Free vote urged on B.C. anti-HST initiative
Last Updated: Monday, August 23, 2010 | 1:38 PM PT
The Canadian Press
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Former B.C. premier Bill Vander Zalm said Friday he was 'delighted' by a court ruling that his anti-HST petition can proceed to the legislative committee.
Anti-HST campaigner Bill Vander Zalm has sent a letter to B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell urging him to send legislation to repeal the new tax directly to a free vote in the legislature this fall.
Vander Zalm, who is a former premier of B.C., wants Campbell to tell the all-party group that the Liberal government will handle the issue during a fall legislative session, rather than put it to a non-binding, province-wide vote that could cost as much as $50 million.
According to Vander Zalm, 50 per cent of all registered voters in B.C. must pass an initiative vote — twice the number he says who voted for the Liberals in the last election — making the vote both undemocratic and a "colossal waste of money."
He warns the premier he'll launch recall campaigns against Liberal MLAs if the initiative process is delayed further.
The move follows a court ruling on Friday that ended an attempt by a coalition of business groups to have the 700,000-signature petition ruled invalid.
MLA Terry Lake, who is chairman of the Select Standing Committee on Legislative Initiatives said he expects to receive the petition from the province's electoral chief on Monday, and the committee will likely hold its inaugural meeting in the first week of September.
Under the rules of B.C.'s initiative legislation, the legislative committee will have 90 days to decide whether to send the petition's draft legislation to house for a vote or hold a non-binding referrendum on it sometime next year.
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