Opinion

Bradner elementary, School District 34, Abbotsford

With yet another school year coming to an end, I’ve been thinking lately about the power of teachers. Some say they have no power, they’re just glorified babysitters. And to that, I shake my head in disbelief.

As an organization that represents thousands of farmers and ranchers from across the province, the BC Agriculture Council (BCAC) is clearly and unequivocally in favour of retaining the HST, and not going back to the archaic dual tax system of the GST plus PST.

After meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Premier Christy Clark delivered a luncheon speech to the Economic Club of Toronto. Her big talking point was the rise of the Asia-Pacific region.

With the HST referendum package in the mail, the oddly struck question now needs an answer: “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 services tax)? (Yes/No).

Let’s assume that when everyone in B.C. gets to be finance minister for a day, a majority choose to throw a $3-billion chair through the office window to show how mad they are about the harmonized sales tax. The cleanup will take two years, but first there will be a provincial election to decide who holds the broom and dustpan. And the choices are becoming clear.

It was not the kind of Hollywood ending Canuck fans had hoped for: A Game 7 win before a hometown crowd, bringing to an end a 40-year quest for the Stanley Cup. Instead, the script read more like “The Good, The Bad and The Stupid.”

If I found Norman Keller’s letter of June 9 offensive in its biting sarcasm, I was even more troubled to see him equate the NDP’s policies with those of countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Libya and China.

Opponents of the HST can't seem to resist making the tax sound worse than it really is.

The Tourism Industry Association of B.C. has struggled with the impact of the harmonized sales tax, but supports it at a reduced rate.