Tories will challenge Ignatieff on HST

Alright, Iggy, let`s see if you man up on this.

Great way to hold Iggy acountable for his loose words.

Yup. I hate the idea of the HST, and though I really don't like Iggy, he will impress me if he kills this. If he opts not to, then he done.

For once I agree with Iggy, much as I dislike him. Hopefully he can kill this tax before Gordo and McSquinty can get it ensconsed in their legislatures.

The only reason BC is going for this tax is because of the big payout from the federal Government that goes along with it. If Gordo didn't get that you can bet your sweet ass that he'd never have put his political life on the line to go for the HST.

So, rather than using responsible goverment to manage "our" money this cretin would rather sell the taxpayers of his province down the river just to help balance his books.

BTW does anybody know how may names Vanderzalm and James have on their stop the HST petition? Not that it'll do anygood with Campbell since he'll just ram it through and hope the voters forget it by next election.

Nice move by the tories.

It smells like a checkmate.

No Jill let Iggy of the hook, now he can BS his way out of it again.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... pbCd3BbXBM

Yup. I hate the idea of the HST, and though I really don't like Iggy, he will impress me if he kills this. If he opts not to, then he done.

He'll be done with the voters, but not with provincial liberal leaders in BC & Ontario. If he kills it he's done with the liberal leaders of Ontario & BC.

Seems like he's screwed either way, smart move Harper.

BTW that HST tax is freak'n nasty.

Yup. I hate the idea of the HST, and though I really don't like Iggy, he will impress me if he kills this. If he opts not to, then he done.

He'll be done with the voters, but not with provincial liberal leaders in BC & Ontario. If he kills it he's done with the liberal leaders of Ontario & BC.

Seems like he's screwed either way, smart move Harper.

Agreed. Let's see where his ethics and moral courage lead him...

Sure because Harper isn't going to be held accountable for position right?

Iggy should reject this because that's what the voters want. Who cares what the provincial Libs think, Iggy is federal.

If he kills this, and it looks like that option is being taken away, then he looks good to the voters. Harper is the guy trying to bring it in.

Dont blame Harper for bringing it in, it's a nasty tax. I'm sure just a few people in Ontario & BC are glad its being brought to the highest level.

Dont blame Harper for bringing it in, it's a nasty tax. I'm sure just a few people in Ontario & BC are glad its being brought to the highest level.

Not blaming him for bringing it in at all. I just want to know why the fault lies with Iggy for either supporting or defeating a bill that Harper did bring in.

Seems to me the voters should be looking at who brought the bill forward rather then who will support it.

That's twice you've called it "nasty". It's only nasty in the sense that ALL taxes are nasty and no one likes an increase. But as a form of taxation, it has a wide incidence and burden, it's a point-of-sale tax and the only loopholes are ones created for poorest Ontarians. Also, there are lots of positive benefits to businesses in having a harmonized tax. So, the HST is actually a very GOOD tax, as taxes go.

Now, since the HST will include more products and, therefore, generate more revenue, the government COULD reduce the tax rate a per cent as a sort of "offsetting peace offering" to angry taxpayers. The government has tried to sell the HST on how it will benefit business, create investment, reduce costs in the system, and I agree with that assessment, professionally. But if the government DOESN'T drop the tax rate a point (which they won't), then one could argue the government isn't doing this for the reasons they say they are; that they're doing this solely to raise more revenue.

That puts us back to where we began. The tax is "nasty" because we don't want to pay more tax. But a HST makes an aweful lot of economic sense. There's nothing nastier about this tax than any other.

Just why is Iggy, the opposition leader, going to be responsible for Ontario and BC?

The Liberals like to take credit for it.

""I'm not waffling. I'm skating," said Rae, MP for Toronto Centre and a former premier of Ontario, acknowledging that federal Liberals were the ones who began the push for harmonized sales taxes when they were in powerBut the potential for voters to punish politicians over the HST – as well as the Liberals' bid to present it as a federal Conservative idea – is making the official Opposition skittish

http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/hst ... -hst-stand