Email to MP Dick Harris on HST Referendum in BC

Earlier this evening, I sent the following email to Dick Harris (Conservative MP - Cariboo-Prince George) with copies to the Premier of BC's office and the Prime Minister's Office and thought I would share it with my blog readers':

As you may have heard by now, Jack Layton earlier today sent a letter to the Right Hon. Prime Minister asking him to delay federal implementation of the HST until a provincial referendum takes place on the HST as there is a HST Initiative Petition circulating throughout BC, right now, with a deadline of July 5th for completion.

I’m asking you, as my MP, to make representations in your caucus and to the Right Hon. Prime Minister to ignore Mr. Layton’s request

There is a procedure around if/when a referendum on the HST may occur and allow me to explain (pursuant to provisions of the provincial Recall and Initiative Act
1) The HST Initiative Petition will continue to collect signatures until July 5th


2) The petition is then handed to BC’s Chief Electoral Officer to confirm that 10% of voters in each of BC’s 85 Electoral Districts have properly signed the petition

3) If the petition is certified by the Chief Electoral Officer as proper, then the petition and the draft HST Extinguishment Act are referred to the BC Legislature’s Select Standing Committee on Legislative Initiatives for consideration


4) The Committee can recommend to the BC Legislature that the HST Extinguishment Act be introduced at the earliest opportunity or the Committee can refer the petition with the HST Extinguishment Act back to BC’s Chief Electoral Officer for the purpose of conducting an non-binding referendum on the HST Extinguishment Act. This referendum, as I’m told, cannot occur until September 24th, 2011

5) The referendum, if it proceeds, needs a double-majority of:
i) 50% of all registered voters’ in BC
ii) 50% of all registered voters’ in 2/3’s of the 85 Electoral Districts in BC


in order to force the government into introducing the HST Extinguishment Act for 1st reading at the earliest moment

However, there is the tool of recall available to British Columbians who are upset at the provincial government over the HST. This process may commence as early as November 15th of this year

In short, there are enough tools available to the voters’ of BC that the federal government need not intervene on the question of implementation of the Harmonized Sales Tax.


In my estimation, the federal government has lived up to its’ end of the bargain with regard to the HST Agreement between the Government of British Columbia & the Government of Canada signed in July of 2009