The War on HST

The Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) that the Liberal government effected July 1st has created the largest democratizing reaction in our province of this century so far. Ironically, it has been spearheaded by Bill Vander Zalm, the disgraced former Premier who was driven from office by scandal in the early 90s. He remains a catalyzing force for the common man and, for the first time, for both the left and the right wings of the political spectrum.

The BC government responded to earlier opposition to the new tax with a proverbial shrug, saying there is nothing they can do since it is based on federal legislation. That argument made no sense from the start, because the legislation requires initiative on the part of provincial governments to implement it. Gordon Campbell's Liberals have made it clear, repeatedly, that they want the new revenues in spite of popular opposition.

Where residents of Ontario passively accepted the new tax, BC residents have not. One of Campbell's cabinet members has already resigned from cabinet over the issue. A non-binding petition held in most ridings across the province, submitted to Victoria at the end of June, was large enough to demand that the government either rescind the law enacting the tax or to press them into holding a province-wide referendum. The Liberals have deferred the issue until a binding referendum is held next September, hoping to convince the general electorate using public coffers that HST is not a bad thing beforehand.

That doesn't seem to be the way this will unfold. The Anti-HST Campaign plans to keep the public attention focused on defeating the Liberals by organizing a recall process against Liberal politicians who voted in favour of HST. It will be the type of circus the media loves, bringing down a big prey, and that will build momentum to defeat the Campbell government in next year's referendum. Ironically, it was Campbell's government that brought in the right to force referendums and to recall politicians and we will have our first chance to see how it works by using these tools against him.

I love this type of democratic exercise, when the populace awakens to who really controls the pedestal of power. At these rare points, all citizens who feel disempowered or disrespected by those in power band together to bring them down. The cantankerous political right-wing voters who love to hate big government, the typical supporters of Campbell's anti-socialist government, will gladly help teach him a lesson. This is the phenomenon that I have often tried to explain to Danzante, that Canadians are unforgiving of politicians and governments who step out of line.

"To destroy a political power completely, you must first elect it." - A Canadian adage