B.C.'s pro-HST flyer legal: minister

The B.C. government says it's planning a mailout next month that will contain information about the new harmonized sales tax, but it won't campaign against those trying to have the contentious tax repealed.

Finance Minister Colin Hansen said Monday the government's annual mailing on budget measures, which will include information about the new tax, will be vetted by Elections B.C. to ensure it doesn't violate the province's Initiative Act.

Under the act, opponents of the HST, which blends the federal GST with the provincial sales tax and applies it to more goods and services, have until July 5 to gather enough signatures to force a referendum on the tax.

'We will not use this as a vehicle to campaign against the initiative.' —B.C. Finance Minister Colin Hansen

Organizer Chris Delaney has filed a pre-emptive complaint with Elections B.C., even though the government information package hasn't gone out yet.

"They're complaining about potential government advertising that they're concerned may in fact be initiative advertising," Nola Western, Elections B.C. executive director of election finance, said in an interview.

Under the act, opponents of the initiative or advertisers must register with Elections B.C. opponents are limited to spending $921,000 to combat an initiative, and advertisers to $5,000.

The B.C. government has not registered as either.

RCMP contacted

Delaney said the group, led by former Social Credit premier Bill Vander Zalm, is also asking the RCMP to investigate.

Hansen said the HST information will be part of a package about the latest budget that the government sends out every year.

"We will not use this as a vehicle to campaign against the initiative," he said. "We will make sure that the material we put out is not in any way a contravention of the legislation."

But Delaney, deputy leader of the tiny B.C. Conservative party, is not buying that.

"I think they're playing a dicey game," he said. "Why do you come out with a brochure to promote the HST when you've said that the deal was done nine months ago and you're  going ahead with it no matter how many people sign the petition?

"The only reason to do that is to discourage the people from signing the petition."

If the information package is truly non-partisan, the government should delay distribution until after the petition drive's July deadline, Delaney said.

Still being drafted

Hansen said the brochure is still being drafted and is at least four weeks away from being sent out. No TV or radio advertising is planned, he added.

Western said her office has not seen any material yet. The legislation defines initiative advertising as anything aimed at promoting or opposing an initiative or draft legislation, she said.

"If it meets that definition, they will have to register and abide by the $5,000 spending limit," said Western.

Initiative organizers have recruited at least 6,000 canvassers to collect the names of 10 per cent of the voters in each B.C. riding within 90 days of their April 6 start date to force a referendum on the tax.

Delaney claims they've reached that target already in many ridings.