No-HST group ups the stakes in response to referendum decision

On September 13, 2010, Premier Gordon Campbell announced the question of whether the HST would stay or go would be put to a referendum, and not just any kind of referendum, one that would require a only simple majority.   This decision, just like the HST decision itself, took everyone by surprise.

Under the Recall and Initiative Act, a referendum  (called an initiative vote) is successful if more than 50 per cent of registered voters in the province, and more than 50 per cent of registered voters in at least 2/3's of the electoral districts, vote in favour of the referendum question. This is a very high hurdle to jump, especially in ridings with big population turnovers. 

However, Gordon Campbell said, “If 50 per cent of the people who show up at the polling booths next September say they want to get rid of an HST then certainly, as a government, I would want to get rid of the HST.”

Quite likely, the main reason Premier Campbell decided to go for a referendum a year from now was to take the steam out of any recall campaign. Liberal MLAs facing recall could explain to their constituents that the voice of the people will be heard in a referendum, so there is no point in recalling them. This would help Liberal MLAs keep their seats because it not easy to recall an MLA. To get recalled, people collecting recall signatures need to get 40 per cent of citizens registered to vote in the previous election. In ridings with a lot of turnover, like Gordon Campbell's riding, it would be virtually impossible to find enough people who were registered to vote in May 2009 to successfully recall him.

In fact, the No-HST group announced which MLAs would face recall campaigns today. They include Colin Hansen, Bill Bennett and Ben Stewart, but not Gordon Campbell. This is apparently because the premier is expected to step down sometime before the next election. The No-HST campaign is upping the stakes by targeting these MLAs.