Court Update & Financial Report for the Initiative petition
Jul 26, 2010 Letters
We have completed and submitted our Financial Report for the Initiative petition to Elections BC on July 23. Once it has been reviewed and approved by them, we will post it on our web site for all to see. (Sneak preview: We were able to do the entire petition for less than the total of $50K cash that we raised - a testament to the generosity of so many people who helped by contributing their own resources too!)
We will also publish a Financial Report on our web site for the HST Legal Challenge in the coming weeks. We are still in need of funds to cover all of our expenses for the challenge. We are talking to numerous businesses and labour groups to see if they will support us as well. Some have indicated a willingness to help, and we are hopeful that we can spread the sacrifice around as much as possible.
However, if you have not donated yet and would like to help our court challenge, we are still in need of another $30,000 to cover this fight.
Donations can be made on-line at: www.fighthst.com/donation/ using credit card or pay pal.
You can also send a cheque to:
HST Legal Challenge
370 East Broadway
PO Box 95023
Vancouver, BC
V5T 4T8
There is no limit to how much one can donate or how much we can raise, as the court challenge is outside the Initiative Act. Any amount you wish to send will be greatly appreciated and will help spread the burden. Also, donations can be made completely anonymously, since no public reporting is required.
We have raised over $20,000 so far from individual supporters for our court challenge! A big thank you to all those who have contributed!!
Our court hearing is slated for August 16 in the BC Supreme Court. Our lawyers have done an incredible job preparing for the case. Our primary argument is that the HST was not legally constituted in BC, because the finance minister simply created it through an Order in Council stroke of the pen, rather than obtaining legislature approval. In every other province that implemented the HST, the MLAs voted to pass the agreement with the federal government, but not here in BC.
In the case of the business group challenge to the legality of the petition, our argument is that the legislation attached to the petition was approved by Elections BC lawyers, and meets the dual tests of clarity and jurisdiction. As well, the intent is clear – to repeal the HST, and that any amendments necessary to the Bill can be made by the legislature as required to give effect to it.
The petition counting continues apace, and so far, not one riding has fallen below the threshold. Again, congratulations to all our diligent canvassers, captains and RO’s for such a thorough job! And special thanks to Patti and our observer team for overseeing the process! We expect the petition to be validated by August 11.
Anyone who wishes to attend the court hearing in our fight against the HST may do so at:
BC Supreme Court
800 Smithe Street, Vancouver
604-660-2853
Date: August 16, 2010
Time: 10:00am
Hearing Room: TBA
Again, thank you for your contributions, and for your moral support as well. We can only win this fight by being united against the tax.
Together, we will defeat the HST!
Bill Vander Zalm
Leader, Fight HST
Tags: bc supreme court, cheque, court challenge, court hearing, donations, east broadway, finance minister, generosity, initiative act, initiative petition, labour groups, lawyers, legal challenge, own resources, sacrifice, sneak preview, stroke of the pen, testament, vancouver bc, willingness
An explanation for the “RIVERS” system used by EBC to count your signatures
Jun 20, 2010 Details
How does RIVERS work?
The RIVERS system was developed in 1996-7 after the Recall and Initiative Act was passed in 1995. The system has been successfully used several times in previous initiatives and recalls; it is well tested.
In brief, the system runs automated matching routines to match petition line data (name and address) with voter records from the Electoral Information System (EIS). Each petition sheet is data entered before any matching takes place. Each petition sheet is also scanned as an image, so it can be displayed in RIVERS and provide the operator with a visual reference to assist in determining possible matches to avoid repeated handling of the petition sheets.
Tags: data entry, HST, information system eis, initiative act, initiatives, july 1, name and address, observers, petition, rivers system, rs1, rs3, several times, validation, visual reference
Press Release: Fight HST requests RCMP investigate BC Government HST web site
Jun 16, 2010 Press Release
Vander Zalm: Elections BC will not hold government to account for violating Initiative Act, so we must.
Delta – Fight HST leader, Bill Vander Zalm, says he has asked the RCMP to conduct a formal investigation into a BC Government web site promoting the HST, after Elections BC refused to act on a complaint filed by his Fight HST team.
Vander Zalm says the BC Government is operating a web site promoting the HST that is clearly designed to counter the anti-HST petition.
