2011 Legislative Session: Third Session, 39th Parliament

HOUSE BLUES
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This is a DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY of debate in one sitting of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. This transcript is subject to corrections, and will be replaced by the final, official Hansard report. Use of this transcript, other than in the legislative precinct, is not protected by parliamentary privilege, and public attribution of any of the debate as transcribed here could entail legal liability.
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DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
(HANSARD)
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HOUSE BLUES

TUESDAY, MAY 31, 2011

Morning Sitting
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Government Motions on Notice

MOTION 11 — GOVERNMENT CHANGES
TO HARMONIZED SALES TAX
(continued)

G. Gentner: I, too, will be voting no against this motion, and there are a number of reasons. I want to focus on one particular aspect of it, and that's the HST and the Stanley Cup. That's why I cannot support this motion.

Let me explain it this way. The Boston Bruins from Massachusetts have a 6.25 sales tax — period. Here it could be 12 percent, 11 percent, maybe 10 percent. I know the member from the South Peace is all happy and wonderful because he's supporting the Boston Bruins. He probably bought his jersey in Boston at a very cheap rate because there's no sales tax, or less sales tax, on that jersey than there is here.

Interjection.

G. Gentner: The northeast. But the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure — we know he flip-flopped on the HST, and now he's supporting it, like a fish out of water. And now he's supporting the big, bad Bruins over there, knowing that in Boston they don't have an HST.

You know, in Boston you don't pay tax on the American flag. It's exempt. You don't pay on uniforms, team uniforms or sports jackets. In Boston there's no tax on sporting events. They don't pay for the hot dogs, the banners and the programs for hockey. They don't even have a parking tax when they go see the Bruins.

But here, you know, I wish our government would support minor hockey the way the Governor of the State of Massachusetts does. They're exempt on hockey tickets. There are no hockey expenses there on the hockey tickets. You watch the Bruins, and there are no taxes on hockey hats. But the big, bad, ugly Bruins don't have the HST.

[1040]

Our Premier donned a Canucks jersey, and any child in this province who wears an adult shirt — and most must, with the jersey of hockey, because they're large —has to pay the HST. I hope, of course, that the Premier paid the HST.

The Stanley Cup is coming to Vancouver. The silversmiths in Boston don't pay a tax on servicing and polishing the Stanley Cup, but in Vancouver, if we win, we will. Although Boston has to pay 6 percent on the silver polish product, here we have to pay 12 percent on the product.

Let's say we go organic and stay away from the abrasive, ammonia-filled commercial silver cleaners. Let's say, you know, with Mary Ellen's solution, we use toothpaste — non-abrasive, organic toothpaste that won't tarnish the Stanley Cup. Now, the difference between Boston and Vancouver is that there's no tax on toothpaste in Boston, but there is here now in Vancouver. Not only is it more expensive to shine the holy grail in Vancouver, but prevention against tooth decay is more expensive here in British Columbia as well. Mary Ellen's old tricks don't even work in British Columbia. If you can't polish the Stanley Cup or your teeth with tax-exempt toothpaste, how can you and your teammates smile for the team picture?

When the Vancouver Canucks hoist the 35-pound Stanley Cup, let it shine, Madam Speaker, let it shine. Hallelujah, let it shine, and let's make sure it's without the burden of the HST. I say: "Go, Canucks, go. Let's defeat the Bruins and kill the HST."

I want to talk about prevention and how important it is for children to live a healthy lifestyle. Hockey parents — obviously not the Premier — have witnessed rink rentals for ice time, because of the HST…. Now, for the North Delta minor hockey, costs are going up, way up. Registration for house team members is $600. For a rep team member, it's an additional $250. You add on extra ice time, it's $100. Skates today are $400 to $500. A helmet is a hundred bucks. Pads and equipment, another $200. Sticks now are $100 to $150. So you add it all up, and you throw on the HST. Hockey is not affordable in British Columbia.

