LangleyAdvance
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Your community newspaper since 1931
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
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Audited circulation: 41,100 – 32 pages
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MAY SPECIAL
Leanne Wakely signed a petition opposing the proposed harmonized sales tax (HST) at a table, manned by Duane Huber (right) and others, set up in front of the Fort Langley Community Hall on Sunday. For those who oppose the HST, there will be plenty of opportunities to sign against the tax in Langley. You can find out where by visiting: www.fighthst.com.
Federal tax
HST opposition gains steam Langley’s two provincial ridings are among those leading in the drive to repeal the HST. by Matthew Claxton mclaxton@langleyadvance.com
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The threshold has been crossed, at least as far as Langley’s Fight HST campaigners are concerned. Both the Langley and Fort LangleyAldergrove ridings have passed the 10 per cent mark, the minimum required to meet the requirement for a Citizens Initiative Petition. The Langley riding has actually passed 17 per cent, with more than 7,300 registered voters signing, said local organizer Shaun Sephton. The effort has always aimed to get 15 per cent, to provide a cushion beyond the minimum 10 per cent required. Sephton said the Langley effort will push on towards 20 per cent now. “When we hit 20, we’ll push to 25,” Sephton said. The Fort Langley-Aldergrove petition has also passed the 15 per cent mark.
Ridings where the total has passed 15 per Rural ridings were among the first to pass cent may send some of their volunteers to the 10 per cent threshold, while urban ridother nearby areas where the 10 or 15 per ings have been lagging. cent mark hasn’t yet been reached. To some extent that seems to have been Province-wide, the Fight HST organizers caused by the numerous ridings packed into were reporting that 56 of 85 provincial ridVancouver, Burnaby, or other urbanized ings have already reached the 10 per cent areas. mark. A voter must sign a petition that correctly The campaign is barely more than a month names his or her riding; it is not legal for old. The law that allows the petitions gives people from different ridings to sign the organizers three full months same petition sheet. to gather signatures. The This has caused confusion for Fight HST initiative officially some volunteers, who are trying “When we hit ends on July 5. to keep track of half a dozen or 20, we’ll push If every riding in B.C. sees more ridings. to 25.” 10 per cent of voters sign Now, Delaney said, Vancouver petitions, the government will and Burnaby have seen big Shaun Sephton be forced to introduce legislajumps in numbers of signatures tion to repeal the tax, which in the past week, and they are combines the PST and GST. catching up. However, the government is not forced to A number of local signing opportunities pass the new law, and can ignore it comare still coming up. pletely. • All week until Saturday, Fashion Call at Sephton said organizers are hoping a mas#109-5501 204 St. will host a signing 10 a.m. sive number of signatures will make a differ- to 5 p.m. ence to provincial politicians. • Morningside Estates will host signings all “It certainly makes a statement,” he said. week until Friday, at #1-5365 205 St. from 11 Provincial lead organizer Chris Delaney a.m. to 7 p.m. said 34 ridings have now passed the 15 per • Fernridge Hall at 2389 200 St. will host a cent mark. signing on May 16, from 1 to 4 p.m.