You have to question the sanity of a Premier who is introducing a new tax that 80%-90% of the Province opposes, so soon after he introduced a carbon tax that the majority of people disapproved of. Even the people who accept the talking points that the HST is going to be an economic benefit have to be angry at the way Gordon Campbell said specifically during an election campaign that he would not introduce the HST, and then flipped immediately after the election. Then we find out that the government had HST wheels in motion long before the election, and blatantly lied during the election when asked about it.
To make matters worse, the majority of the province was already furious about the carbon tax but voted Liberal anyway because the alternative was the NDP. Glen Clark and Ujjal Donsangh were two of the worst Premiers in the history of confederation. I know a lot of people want to vote for the fledgling BC Conservative Party, but they are afraid that switching may end up electing a NDP government if not enough make the migration. But now with a carbon tax and an increase in sales tax, this is a lame duck Premier. Three terms was a big accomplishment. The fall of Social Credit brought the NDP to power, the NDP brought BC to its knees, and Gordie had a free ride.
The BC Conservatives need to run a candidate in every riding in the next election. I might have voted for them last time had one run in my riding. People in Alberta complaining about Stelmach don't know how it feels to walk into a voting booth with 3 choices 1) Liberal, 2) NDP, 3) Green. It is enough to make your head explode. But BC votes roughly 40% Tory federally.
I know he won't do it, but Stephen Harper should pull the plug on the BC HST. The Prime Minister gave the Premier the option of not adding the new tax to previously untaxed goods, but Gord declined. At this point I don't know what power the feds would have to rescind the tax, as the HST legislation already passed through the Commons with Ignatieff's blessing.
It will be tough to vote BCConservatives even with Randy White helping out. I will probably wait 1 more election before switching my vote. The NDP will rape and pillage the province if they ever get back into power. Hold Nose - Vote Liberal
ReplyDeleteWest Coast Teddi
The Federal Government should treat each province fairly.
ReplyDeleteThe Province could have reduced the provincial portion as the GST was reduced by 2%.
The voter will decided if the Liberal Premier in BC or Ontario made the right decision.
The Ontario Premier did not promise not to introduce and flip flop within weeks of winning an election. That was bad form.
I understand why the other option is no option. A minority may be in order.
It's fairly obvious that from his actions Gordon Campbell wants out of the premier's job.
ReplyDeleteGordon Campbell started off well in his first term and then threw away an almost complete majority. It is like he had a brain transplant with Glen Clark. The only hope for the Liberals to recover is to change leader and do it quickly.
ReplyDeleteBTW, it's been a cold winter and spring in BC so Campbell's carbon tax must have been working/sarc off.
We have a weak Liberal MLA, so I'll be voting Conservative. I certainly won't commit fiscal suicide by voting NDP.
Starting a Tea Party-esque movement in Canada would be difficult.
ReplyDeleteFor one thing, Canada has no defining documents that establish Canada's values, aside from valuing collaboration between competing interests.
Moreover, our Constitution is fundamentally a liberal construct. While various points of convention adopted within the constitution -- such as the Clarity Act and the Calgary Declaration -- have reestablished some conservative principles within the constitution, giveaways of power by the provincial governments have eliminated important checks on the jurisdiction of the federal government.
I lived in BC for awhile and learned about the voting plight from many there. At first I was confused why some I knew were voting conservative in the federal elections, but went for the Liberal when voting MLAs and that's when I discovered that few areas, especially the rural ones I lived around, even had a PC rep on the ticket. It was my 'a-HA' moment, and then I moved back to Alberta ;)
ReplyDelete