BCers really hate the HST: survey

Elisha Dacey - Dec 7, 2009 Castanet:
A new survey released by Ipsos Reid shows more than 80 per cent of British Columbians are against the upcoming Harmonized Sales Tax. The survey, conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of Canwest News Service and Global Natin, shows that 82 per cent of British Columbians are against the HST, which comes into effect July 1, 2010. Kelowna-Lake Country Liberal MLA Norm Letnick says he's not surprised by the survey but says he still believes the HST is "best for B.C. "The TD Bank has estimated that the overall price level in B.C. will go up only 0.7 per cent," says Letnick, adding that sustaining funding to the arts, health care and other social services means more jobs need to be created to increase the tax base, which he believes the HST will do. "I hope that people will look beyond the litany of exaggerated claims against this tax change and arrive at the same conclusion I did - that this tax is best for B.C."
The survey goes on to say that 11 per cent of people living in B.C. support the tax change, while the rest (7 per cent) don't know.

Other points brought up in the survey:

73 per cent of BCers said they were aware of the impending harmonization plan

90 per cent say that the B.C. provincial government will benefit from the plan

82 per cent say the federal government will benefit from the plan

39 per cent say that the plan will benefit businesses, while 49 per cent believe the plan will not benefit businesses

91 per cent believe consumers will be the biggest losers

16 per cent say they think businesses will pass the tax savings onto consumers

72 per cent say they will spend less because of the HST

The survey also showed that 74 per cent of Ontarians are also against the HST, which goes into effect in Ontario on the same day.