HARPER-CAMPBELL HST PUT BURN ON BC FAMILIES: LAYTON

Harper HST deal with Liberals will hit B.C. pocketbooks hard

New Westminster – Coquitlam – Today, New Democrat leader Jack Layton and New Westminster – Coquitlam candidate, Fin Donnelly, criticised the Harper Conservative and Campbell Liberal governments for their deal to harmonize the federal and provincial sales taxes.

“Stephen Harper and Gordon Campbell are downloading the hardship of the recession on to the backs of hard working BC families,” said Layton. “New Democrats remain unequivocally opposed to Harper's HST agreement and are the only real voice of opposition to the plan to raise taxes on BC families.”

Harper’s HST deal with Liberals, which will merge the provincial sales tax with the GST, will not only add the new tax to many items that are not now covered by the provincial sales tax, but will shift the tax burden onto British Columbian families.

“At a time when many New Westminster – Coquitlam families are struggling to pay their bills, Stephen Harper is raising the prices on everyday essentials and spending billions to do it,” said Donnelly. ” “The Harper Campbell plan is a massive tax shift from business to individuals and will hurt seniors, students, families and many small businesses,” said Donnelly.

The federal government is planning to spend $1.6 billion to get British Columbia to agree to the newly expanded HST, which will come into effect July 1, 2010.

Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff lent his party’s support to the Harper government’s mission to foist harmonized sales taxes on the consumers British Columbia. During debate on the last federal budget, the Liberals did not raise a peep in opposition to the HST deal. Now, in the face of public outrage, the Liberal leader is flip-flopping.

“At best, Mr. Ignatieff’s position on the HST is ambiguous. At worst, it is dishonest,” said Layton. “New Democrats remain steadfast in our opposition to Stephen Harper’s plan to shift the tax burden onto BC families.”

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For more information, please contact:
Fin Donnelly 604 526-3346