The Carbon Footprint --- HST --- and the BC Liberals

There are a couple of interesting stories in the news today, that show how this current BC Liberal government seems able to have a foot in both sides of an issue.

While claiming they want factual unbiased information out on the HST, this didn't strop them from having the whole HST debacle benefit party friends as a story in today's Globe and Mail indicates:

The B.C. government office running the province’s pro-HST campaign secretly doled out contracts to two Liberal-connected companies and a former aide to the minister who introduced the tax, records show.  The contracts, according to documents obtained by The Globe and Mail via a freedom-of-information request, had paid out more than $250,000 as of June 1. That included compensating the ex-aide, Marc Andrew, to do what he called “purely logistical” work for the government panel that provided an independent analysis of the harmonized sales tax. 


See full story here -- click HERE

Meantime Environment Minister, and Kamloops North Thompson MLA, Terry Lake seems to be fine with lower mainland communities burning their garbage now instead of trucking it to landfill in the Cache Creek area.  

Terry Lake says ... "the province can’t ban waste-to-energy projects if they are done to European standards. It’s up to Metro Vancouver to make those decisions ... "  (see full STORY)
 

I find it interesting to note however that the provincial government has recently made it uncomfortable for several real job and economy drivers to move forward -- including the Prosperity Mine.  

Hmmm -- I wonder how burning fits in with reducing the carbon footprint?

Will she or won't she ...

As Keith Baldrey has pointed out, the window for Christy Clark to call an election is shrinking if she plans to call one for this Fall.

She has the fate of the HST vs. the PST / GST, which has been delayed now, as voters will getting a few extra weeks to get ballots in.

That plus she has to be concerned with where John Cummins will be taking the BC Conservative Party -- as they put the finishing touches to a new policy platform -- in readiness for a possible Fall election.

Neither the NDP or the BC Liberal Party is gaining ground on the other ... meantime the BC Conservatives have been continuing to make ground with voters in the province.

Will we have an election this Fall??? ... right now I think it's a 50 / 50 shot.

Read Keith Baldrey's full story -- click HERE

There are actually at least 3 camps regarding the HST ... and the PST / GST

Many people … including those in the media … have NOT realized there are actually at least 3 camps (or schools of thought) regarding the HST ... and the PST / GST.

There are those who, no matter what, hate the government -- and the HST --- and will vote to end its existence.

There are those who go, "Whoopee … it goes down 2% and the government will be mailing me a FREE cheque to bribe me into keeping it.”

Then there were those who like me who said, “I do not like how it was initiated but I will vote to retain it.”

That was until Christy Clark tinkered with it … a “FIX” she called it.

Debating the HST?? We need more than just Dix and Clark!

So Adrian Dix would like to challenge Christy Clark to debate the HST on the Bill Good show??

Given that Clark would find it difficult to give honest answers on the true cost of what a 10% HST will do to the deficit, I doubt very much she will take up the challenge.

Adam Stirling's Comment

There have been several great editorials, polls, and news story's regarding the HST in recent days.  One is from Adam Stirling (CFAX 1070 radio), around some of the confusion people have with the question, and it follows below.

The Globe and Mail has a news story this morning as well on 'current' voter intentions (B.C. HST ‘fix’ not enough to save tax in referendum)-- and there is a letter of support from the BC Tourism Industry which has just been published in BCLocalNews.com.  

Meantime, here is the editorial comment from Adam Stirling: 

Which side will come out on top as British Columbians vote whether to keep the HST, or rather I should say whether to kill it?  The distinction between those two questions is important because the yes vs. no question still continues to be a significant problem in term of confusion according to a new survey.

This Week in BC Politics

It's the end of the week, and what a week it was!  Monday was awesome with Harper’s Conservative finally achieving majority government … and of course BC had its own share of political stories.  Some of these you may have missed … and some perhaps not.  So without further adieu, here is the week that just was in BC politics.

HST has been vastly oversold in B.C.,report finds

Tax will give only a modest boost to the economy while creating less than a quarter of the jobs predicted, government-appointed panel says ...

BC Conservatives ready for an election

If the response to this Saturday's fundraising dinner is any indication, the BC Conservative Party has a bright future in the area, says Randy White. The former Reform Party MP is helping to organize the …

Liberal MLA Ida Chong recall effort has failed

The campaign to oust Liberal cabinet minister Ida Chong from office has failed, and if similar fights in Comox Valley and Kamloops don’t succeed it’s unlikely there will be more recall campaigns, says Fight HST’s top organizer.

Read the full story in the Times Colonist -- click HERE