B.C. C of C looking for alternative to PST

[NAB]

""The latest available figures show B.C. ranks sixth in the country on output per-hour worked, and is “a little more than 10 per cent below the national average,” according to Jock Ferguson, president of the Business Council of B.C.

Alarmingly, the province is as much as 27-per-cent less productive than neighbouring Alberta, according to 2010 statistics released by the now-defunct B.C. Progress Board.

Of course, the PST is not B.C.’s only problem on this front.

Other factors driving down productivity involve a large immigrant population that is often underemployed; under-educated aboriginal people; a bounty of retirees; a dearth of big white-collar enterprises; and a preponderance of one- or two-person businesses.

Intriguingly, 55 per cent of B.C. businesses are small and self-employed. Companies with more than 50 workers comprise just 1.6 per cent of B.C.’s business sector.

Winter says the chamber is not trying to resurrect an HST debate, which he calls “a non-starter” in this province.

“What we are proposing is a way to leave our HST angst behind and move B.C. forward into tax dialogues.""

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/bc ... story.html

[goalie]

Winter says the reinstated seven-per-cent PST “telegraphs to entrepreneurs and business owners: ‘Don’t start your business here and don’t invest in new technologies ... B.C. doesn’t need top performers and jobs; try Alberta or Ontario’.”

Who the hell telegraphs anymore? These guys are living in the past hehehe

[Captain Awesome]

Winter says the chamber is not trying to resurrect an HST debate, which he calls “a non-starter” in this province.

Too bad.

[Lady tehMa]

Who the hell telegraphs anymore? These guys are living in the past hehehe

The usage of the word was valid in context;

3.
a. To make known (a feeling or an attitude, for example) by nonverbal means: telegraphed her derision with a smirk.
b. To make known (an intended action, for example) in advance or unintentionally: By massing troops on the border, the enemy telegraphed its intended invasion to the target country.

[Tori_K]

just call it the PET (Provincial Everything Tax) and then the province can remit the federal portion (minus an administrative fee of course) to Ottawa rather than the reversed HST model.

Hey, it's "not the HST"


/s (only mildly)

[Donald G]

Unfortunately, in the scheme of things, B.C. voters (and taxpayers) shot themselves in the foot when they let the opposition lead them into a destructive, completely emotionalized rejection of the HST. We are paying for it now in a big way. The sad part is that the move to the HST was engineered by a financially well educated and strong FEDERAL Conservative Government that is regularly recognized by other countries as financially astute. Unfortunately Van der Zalm and the whole less than financially astute NDP party used it to make the Prov Liberals "back water" regarding continuing the HST. When politics and emotion rule, common sense and reason are the first casualties ... as it was with the HST. The next time a combined HST is proposed think for yourself instead of letting 'partycentric' politicians try to lead you to believe that a good proposal is bad or vice versae ... for solely selfish political reasons.