As thousands of British Columbians rallied to protest the Harmonized Sales Tax, a new poll indicated Premier Gordon Campbell is deeply unpopular in his own home riding.
A B.C. Federation of Labour news release this morning cited a new Environics Poll showing 42 percent of voters in Vancouver Point Grey would sign a petition to recall Campbell, including a quarter of those who voted for him in May.
The release also said:
An overwhelming number (79 percent) believed the Premier should have told British Columbians that his government was going to introduce the tax prior to the election.
When told that the tax collected from consumers through the HST would all go to corporations instead of being used to pay for better government programs, 64 percent (including 59 percent of BC Liberal voters) said they were now even more opposed to the HST.
On the critical issue of whether or not British Columbians would support modest tax increases in order to pay for needed government services -- the poll found a large majority (78 percent) would support an increase.
... This finding crossed all political lines, with 74 percent of Liberals also coming out in support of the proposition that taxes should be increased to support public services.
CBC British Columbia ran a brief report Saturday afternoon, saying thousands of people had turned out for at least 15 anti-HST rallies, including one at the convention centre where both NDP leader Carole James and former Socred premier Bill Vander Zalm spoke against the tax.
The Vancouver Sun by late Saturday afternoon had nothing on the rallies. The Saturday Globe and Mail ran an editorial supporting the HST, but this afternoon ran a story by The Canadian Press covering the protests.
Crawford Kilian is a contributing editor of The Tyee.
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Name
3 years ago
Anyone working the weekend shift at Canwest?
BC Local News had a fairly extensive report on the HST rallies posted on its website as of 3:30 pm Saturday:
http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/59798117.html
But still nothing posted by the Vancouver Sun as of 5 pm except for sports and shooting updates. Apparently they've got Mike Tyson as the weekend editor on duty over there, so don't expect anything on the HST rallies unless the Raging Grannies decide to beat the crap out of some poor BC Liberal sod.
Grr - Duh - Bang - Cool!
Barryeng
3 years ago
Suprised?
Is anyone suprised that Canwest is not commenting on the Horse**** taxes? If seems that the more they are accused of blatant right-wing support, the more obvious their support become. It's time to find another source for my news. Oh Yeah, that's why the Tyee in winning reporting awards, and Canwest is in bankrupcy protection. Sooner or later someone over there should get the point, or am I the one who is dreaming?
Dan the socialist
3 years ago
Polls and reality are two
Polls and reality are two different things.
Nov 2010 is the earliest Campbell or any other Liberal can be recalled, will the anger still be around then? I doubt it.
From all the unhappiness about this HST or alleged unhappiness I would of expected a lot more than 2000 people. I would actually say the number was less than the official 2000 from my personnel observation.
Too bad we won't or don't protest like the Belgium milk farmers who in addition to dumping milk closed the borders. http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/09/16/belgium-milk-protest.html
Of course if we did that here they would send in the military to break it up unless there were 500,000 - 1,000,000 of us then the authorities could do nothing and would have to listen to the people. 2000 showing up just means Campbell and his cronies laugh and do not get the message...
sdgreen
3 years ago
Of Course large business will
support the HST; their costs will be reduced. While some may reduce consumer costs, you can bet a portion will be channelled to profit. While some might hire more people, there is no evidence that they will.
The HST supports only large business at the expense of a massive tax increase to consumers. This to me is not fair as all entities should be required to support government programs. The consumer gets to pay both income and consumption taxes while business just pays their small proportionate income tax.
A 3 to 4% winfall from taxes to business likely will not translate to large job increases or reduced costs. Even then, large corporates just might take their savings out of the Province for other investments or projects.
Bottomline, the residents of BC are screwed.
http://thepoliticalcomment.blogspot.com/
lemonheart
3 years ago
Dan the socialist
Hey, I agree. Hell, look at what the Thais did for chrissakes. Hit'em where it hurts.
I believe that these sociopathic man bear pigs will ONLY respond to a direct threat of civil unrest or violence.
The protest downtown was abysmal yesterday- I was there. You can bet Gordo and Colin had good guffaw at all of our expenses yesterday.
Why do people insist on playing by the rules against these scumbags?
BC has been Pusscified beyond belief........WTF is wrong with everybody?????
Skywalker
3 years ago
And the TD Bank...
...which hired Carole Taylor, who got the Corporate Capital tax removed for them, comes out and tells you that prices will only go up a 1% because all those honest business will reduce their prices. Yeah?
crankypants
3 years ago
H1N1
Maybe the provincial cabinet can get a good dose of Swine Flu and all end up occupying hospital beds for a week or so. The NDP could call a non-confidence vote while the Libs are laid up, and force a new election.
One can only dream, but it sure seems simpler than recall.
Skywalker
3 years ago
Mike Dejong says,
"Recall legislation is not on their radar". Yeah right Mike. right now that is the only thing on the liberals radar screen.
freebear
3 years ago
Those same 42% vote them in 3 times?
Too little, too late for the blinders to come off in Point Gray!