PRESS RELEASE: BC’s INDEPENDENT FUNERAL DIRECTORS SUPPORT BILL VANDER ZALM FIGHT #HST INITIATIVE

Mar 11, 2010 Press Release

New Westminster – The Society of Independent Funeral Homes in BC announced today that they have officially thrown their support behind the Bill Vander Zalm Citizen Initiative to repeal the HST. Society representative, Michael Crean, said their group met with former premier Vander Zalm last week to hear his plans for the Citizen Initiative, and decided it was the single most effective way to combat what the Independent Funeral Homes believe is an unfair tax on human tragedy.

“By uniting with Fight HST, we will be able to make our case more effectively that this is an unfair tax. We believe it is wrong to tax people another 7% for funeral services which are a necessity for all families. The HST hurts consumers, and we strongly oppose it,” said Crean.

The Independent Funeral Directors are going beyond simply providing financial support, and are prepared to help raise awareness for the Citizen Initiative campaign to stop the HST by registering as canvassers and allowing people and families to sign the Initiative petition at their local funeral homes.

“Funeral Homes act as a central resource in many communities, and we have a high profile that we can bring to this petition. We plan to make sure all of our clients are aware of the fight to stop the HST, and are able to sign the Fight HST Initiative petition,” Crean explained.

Fight HST Leader, Bill Vander Zalm, who is the official proponent of the Citizen Initiative to repeal the HST, was extremely pleased with the Independent Funeral Homes support. “We have been talking to numerous business groups, and they are now starting to realize that a united front is the only way to stop this tax. By working together, all of British Columbia can put the pressure needed on government to stop this cruel tax.”

“The Independent Funeral Directors of BC have shown courage and vision on behalf of the bereaved in BC, and for all British Columbians. We welcome their participation in the Initiative, and thank them for their generosity and support,’ Vander Zalm concluded.

The Fight HST Citizen Initiative petition to repeal the HST will begin on April 6 and finish on July 5, 2010. It requires the signatures of 10% of registered voters in all 85 of BC’s Electoral Districts to be successful.

Tags: bereaved, british columbians, business groups, canvassers, central resource, citizen initiative, funeral homes, funeral services, human tragedy, independent funeral directors, initiative campaign, initiative petition, new westminster, proponent, representative michael, society representative, unfair tax, united front

PRESS RELEASE: BC CITIZENS’ INITIATIVE APPLICATION BY FORMER PREMIER BILL VANDER ZALM TO KILL THE HST APPROVED BY ELECTIONS BC FOR APRIL

Feb 5, 2010 Press Release

PRESS RELEASE: BC CITIZENS’ INITIATIVE APPLICATION BY FORMER PREMIER BILL VANDER ZALM
TO KILL THE HST APPROVED BY ELECTIONS BC FOR APRIL

Vancouver, BC – A British Columbia Initiative petition to kill the proposed 12% Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) on virtually all goods and services in BC, has been approved by Elections BC, former Premier, Fight HST leader and petition applicant Bill Vander Zalm announced Thursday.

Fight HST, the group started by Vander Zalm, said the Elections BC approved Citizens’ Initiative can begin signature collection on April 6, 2010.

If implemented on July 1, 2010, the HST announced last year by Premier Gordon Campbell would add an additional 7% tax on everything from restaurant meals, haircuts, bicycles, and gym memberships to golf fees, airline tickets, funeral services, new homes over $525,000 to professional fees like accounting and much more.

Vander Zalm is currently travelling on business in California but issued a statement:

“The citizen’s Initiative petition is our first move and it is the people’s opportunity to tell the governments that we are still a democracy and not totally an elected dictatorship,” Vander Zalm said. “The Initiative is also the people’s opportunity to kill the HST.”

Fight HST spokesman Bill Tieleman said that: “The citizens’ Initiative petition is a legally-binding petition, which if successful will require the government to either conduct a province-wide referendum on the HST or to present an Act to repeal the HST in the legislature.”

Tieleman explained that the Fight HST group must collect the signatures of 10% of registered voters in all 85 BC electoral districts in 90 days to be successful.

“We will have to collect all those signatures between April 6 and July 5. We have over 1,500 volunteers from across the province who have already agreed to canvass for signatures, and we expect that number to increase dramatically as we approach the start date and people see that the HST can indeed be stopped,” he said.

Chris Delaney, Lead Organizer for Fight HST, said that the proposed legislation for the citizens’ Initiative would nullify the HST agreement between the federal government and the province, thereby extinguishing the HST in BC.

“We would return to the Provincial Sales Tax as it was applied before the surprise HST announcement,” said Delaney. “Our legislation would be effective retroactively from June 30, 2010, the day before the proposed implementation of the HST. This means the government will have to refund all extra HST revenues they collect over and above what they would have received under the PST, to British Columbia taxpayers. It’s their money after all,” said Delaney.

Delaney said Fight HST is calling on Premier Campbell to tell British Columbians whether he will abide by the voters wishes and repeal the HST if the petition is successful.

“British Columbians deserve to know if their Premier, the same man who has repeatedly expressed support for grass roots democracy and effective Citizen Initiative legislation, will abide by it when it is applied to his government.”

Tags: airline tickets, bicycles, bill vander zalm, British Columbia, dictatorship, electoral districts, first move, funeral services, golf fees, gym memberships, haircuts, harmonized sales, HST, initiative petition, premier gordon campbell, professional fees, registered voters, restaurant meals, signature collection, vancouver bc