See below for story on Anti-HST forces intention to file complaint with Elections BC regarding the Provincial Government's intention to send information to BC voters' on benefits of HST:
Organizers of the anti-HST campaign in British Columbia plan to complain to both the RCMP and Elections B.C. if the provincial government goes ahead with an advertising blitz aimed at their initiative.
Finance Minister Colin Hansen told reporters last week that the government plans to send out information to British Columbians defending its harmonized sales tax.
Chris Delaney of Fight HST said they believe the mailing campaign violates the Initiative Act, which requires that opponents or proponents register with Elections B.C., either as an official opponent or advertising sponsor - something the province hasn't done.
"They're trying to dress it up as an informational (campaign) to people," he said. "But of course all the media reports are showing that it's a direct response to our initiative petition and that's illegal."
Registration for opponent status is long over, but it would have allowed the government to spend $900,000, while the advertising sponsor can spend just $5,000, Delaney said in an interview Sunday.
He said the cost of the government sending a mail-out to all B.C. households would far exceed the $5,000 limit.
Delaney points out B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell insisted the HST will be implemented as planned in July.
"So the mail out has no other purpose other than to persuade people not to sign our petition then, because it's certainly not there to ask people to support the HST," he added.
Former B.C. premier Bill Vander Zalm is leading the charge against the tax and launched the initiative petition in an attempt to force the province to hold a referendum on blending the HST and the provincial sales tax.
The campaign has been given 90 days to collect 10 per cent of the signatures from registered voters in every provincial riding.
Vander Zalm said the response has been overwhelming, both for their campaign and for Elections B.C. which has to cope with the "army" of volunteers applying to register as canvassers to take in anti-HST signatures.
He said there are at least 6,000 canvassers so far.
"The legislation was written so it wouldn't work, now we're going to fool them anyway," he stated.
The campaign will attempt to get 15 per cent of voters signatures in every riding because many signatures could be excluded in a review by Elections B.C.
"Everybody wants to sign," Vander Zalm said.
Delaney, a former B.C. Conservative Party executive, said they'll go first to Elections B.C. with their complaint, but they won't rely solely on that body.
"We're going to tell the police. If it's a prosecutable offence it's something the RCMP needs to look at."
Delaney said they've already reached the 10-per-cent target in many ridings including all the ridings along the B.C./Alberta boundary and the Okanagan. He said ridings within the areas of Nanaimo, Vancouver, Surrey, Terrace and Kitimat are also all very close to the 10 per cent level.
Vander Zalm agreed the anti HST sentiment has lifted the popularity of the New Democrats, his one-time enemy in the B.C. legislature, but he said that's not his fault.
He said when Premier Campbell said it didn't matter how many signatures the "no" forces gathered and that the HST would be pushed through, his phone went crazy.
"He really upset a lot of people. So now the issue is not only the tax, it becomes arrogance, it becomes truthfulness in government, it becomes so many other things."
Vander Zalm estimates it could cost the government about $1 million to send out pamphlets against their initiative.
They should have registered as an opponent, he said.
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