The site link: http://hst.blog.gov.bc.ca/2010/03/31/view-all-videos/ contains a series of recently produced video advertisements designed to discredit the Initiative proponent.
Vander Zalm says the videos contravene the Initiative Act, as follows: Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: bc government, billboards, breaking the law, buttons badges, chris delaney, draft bill, formal complaint, formal investigation, government web, initiative act, initiative petition, lawn signs, leaflets, opposition campaign, promotional material, proponent, public address systems, radio television, rcmp, unauthorized individuals
PRESS RELEASE: Petition reaches 10% in all 85 ridings 600,000 signatures province-wide, 71 ridings pass 15%
May 31, 2010 Press Release
Fight HST petition reaches 10% requirement in all 85 ridings
600,000 signatures province-wide, 71 ridings pass 15% or greater threshold, including Vancouver Quilchena.
Vander Zalm calls on Premier Campbell to conduct a “free vote” to repeal HST
Port Coquitlam – Fight HST lead organizer, Chris Delaney, says the petition to repeal the HST broke 600,000 signatures province wide this past weekend, and crossed the 10% minimum signature threshold in all 85 electoral districts. He says 71 ridings have hit 15% or better, including Finance Minister Hansen’s own riding of Vancouver Quilchena.
Delaney says organizers are on track to achieve 15% or more signatures in the remaining 14 ridings by the end of next week. “This report represents only 70 of 85 ridings, with a number of ridings not reporting this week, and others still tabulating results from the weekend. We should make our internal 15% target in all ridings by the first or second week of June.”
Tags: bill vander zalm, british columbians, chris delaney, constituent, constituents, direct democracy, electoral districts, finance minister, free vote, initiative act, Liberals, mlas, open vote, petition, political careers, premier gordon campbell, public opinion, quilchena, signatures, target
PRESS RELEASE: INTERNET PROVIDERS MANIPULATED BY FIGHT HST OPPONENTS
Mar 8, 2010 Press Release
Vander Zalm says his group’s emails were blocked
Delta – Former BC premier and Fight HST leader, Bill Vander Zalm, says some internet providers are being used by opponents of his group to try to thwart his efforts to communicate and organize volunteers for the Citizen Initiative petition to end the HST in BC.
In a correspondence with Shaw Internet, Vander Zalm says it was confirmed to his group that Fight HST’s messages were being flagged as spam, and stopped from delivery as a result of complaints by some people receiving them.
“We believe these servers are being used by Liberal infiltrators to our campaign who are complaining about “unsolicited” messages sent by Fight HST. But this is not possible, since our communiqués only go out to media, MLA’s, MP’s and those people who have contacted us and requested they be included,” explained Vander Zalm.
The Initiative Act requires opponents of a Citizen Initiative to officially register with Elections BC in order to ensure a fair and level playing field in the process of carrying out the Initiative. Vander Zalm says people using their internet provider to act as a de-facto opponent is a political dirty trick that attempts to do an end run around the law.
“Hundreds of our volunteers have not received important information about registering with Elections BC as canvassers, or about how to conduct the canvassing according to the Initiative Act regulations. How can we comply with the law if an internet provider stops us from doing so?” Vander Zalm asked.
Vander Zalm says after much back and forth, Shaw has lifted the filter on Fight HST’s messages.
“We are grateful for their cooperation now, but concerned about this kind of thing happening again, and about who is doing it. If we weren’t so busy getting the thousands of volunteers we have registered with Elections BC, we would investigate it.”
Vander Zalm says he has reported the abuse to Anton Boegman and Nola Western at Elections BC, two of the key officials charged with enforcing the Initiative legislation.
“We want to make sure they are aware, so that if this happens again, they can investigate to see if any action is warranted. The Initiative Act is clear: all opponents must be registered with Elections BC and must operate according to the guidelines that apply to all.”
“I call on Premier Campbell to condemn such tactics, and to endorse a clean and fair process regarding the petition so British Columbians can be certain it is being conducted according to the rules,” Vander Zalm concluded.
Tags: act regulations, bc premier, bill vander zalm, canvassers, citizen initiative, correspondence, dirty trick, important information, infiltrators, initiative act, initiative petition, internet provider, internet providers, opponent, opponents, shaw, unsolicited messages, volunteers
