December 08, 2009
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The Federal Fight Against the HST
The Conservative Government is currently trying to force through the federal legislation that will help to create the HST. They are doing their best to cram it through Parliament with no hearings or debate and trying to pretend that it wasnt their idea in the first place. Nevertheless, Nathan is working with his New Democrat colleagues to let the government know that the people of British Collumbia and Ontario don’t want this tax.
Read on for more information about what is going on in Parliament and how you can join the fight to stop the HST
UPDATE: Friday December 11th Following a hectic week of New Democratic attempts to block the HST, the Conservatives and Liberals finally forced the HST bill to a first vote on Tuesday, December 8th.
In a very rare and undemocratic move, both parties forced the Standing Committee on Finance to report the bill back to the House by 11:00pm the same day with no consultation or witnesses allowed to testify.
The battle resumed the next day with Nathan and colleagues trying to block the bill, but the final vote on the Federal HST bill was forced Wednesday evening and it passed with the support of all Conservative and Liberal MPs.
Nathan and fellow New Democrats were the only Members of Parliament to vote against the bill.
The fight continues in BC and all of Nathan’s team remains committed to working against this wrong tax for the wrong time.
Take Action Against the HST
Want to Help Make the Conservatives Get the Message?
Download a Stop The HST Petition Now!
Stop the HST! Petition (pdf 150kb)
Check out www.blockthehst.ca for more information
Cullen Tries to Block HST in Parliament
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DECEMBER 7, 2009
OTTAWA – Calling the HST “the worst tax at the worst possible time for British Columbia and Ontario,” Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen rose in Parliament today to try to block Conservative efforts to rush the HST through without public input.
“Why ram this through with such speed now? It was only introduced Friday, no time for people to have any kind of conscious debate. It is a deeply unpopular tax move,” Cullen flared across the aisle at Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.
“We have been hearing from thousands and thousands of British Columbians and Ontarians upset and furious that the government had no mandate to do this.”
“Why will he (Flaherty) not simply face the truth, that we need a debate in the House and this closure is fundamentally undemocratic?” Cullen demanded.
Cullen is scheduled to speak on the HST again in debate this evening.
Debate is expected to close at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and be followed by a vote that will undoubtedly allow the minority Conservative government’s bid to lay the groundwork for B.C. and Ontario to implement a harmonized sales tax.
Despite disparaging the measure in the past as a “Harper tax,” Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said last week the Liberals would maintain their longtime support for the HST.
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Contact: Shelley Browne, 250-877-4142; Shelley@nathancullen.ca
Nathan in the House on the HST
Click on the link below to see the official record of Nathan debating the HST in the House of Commons
Nathan fights the HST – House of Commons Debates
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