Monday afternoon in BC the Select Standing Committee emerged from their meeting to announce that the HST Extinguishment Act would be decided by public referendum on September 24, 2011. This is exactly what I expected of them. It buys them a year to distract the voters with shiny things. According to the Initiative Act, it requires 50% of all voters in the province to pass, plus 50% in 2/3rds of the 85 ridings. That amounts to more people than voted in the last election. Campbell admitted as much yesterday, during his frenzied media tour.
Bill Tieleman;
snip “Premier Gordon Campbell said in several media interviews that the government would recognize a “majority vote” against the HST as the final word.
“If people decide they want to get rid of the HST next September, then I guess we’ll get rid of the HST next September,” he told the Vancouver Sun on Monday
But Campbell has not clearly stated that the vote would legally be binding – and in fact it would violate the Recall and Initiative Act if it were not amended by the BC Legislature…”
VanderZalm weighs in…
“…The statement by the premier shows he is starting to understand he can no longer dictate his will on the HST to British Columbians, and we welcome that if he is truly sincere,” said Vander Zalm.
But Vander Zalm says a number of issues were raised by the premier’s comments. “First, as much as we welcome this change of heart, it is not his decision to make. He must reconvene the legislature and amend the Initiative Act to allow for a truly democratic referendum that is binding and requires a simple majority vote, since the current legislation does not allow for that.”
Vander Zalm pointed out that Elections BC confirmed at the hearings today that Cabinet has the final say over the question to be asked. “If that’s true, the only way to ensure a fair and accurate question is asked that reflects the intention of petition is to allow both Elections BC and the proponent, Bill Vander Zalm, to participate in drafting and approving that question together with the government.”
Interesting, in light of the fact that Campbell just finished stacking the deck with his partisan appointment of the Acting CEO, who now seems to hold the political process in his inexperienced hands. (Mr. James is still attending to his charity, apparently, and unavailable to comment on this crisis). In a democracy, it would have been recognised that the people HAVE spoken and the Legislature would be called for a fall session to deal with the issue, because business is going to suffer while we wait. Why? People already feel ripped off, any major purchases, especially real estate, will be shelved until its settled. Why spend an extra 7% on a tax that could be gone in a year?
So why would Campbell toss the dice to leave this mess on our plate for a year? Well, aside from his pipedream that the public will all drink the koolaid and vote with him, I doubt that Campbell is stupid enough to think that he has a snowballs hope in hell of ever being Premiere again. I think he will suddenly decide to retire just before the vote. That way, he hasn’t changed the Legislation regarding the Initiative Act and doesn’t have to keep his word. His successor can stick (it) to (us with the) law. Also, a year is a long time. Long enough to finish privatising BC Ferries and BC Hydro. Long enough to gut the Ministry of the Environment. Long enough to privatise Education and Healthcare. Long enough to sell off our province.
Speaking of timing, all of this went down on Monday, the same day the BC Railgate Trial resumed in courtroom 54. Coincidence? I don’t think so! I cannot do justice to that topic like my good friends at
The Legislature Raids and the
Gazetteer. Let me just say in this topsy-turvy Province the Defence is on the Offence and the Crown is playing Defence as the criminals look on from the sidelines.
Where do the people of BC stand? Recall in the Fall!!!
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