B.C. government kicks off $5-million HST information campaign

Share

Premier Christy Clark is promising a "fix" for the harmonized sales tax soon, but her government isn't waiting for the details, launching a $5-million information campaign Thursday based on the current tax regime.

With a mail-in referendum set to begin June 24, the B.C. government unveiled a series of "stickman" ads that urge voters to look at the government website to learn about the tax.

Ms. Clark, speaking to reporters in Victoria Thursday, said she'll be ready to roll out some proposed changes to the tax "soon," so that British Columbians will know what is at stake before they vote in the referendum.

"Our challenge is to find ways to try to fix the irritants and the things about the HST that don't work for people," she said.

Ms. Clark narrowly captured a seat in the legislature in a by-election held Wednesday in the riding of Vancouver-Point Grey, and she said she heard clearly from voters in that campaign that they want changes so that they can vote to keep the HST.

This week, the government is wrapping up its consultations with British Columbians about exactly what needs to change, and Ms. Clark is expected to announce by the end of this month "how we are going to shape it, and what we are going to do to make sure that we offer British Columbians some fixes for the HST that might make it work a little better."

The province has already set aside $1.9-million to provide information around the June 24 referendum, which will give voters a chance to repeal the tax that came into force last July. Of that, $250,000 goes to fund the opponents of the tax.

The government promises the $5-million ad buy will be neutral, but Bruce Ralston, the New Democratic Party finance critic, dismissed the claim.

"They have given the opponents of the HST $250,000 and they have given themselves almost $7-million. You can tell by that disparity … that it's not a fair fight."

Blair Lekstrom, one of the cabinet ministers tasked with engaging the public about the HST, said the ads are simply designed to encourage people to learn about the tax.

"Everyone has an opinion, let's make sure we have an informed opinion and then let's cast a ballot," he said Thursday. Asked why not wait to launch the ads until the government has decided what changes it will offer, he said: "I think the key issue right now is, there is a lot of misinformation out there in people's minds, what the HST applies to, what it does not apply to."

Finance Minister Kevin Falcon said any changes to make the HST more palatable won't alter the fact that British Columbians need better information.

"Regardless of what the fix is, there is so much misinformation that needs to be addressed," he said, estimating that half of the questions he has heard in the recent tele-town halls his office has conducted are based on faulty information.

The stickmen ads show two cartoon characters in ties yelling gibberish at each other about the tax, and then urges taxpayers to find out for themselves what the tax does, and what going back to the former system of the provincial sales tax and the goods and services tax would mean.