BC Liberals quash BC NDP accusations of reinstating the HST

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BURNABY (NEWS 1130) – The BC NDP is accusing the BC Liberals of looking to bring back the controversial Harmonized Sales Tax.

But while campaigning in Burnaby today, Liberal Leader Christy Clark flat out denies there’s any plan to revive the controversial HST. “We will not consider [the] HST as long as I am premier of British Columbia. We’re not bringing it back,” states Clark.

She adds the rumours from the New Democrats are simply not true, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be something like a value-added tax, which is similar to a general sales tax, in its place. “We’ll bring prepared to talk to the business community and British Columbians about different ways we can reach tax competitiveness, but it isn’t going to be a HST. We’ve been down that road. It ended badly [and] people didn’t like it.”

The NDP says bringing in a value-added tax would cost a married couple with one or more kids over $1,000 a year.

In a previously issued statement, the New Democrats claim a comment made by BC Liberal MLA Doug Bing was made about reforming provincial taxes. He was reportedly quoted in a local newspaper as saying, “I would think in the near future it will be revived.”

Clark is adamant any tax changes brought in under her party would not look like an HST replacement.

Back in 2011, 55 per cent of British Columbians voted to scrap the HST in a province-wide referendum.

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