Jeff Nagal May 4, 2010

The campaign to repeal the harmonized sales tax now claims to have signed up more than 300,000 people across the province.

Canvassers say their anti-HST petition has more than the required 10 per cent of voters in 44 ridings now, although sign-ups have been strongest in northern B.C. and are lagging in much of the Lower Mainland.

The 90-day Citizens’ Initiative needs 10 per cent of registered voters – and those signatures must all be verified by Elections BC – in all 85 constituencies to be declared successful.

Seventeen ridings have now also passed a higher 15 per cent target set by organizers to ensure a buffer to offset disallowed signatures.

They include Skeena, where 30 per cent of voters have signed, and Cariboo-Chilcotin, Kamloops-North Thompson and Peace River North, all of which are at or above 25 per cent.

In the Lower Mainland, Surrey-White Rock, Delta South and the two Chilliwack ridings are now above the goal of 15 per cent. Abbotsford South, Delta North, Fort Langley-Aldergrove, Langley, North Vancouver-Seymour, Port Coquitlam and Surrey-Green Timbers are above the 10 per cent requirement.

The lowest numbers are being recorded in Burnaby, Richmond and Vancouver.

Organizers say the passage of HST enabling legislation by the provincial government last week did not quell dissatisfaction with the tax, which merges the GST and PST into a single 12 per cent charge, but instead stoked more anger.

“People were hoping their MLA would vote according to their wishes,” said Surrey-based organizer Patricia Enair. “When [Liberal MLAs] didn’t, we saw an increase in people phoning, wanting to find out where they can sign the petition.”

She said the campaign in urban areas has been hampered by several challenges, including the multitude of districts that make it confusing to determine where each voter should sign.

“We have a lot of people who either aren’t registered to vote or move quite a bit,”

she added.

Finding locations to host the petition has also been tricky in some cities, including Surrey.

“Many of our commercial properties don’t want to get involved so they’re not allowing us to set up in mall locations,” Enair said.

The campaign has responded by seeking permission to use civic spaces in Richmond and city parks in Surrey.

Enair said the campaign will soon start to rotate its registered canvassers out of ridings with strong numbers and into ones where sign-ups have been slow.

Campaign lead organizer Chris Delaney said canvassing got off to a slow start in Maple Ridge and Coquitlam.

“Both of those regions are up and running now and catching up quickly,” he said. “We expect the same will happen in the rest of the province over the coming weeks.”

The campaign is one-third complete and wraps up July 5.

Success does not ensure the HST will be repealed.

The right number of signatures may force the provincial government to introduce legislation dismantling the tax, but the repeal bill could simply be defeated or never called for a vote.

If that happens, campaigners vow to target Liberal MLAs for recall.

[BCLocalNews.com]