VANCOUVER, BC: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) reacted today to the defeat of the HST in the province-wide referendum.

“The HST vote proves how powerful direct democracy really is,” said Jordan Bateman, B.C.  director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “Citizens do not want to be spectators in the political process. We want our voice to be heard, and this summer, it was—loud and clear.”

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has long advocated for ballot measures like the HST vote. “Nothing holds politicians to account like citizen involvement,” said Bateman. “The Canadian Taxpayers Federation hopes this referendum becomes a model for other provinces to put difficult issues to the public for their opinion.”

“The sad thing is that had the government engaged taxpayers in the first place and asked for their approval for a reduced, 10 per cent HST, before unilaterally enacting a 12 per cent HST, taxpayers, businesses, and the economy would all be better off today,” lamented Bateman.

Now that the HST has been defeated, the hard work for the provincial government begins.

“It’s more important than ever for citizens to stay engaged with Victoria and give their opinion on what should happen next,” said Bateman. “We will continue to push the government to balance the budget, and use this opportunity to modernize the system for collecting the 60-year-old PST. The PST needs to be fair, efficient and keep B.C. competitive.”