Official Letter to the Rt. Honourable Stephen Harper asking that he honour his word by allowing onlyBC MPs to vote on the #HST when it comes before parliament
Dec 2, 2009 Letters
Rt. Honourable Stephen Harper
Prime Minister of Canada
80 Wellington Street Ottawa K1A 0A2
Monday, November 30, 2009
Dear Prime Minister,
I am writing to you in my capacity as leader of a grassroots organization in British Columbia called “Fight HST” and the millions of taxpayers we represent who are opposed to implementation of the HST in BC.
As a former premier of BC, I know the difficulty of developing fair and effective tax reforms. While any tax reform is rarely popular, with the HST, it is fair to say it is reviled and opposed by an overwhelming majority here in BC.
There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is the fact that it was introduced by the BC Government immediately following an election where they stated, in writing, that they would not implement such a tax. In addition, the shifting of the tax burden from corporations in BC (many of whom are foreign based) to individual consumers will place an undue hardship on the majority of BC families, seniors, and others least able to afford it.
Prime Minister, you have stated that adoption of the HST is a decision for the provinces only, and that the federal government would not force implementation on BC. You are known as a man of your word, and so I ask you – will you honour your word by allowing only your BC MPs to vote on the HST when it comes before parliament?
We are asking that Conservative MPs in BC be given a free vote, and be allowed to represent their constituent’s wishes on the HST. This would be a sign that your government is democratic and open to the will of the people. It would be viewed by most British Columbians as a show of strength by you and your government. It would also be commensurate with your own values as a politician dedicated to democratic reform throughout your entire career.
A free vote by your government on the HST would also show leadership to the other federal political parties, who would be compelled by such an action to do the same with their MPs.
A free vote would allow the governments of Canada and BC to proceed according to the democratic will of the people they serve. Anything else would be seen to be carried out against the will of the people, and would bear economic, cultural, democratic and political consequences for all involved.
We urgently request that you consider our proposal for a “free vote” on this most profound issue – the HST in British Columbia.
Respectfully,
Bill Vander Zalm
Former Premier of BC
Leader, Fight HST
Tags: bc government, british columbians, conservative mps, dear prime minister, democratic reform, federal political parties, free vote, grassroots organization, HST, overwhelming majority, premier of bc, prime minister of canada, show of strength, stephen harper, Tax Burden, tax reforms, undue hardship
