B.C. Finance Minister talks HST in Fort St. John

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Photo: B.C.'s Finance Minister Colin Hansen addresses some HST questions at the Pomeroy Hotel on Tuesday - Christine Rumleskie/Energeticcity.ca

By Christine Rumleskie

The B.C. Finance Minister faced tough questions, as he briefed Fort St. John's business community about the looming Harmonized Sales Tax.

Colin Hansen was the keynote speaker at Tuesday's Chamber of Commerce Luncheon.

While he didn't indicate how the blended tax will prevent shoppers from migrating to Grande Prairie, he insists it will benefit local businesses by bringing down costs for local merchants.

Audio placeholder

Local business owner Bob Fedderly, who attended the meeting, couldn't see how the HST would bring financial benefits to his company.

He runs Fedderly Transportation, a company that does business in both British Columbia and Alberta.

After addressing Hansen about his concerns on B.C.'s competitiveness once the HST is implemented, Fedderly says he still isn't convinced the blended tax is right for the Province.

Audio placeholder

Mayor Bruce Lantz says he thinks the Peace Region will see the benefits of the HST once it's implemented.

He says if residents of the Northeast want to see less Alberta license plates, the Province needs to better enforce the laws that are already in place.

Audio placeholder

Mayor Lantz adds he hopes the Province will make good on the promised rebates that are meant to offset HST costs.

Meanwhile, experts are predicting that the loonie will be on par with the American dollar as soon as this summer.

The recovering forest industry is expecting more headaches, as the loonie closes in on the U.S. dollar, but Hansen says the HST will help mitigate those impacts.

Audio placeholder

The new blended tax is set to be implemented on July 1st. Former Premier Bill Vander Zalm is spearheading a Province-wide petition, registered with Elections B.C., to stop the looming HST.

Last year, an Ipsos Reid Poll concluded that 85% of B.C. residents were opposed to the Harmonized Sales Tax.

Photo: Local business owner Bob Fedderly voices his concerns over the HST on Tuesday - Christine Rumleskie/Energeticcity.ca

news

it sure is funny that the

Submitted by wellcoboy on Tue, 2010/03/16 - 20:24.

it sure is funny that the liberal money crew is following the anti hst crew around the province.. i sure hope we can send a message to cambell and his crew..VOTE AGAINST THE HST..!!!!

We Need the NDP money tree

Submitted by simplyamazed on Wed, 2010/03/17 - 08:39.

Everyone wants more schools, better health care and does not want a deficit. Less money is coming in because of the recession, low nat. gas prices and shut down sawmills and pulp mills. 56,000 less kids in the school system yet they got $250,000 more than last year. $3500 per kid in 2002...$5800 per kid in 2010. 42% of this Prov. budget goes to Health. Gov't wages are 17% higher than private wages and screaming for more. Tax payers don't want the HST even though they are already (for the most part) paying for it, separately. Solution? The NDP 'Money Tree'. You just pick more while giving more out 'cause it grows on trees.

We have money trees

Submitted by cfvua on Wed, 2010/03/17 - 16:37.

We already have money trees. Those trees on top of a well. Trouble is Campbell has decided that it is better to give the proceeds"royalty credits" back to the producers, instead of using royalties to pay for everything simplyamazed says. Whats a couple of $Billion over the last 6 or 8 years? I guess we didn't need the money anyway if we are so eager to give it away or not collect it in the first place. Either way it isn't available, so really when you talk recession, some of it is self inflicted. "for the most part" means a substantial amount of money to some people and it will add to inflation as people will need to go to their employers for it and the employer will have to pass that cost on to hsi customers. No economists or think tank folks needed to see that the HST is a bad idea, regardless of what the federal government thinks. Our MP and our MLA have a lot to answer for, in attempting to shove this plan at us.

smells fishy

Submitted by born and raised here on Wed, 2010/03/17 - 21:48.

I do not trust this liberal goverment. anything that has fallen out of cambell mouth has been absolute deception. he has been our leader long enough to recognize the facial expressions as he outright lies to the reporters who ask him direct questions on any issue including the hst. anyone with common sense can see right through this scam. I believe that personal tax payers are in for a brutal assult on their net income. of course cambell wil downplay it and blame the recession on the increases that will be brought forward as soon as this hst comes into effect. what I dont understand is why the corporate sector has or will be collecting the hst for the gov. if a comany can claim back all the hst paid out, why pay it in the first place as mary pointed out. it will come down to only the personal tax payers will actualy be the ones funding this scam. myself , personaly I hate coolecting the gst for the gov because it costs more money to keep the books in order and for what? if the liberals are going to give back the provincial portion of sales tax, guess who will be out that extra amount at tax season. I say scrap the gst, keep the sales tax . or scap all sales tax, gst, pst, hst and put personal income tax at a fixed percentage, no matter of gross income. that would make the goverment more apt to job creation, and job retention for bc residents.

get a job in a side

Submitted by wellcoboy on Wed, 2010/03/17 - 23:14.

get a job in a side show....,were paying for it already???simplyamazed thinks. oh the govmt cant manage there money they legally steal from from us now .oh lets just implement another tax.let me tell you im tired of watching these buffons mismanage the funds they get from me now,but to watch them try to get more from me now under any excuse is foolish.this isnt an ndp idea this is a liberal idea.. when you cant pay your bills in your and my households ,what do we do ....we cut back on spending,that dont take a rocket scientist to figure out.but whoa they cant figure it out in victoria.

MEC tax free! How come they are special?

Submitted by simplyamazed on Tue, 2010/03/30 - 08:12.

Mountain equipment Co-op (MEC) pays NO Income tax and very little sales tax, yet is a multi billion dollar chain. This is all thanks to a Rev Can loop hole. They won't have to pay the HST, either! Let's all sign up to MEC's tax free status.