Chief justice referees a case made for him

Ian Mulgrew, Vancouver Sun August 16, 2010

The eye of the anti-HST storm moves into B.C. Supreme Court today and Chief Justice Robert Bauman must decide whether the incredible demonstration of grassroots democracy ends in frustration. A coalition of business and resource industries wants the 700,000-plus-name petition against the controversial tax declared "null and void." They say the accompanying HST Extinguishment Act fails to satisfy legal requirements that it be clear, unambiguous and within the jurisdiction of the provincial legislature. Instead of letting the politicians do their job, the Liberal party's big corporate donors want a judge to do the dirty work and deep-six the petition. Outraged at what they consider an 11th-hour ambush of their effort to scrap the tax, former premier Bill Vander Zalm and his associates have filed a counterclaim saying the HST itself is unconstitutional. And, since Wednesday, B.C.'s acting chief electoral officer Craig James has provided a bizarre backdrop to the proceedings by refusing to send the certified petition and the Extinguishment Act to the legislature. (More)