Ian Bailey
Vancouver — Globe and Mail Update Published on Tuesday, Jun. 22, 2010 2:54PM EDT Last updated on Tuesday, Jun. 22, 2010 3:03PM EDT
Premier Gordon Campbell is ruling out an HST break for First
Instead Mr. Campbell said Tuesday that the province's First Nations' community will benefit along with everyone else from a boost in jobs linked to the 12 per cent tax.
Mr. Campbell's comments come as the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs has said their members want the same harmonized sales tax exemption that their counterparts in Ontario are set to receive. HST regimes are set to begin on July 1 in both provinces. The Ontario government has adopted a policy of giving members of First Nations in that province a point-of-sale exemption on the provincial portion of the HST.
But Mr. Campbell, attending an unrelated event at the University of British
“We have a different tax regime than they do in Ontario,” Mr. Campbell said. “What's important is First Nations people want jobs. First Nations people want investment. They recognize that whether it's the forest industry or the mining industry, there are huge opportunities for First Nations across the province and this is one of the things that the HST helps us move forward with.”
Grand Chief Stewart Philip of the chiefs' union has said his organization is considering its legal options in light of the Liberal government's policy, and that they will work on the issue until they get the same deal that Ontario First Nations have secured. His argument revolves around the view that First Nations are sovereign indigenous nations that are not to be taxed by other nations.
Mr. Philip has also said he has met with Bill Vander Zalm, and other leaders of the anti-HST movement in B.C.