Bulkley Valley-Stikine MLA Doug Donaldson said his NDP party supported the ‘Yes’ campaign during the HST referendum, and he’s pleased the vote turned out the way it did.
“We thought it was an unfair tax shift from big business on to middle class families, and as it turns out, that’s what a majority of residents in B.C. thought as well,” he said.
Just under 55 per cent of voters in the province voted to return to the former separate PST and GST taxes. Donaldson said the 10 point spread was a significant indication that people wanted to scrap the HST.
“It’s a decisive vote by people in the province,” he said. “I think it was a pretty good day for democracy on Friday.”
Now that the referendum is over, the legislature will be getting to work on reversing the HST, and figuring out how to transition back to the former system. Donaldson said he believes the public is looking forward to government focusing more on issues that have been overshadowed by the HST for the past year.
“People want us to get on with doing our work,” he said, noting that he’d like to see a definitive answer to whether an election will be called in the coming months.
He said he’d like to see a focus on job creation in the Bulkley Valley-Stikine riding, “but in a way that doesn’t compromise why we’re here.” Those reasons include wild salmon, clean water and clean air, Donaldson said.