Shame. Shame on the B.C. Liberals. I thought we were putting families first, but we're gouging families. I want to talk about hockey sticks. You know what? There are very few hockey sticks that are even made in this country anymore. They're made overseas. We're supposed to claw money from the HST, giving a break to manufacturers, thinking it's going to create more added value. But even our hockey sticks are no longer made in this province, in a province of wood.

How will the HST police deal with that new underground economy, the annual hockey used equipment sales that hockey teams put on with mom and dad? Are we going to tax the resales like we do everything else? That's what this legislation does. We have an underground economy emerging, no thanks to the B.C. Liberals. Fundraisers to help pay for all of this — you know, the expenses of hockey…. Hockey rentals are going up, and catering is going up, all because of the HST.

Renting a bus to go to a hockey tourney? HST slapped on it. Food for the trip, for the young 'uns, another HST tax. Bandages and medical supplies are now part of the HST — used to be exempt. Even the vitamins that get your little ones up for the game — HST.

[1045]

Your team accounting is now taxed. Massage therapy, if you need it, is taxed. When you launder the smelly team equipment and clothing, it's now taxed too. But you know what? In Boston most of all that is exempt. If it's not, they only pay 6 percent.

Families first from this government? I don't think so. Not even a longtime hockey sponsor, Tim Hortons, supports the HST. So when you watch the HST Stickman on TV during the hockey playoffs, don't forget that the real stickhandling by the B.C. Liberals when it comes to fairness doesn't exist. It's blatant high-sticking.

I want to briefly touch on this, and I'll surrender the chair because I know a lot of people want to speak. But briefly, the HST referendum was originally going to be conducted under the Recall and Initiative Act, which contains detailed rules for campaign finance. Now, the B.C. Liberals decided to hold the referendum under the Referendum Act instead. The Referendum Act allows rules to be adopted and amended from the Election Act, which also contains detailed rules for campaign finance. But that's not what they're doing. The HST Referendum Act does not incorporate or set any rules for campaign financing.

The B.C. Liberals chose the HST referendum rules through an order-in-council, and the regulation that they passed has no campaign finances rules like those in any other election — shame. The B.C. Liberals' rules don't require financial agents, registration of third-party advertisers, identification of an ad sponsor, disclosure of contribution expenses, limits on contribution expenses, or financial reports.

The type of election on the HST conducted by the B.C. Liberals is more than just high-sticking. It's more than just roughing. It's cheating, it's rigging, and they should not only receive a game misconduct, but they should be suspended for life.

This referendum ballot is about cheating. It's about disenfranchising voters who won't be registered, voters who will be away on holidays, voters who are transient. University students will be away with no permanent addresses, no ability to go into an election booth and talk to an election official.

It's about undelivered ballots. It's about ballots lost in the mail. It's about not knowing whether your ballot was received and counted. It's about third parties perhaps voting for others. It's about ineligible ballots from voters who have moved. It's about ballots sent to questionable and temporary addresses. It's about picking up discarded ballots in recyclable blue and yellow bags on the curbside for garbage day. It's about voter intimidation for employers and special interests.

The electioneering during a normal election is forbidden within a couple of hundred metres from the voting place. However, your fundamental protection and privacy is gone under this process, and perhaps your vote could be sold and bought. That is the situation that's at hand.

Now, the government came out against the Internet balloting process for the city of Vancouver. It was because, according to the Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, the election legislation was not in place, so he nixed it. Now, the elections officer said that with physical ballots, observers do not need specialized knowledge or qualifications to ensure that votes are properly cast and counted, but the technology on on-line voting inevitably turns the process into a black box which could undermine public confidence.

I wish the B.C. conservatives could put that same concern about this process as they did with the on-line voting process that they nixed in the city of Vancouver. Hon. Speaker, with that, I will surrender the chair, but I do want to stress my outrage at the HST and how it's going to affect families, those who want to play sports in particular. And I also want to voice my outrage at the methodology that's being employed for this sham of a vote for the HST.

[1050]