP for not paying attention as Opposition.
 
JOHN RICHARDSON

Kamloops