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Yes or No? Answers to HST questions

Jennifer Moreau staff reporter The ballots are in the mail, and the fate of the harmonized sales tax now lies in the hands of British Columbians.

Jennifer Moreau

staff reporter

The ballots are in the mail, and the fate of the harmonized sales tax now lies in the hands of British Columbians.

Each registered voter should get a package with the following question: Are you in favour of extinguishing the HST (harmonized sales tax) and reinstating the PST (provincial sales tax) in conjunction with the GST (goods and service tax)? Yes or no?

HST opponents claim harmonization is a tax shift from businesses to consumers, while supporters says it's a better and more efficient system that will benefit B.C.'s economy. The Liberal government has also proposed to drop the 12 per cent tax to 10 per cent by 2014.

The referendum runs till Friday, Aug. 5. If more than half of British Columbians who cast a vote choose 'Yes' to extinguishing the HST, the result is binding for the provincial government, which likely means B.C. returns to the old PST and GST system.

The Burnaby NOW decided to ask two local MLAs for their thoughts on the issue, based on some of your questions from the back-and-forth conversations in our letters to the editor section. Here's what they have to say.