tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post7700920349229735824..comments2024-03-29T01:09:22.557-07:00Comments on Paying attention: The Liberal campaign and a sick democracyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post-33099273025194059832009-07-28T23:05:31.358-07:002009-07-28T23:05:31.358-07:00Hi i`m not from your country. But i`m always read ...Hi i`m not from your country. But i`m always read about tax on US and britain. I dont` know how you all live with a lots of tax to be paid. Even in my country Malaysia we still have less tax to be paid but people are suffering with high cost of living. My country are on the way to become like your country. The politician doesnt' care about their people.<br /><br /><a href="http://insurance.sumasu.com" rel="nofollow">find insurance</a>momochttp://momoc.sumasu.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post-42894735618873800512009-07-28T20:16:43.473-07:002009-07-28T20:16:43.473-07:00Gosh anyone calling himself anon might be better n...Gosh anyone calling himself anon might be better not trying to educate a dumb person like myself, who actually uses his initials. I rather think that if Mr. Wilcox didn't want to accept the story he would have removed it pretty quickly . I notice it's still here. I don't do snips but prefer to do the whole thing or nothing. Thanks for your great concernDPLnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post-84825277415822014562009-07-28T19:29:54.088-07:002009-07-28T19:29:54.088-07:00BC Liberals make a side deal
B.C. to ease tax blow...BC Liberals make a side deal<br /><b>B.C. to ease tax blow for restaurants</b><br /><br />Patrick Brethour <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/bc-to-ease-tax-blow-for-restaurants/article1233118/" rel="nofollow">reports</a> in today's (July 28/09) G&M that on Friday July 24 restaurateurs had a meeting involving Finance Minister Colin Hansen, members of the business community and Premier Gordon Campbell.<br /><br />No word yet on when the BC Liberals will consult with consumers on how they will absorb a $2 BILLION tax increase in the midst of this fiscal depression.<br />-----<br /><br />@DPL - To cut-N-paste a whole © article is 'bad form' and could cause our host (PW) a legal headache he doesn't need. Far better to post a summary and/or a few select snips and provide a link to the source.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post-66123793697609254872009-07-28T13:29:22.752-07:002009-07-28T13:29:22.752-07:00It would appear that the good Mr. Hansen, a fine f...It would appear that the good Mr. Hansen, a fine fellow I not long ago thought might be a viable 'big tent' candidate for the BC Liberals in the next election, has, unfortunately, suddenly demonstrated a willingness to act as a serial obfuscator for the cause. <br /><br />Pity.<br /><br />______<br />Re: That 1 in 30 mentioned by Mr. Willcocks that could have changed the course of the election just past.....How many of them might have been shut-out by a wee bit of anti-democratic legislation known as <a href="http://pacificgazette.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-many-british-columbians-will-gordon.html" rel="nofollow">Bill 42 that was foisted upon us in a most undemocratic fashion by Mr. Campbell last year?</a><br /><br />.RossKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07677239332112652522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post-34651303149622182772009-07-28T12:47:54.240-07:002009-07-28T12:47:54.240-07:00We keep rewarding political parties that place gui...We keep rewarding political parties that place guile and political opportunism ahead of principle, so where is the incentive to do better?<br /><br />Both parties have disgraced themselves and lost enormous credibility and the democratic process will be all the poorer for it.Dawn Steelenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post-5391061197353879262009-07-28T11:06:21.703-07:002009-07-28T11:06:21.703-07:00Nobody misled on harmonized sales tax during B.C. ...Nobody misled on harmonized sales tax during B.C. election says finance minister<br /> By Kent Spencer, Canwest News ServiceJuly 28, 2009 6:44 AM<br /> B.C. businesses weren't misled during the election campaign by Liberal assurances there were "no plans" to implement a tax that has since been adopted, says Finance Minister Colin Hansen.<br /><br />"The harmonized sales tax was not on our radar," Hansen told Canwest News Service yesterday. We said it was not part of our election platform and it wasn't."<br /><br />The Liberals provided written statements during the spring campaign to restaurant owners and home builders that they had "no plans" to implement the controversial HST.<br /><br />Their plans changed on July 23, three months after winning a majority in the B.C. legislature.<br /><br />The province now says it will combine the seven per cent provincial sales tax with the five per cent federal goods and services tax for a single HST tax rate of 12 per cent.<br /><br />The HST, which will become effective on July 1, 2010, will add seven per cent tax to many items such as haircuts and cable TV that were not previously taxed.<br /><br />Hansen said businesses will benefit by being able to deduct the HST as an expense and savings will be passed along to consumers.<br /><br />He said two things happened to change the government's mind: Ontario agreed to adopt HST and B.C. was permitted to set a lower tax rate than other provinces.<br /><br />Ontario's action occurred well before the May 12 vote in B.C., but Hansen explained the party was "well into election mode."<br /><br />He said B.C.'s course of action only "became obvious" after the election was concluded.<br /><br />"If Ontario adopted the HST and we didn't, our overseas exporters would be at a huge competitive disadvantage," he said.<br /><br />Restaurateurs have questioned the B.C. Liberals' honesty.<br /><br />"They're saying they just came up with it. It's up for the average citizen to determine if they were misleading us. It seems like an awfully short time to come up with a complicated deal," said Mark von Schellwitz, spokesman for the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association.<br /><br />Hansen said he understands the skepticism.<br /><br />"I get it that people have a right to question that. The optics are what they are," he said.<br /><br />The openness and timing of the government's announcement, coming during the barbecue season with the legislature away, have also been questioned.<br /><br />The government's announcement gave scant information about the dozens of new taxes coming forward.<br /><br />Hansen claimed the tax will not cost families $2,000 a year, as some economists have reported.<br /><br />Hansen said studies in Atlantic Canada, where the tax has already been implemented, have shown that prices come down as businesses return their savings to consumers.<br /><br />He admitted new home purchasers face tough times. The NDP says the tax will be $36,000 on an $800,000 home; Hansen put the amount at $20,200.<br /><br />"That's significant," he agreed.<br /><br />Asked if the HST decision will be revisited, Hansen hesitated for a few seconds.<br /><br />"This is the right decision for B.C. I don't see any reason to," he eventually responded.DPLnoreply@blogger.com