I am adamantly opposed to the hst. This will make the cost of living higher and our quality of life lower. Here’s why… “the effective tax rate on consumption will increase by 1.5 percentage points in BC, and the overall price level will increase by 0.7 percentage points”. — Don Drummond, TD Bank. This is a higher tax burden on consumers who will pay the flat HST on a broader array of goods and services than before. There will be an overall increase in the consumer price level. But, the HST will create jobs they say. Well, this is where I see a huge problem. What kind of jobs? Now don’t try to generalize this concept of greater number of jobs equals a greater benefit because people do not want to work for peanuts, however which little other option in the province this is exactly what happens. If a company has more financial headroom to pay more wages, they are more inclined to hire more employees rather than increase the wages of the existing employees, or worse, collect the additional headroom as executive bonuses. Gordon Campbell loves to talk about how his has reduced total operating costs, saved millions of dollars, well I am sick of this spiel. In May of 2008, Gorgon Campbell came to Vancouver Island University to grant what was Malaspina University-College full university status. At this time, the Computing Science program which is a bachelor of science with a major in Computing Science was on the chopping block because of a lack of university funding. This is one of the highest paying degrees a student can attain. Luckily the university made some concessions to save a version of the program, however, this lack of funding was a direct result in Gordon Campbell’s cuts to education during the final exam period of the year before. The ill timing of the cuts meant that few if any students would have a chance to protest the cuts. That was a slimy move on Gordon Campbell’s behalf. Then while visiting the campus to grant full university status he then started talking about how additional funding was being put forth for Native studies, a cooking program, hospitality & tourism, etc… only a minute portion of the original funding which was ripped from the Universities just a year before. All of these programs that he talked about graduate students into the bottom of the food chain where they work for less than $15 /hr with little or no benefits. Let me remind readers that the average home price in BC is well over $300,000, in Vancouver, well over $600,000. Either way this is unattainable with these kinds of jobs. These are the jobs that he readily admits to creating. So let me ask, what is the breakdown of the numbers and types of jobs that will be created Mr. Gordon Campbell? Perhaps he’s hoping with less students taking mathematics they won’t ask.

The government of course is all for the HST, how can they not want more money to play with in all of their pet projects. Yet, I do not understand how creating more low end jobs will help anybody. If anything, these are the very people who will need more premium assistance medical, social assistance, GST rebates, and a general higher share of the tax that which the government wants to decide where to allocate. This is going in the wrong direction. The people of BC want higher paying jobs, we want an economy that benefits us all, not just businesses which are given opportunity to exploit the people with a training wage of $6 an hour. I am adamantly opposed to an increase in tax in this province. If the government wants more money, they can revoke the 50% salary increase of the liberal caucus..!! They can cover Translink’s operating budget shortfall by disallowing the $25,000 annual retainer paid out to all Translink executives as well as the $1200 pay for attending regular meetings whether they call in or attend in person..!!! The people in this province need to be made aware of the real cost of this HST which is a future of poorer working class.

Jacob Chappelle, B.Sc.- Computing Science

What is it when a government will not listen to the majority of the people is it not called a government with a ditator running it, is that not what is going on in Irak, Iran and other places in the middle east, are our boys not fighting to establish democracy in those places.
If what I have said is true, then we are being run by the same overbearing government that is over there, you are not listening to the people on a lot of issues, HST and so forth and neither are they, what is the difference between you and them, other than I have freedom of speach, or did you stop that also, I guess I will find out.
Your legacy is going to be stated as a tyrant dictator, who would not listen to the people of your province on a lot of issues, the only thing that will come of this is that you and your government have made it quite clear that you are not fit to govern in my personal opinion, I think you are implementing the HST to try to cover the loss you are generating with the over budget costs in getting the olympic off the ground.
I realize that this will not change your mind, but it makes me feel better to let you know my opinion, and to also let you know that I will be going out whole heartedly in the next election to persuade people to remember the Campbell Government and it’s lies, cuts, and to many more to print. Yes I definately can see a positive legacy for you.
Thank you for your time
Dave Noble

I’m totally against the HST as this new tax adds an additional 7
percent to many, many products and services. The lists are long and affect the average BC taxpayer. It targets the average but more importantly the lower income tax payers. It will cost everyone a lot more to buy a house especially if it’s more than $525,000. Park your car, add 7 percent, haircuts, camping, used adult clothing add 7 percent.
Now who is this going to affect the most as it’s the lower income earners that buy used adult clothing but it doesn’t end with this home reno, cable tv, over the counter drugs, restaurant appliance repairs and on and on. The increases to all of these things and more are to be taxed an additional 7 percent as the PST part of the HST. No HST, PST or GST to any of the banks or financial institutions even though their profits are into the billions.
Mr Gordon Campbell and Colin Hanson have had a negative affect on the taxpayers of BC and unlike those in the upper income brackets, we cannot afford to pay anymore tax. We work until July just to pay the taxes we now have and now you want us to pay even more, including additional tax on funeral services. The Liberal Party of BC is the most despicable members of parliament our legislature has ever had. Paying 16 million in legal fees for convicted BC employees was wrong but to have them go home just shows how corrupt our system of justice is
and the taxpayers are fed up.