LIBERAL PAYOFFS NEVER END HST ‘Break’ Latest in Long Line of Rewards to Friends and Insiders

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 23, 2009

Vernon - In a stunning move laced with cynicism and cronyism, the BC Liberals have once again rewarded friends close to the government with their recent flip-flop on the new house construction HST rebate announced yesterday. The Liberals, under pressure from the construction industry, changed the HST exemption from homes under $400,000 to homes under $520,000 that will now be HST exempt. “Talk about ad-hoc policy making,” fumed BC Conservative Party President, Wayne McGrath. “What is the plan here? They seem to be winging it as they go along.”

McGrath said it opens up the question as to who else is entitled to receive a concession from the government if they feel the HST will impact them too negatively. “The fact the construction industry donated $700,000 to the BC Liberals last year might give others a clue as to how they can get to the head of the HST flip-flop line.” McGrath points out that, since the Liberals announced their HST decision, it has been one flip-flop after another with no one really knowing what the HST will apply to and what it won’t. “It has been the most mismanaged policy announcement in the history of BC. With a staff of only 200 policy and marketing experts in the Premier’s bloated office, I guess they couldn’t find anyone who knew how to roll this one out” said McGrath.“It’s clear now that there is no plan, just desperation and clinging to power by a crumbling government that no longer controls its own agenda. Maybe it’s time to give everyone a concession, and admit the HST is unworkable for all of BC, not just the construction industry.”

“We say scrap the whole ill-conceived thing,” concluded McGrath. The BC Conservative Party believes BC taxes must be competitive with Alberta, our immediate neighbour and trading partner, where there is no PST or HST. The BC Conservative party would scrap the HST and replace it with a system of input tax credits for PST, while reducing the PST and creating a single rate of income tax after a basic personal exemption equivalent to minimum wage for all British Columbians.

Wayne McGrath 250.542.7744 nwmcgrath@shaw.ca