Kelowna Daily Courier Staff 2010-04-20
Local voters are signing the anti-HST petitions in droves. Westside-Kelowna organizer Matthew Reed reported Monday the anti-HST campaign has passed the 10 per cent threshold in that riding, and the two other Kelowna ridings should reach the magic number shortly. Westside-Kelowna hit the 4,100-signature mark on Day 12 of the campaign, and was expected to exceed 5,000 signatures by the end of Day 14 on Monday. “We hope to have eight to 10,000 signatures by May 1,” said Reed. Reed said Kelowna-Mission would likely reach 10 per cent by today and Kelowna-Lake Country by next week. Anti-HST organizers need 10 per cent of voters in every B.C. riding to sign petitions to force a referendum on the incoming tax. “We could tell five days into the campaign we were going to meet our goal quickly,” said Reed. “The majority of people want to sign the petition, and people are looking for the petition to sign.” In Westside-Kelowna, canvassers have been gathering signatures outside small businesses and in shopping plazas. Signatures were also gathered at Westbank‘s Cherry Pit restaurant and are being collected this week outside the Westbank Extra Foods from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.
Across the province, organizers report they‘ve passed the 10-per-cent mark in all ridings bordering Alberta, and are near the target in areas around Nanaimo, Surrey, Vancouver, Terrace and Kitimat. Efforts will continue even after the 10 per cent total is reached, in case some signatures are rejected by Elections B.C. Reed said the goal in local ridings is at least 20 per cent. People can also sign the petition this week at the IGA in Glenmore and Jaquie‘s Kitchen in Lake Country from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.
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