British Columbians will have an earlier vote on the harmonized sales tax (HST) than previously scheduled and it will be conducted under the authority of the Referendum Act, Attorney General Barry Penner announced Friday, March 25.
The Referendum Act ensures a simple majority vote will determine the outcome of the referendum. Further details on the referendum will be finalized by an order-in-council, but the government is working toward a date of June 24.
The vote will include the following: the referendum question will be exactly the same as drafted by the acting chief electoral officer: "Are you in favour of extinguishing the and reinstating the PST (Provincial Sales Tax) in conjunction with the GST (Goods and Services Tax)? Yes/No."
Moving to a mail-in ballot is expected to save taxpayers $18million and address potential voter fatigue. It will be undertaken by Elections BC in a neutral fashion.
The province will also provide funding to ensure proponents and opponents are able to participate in the public dialogue about the HST in a fair and transparent manner. Further details on the funding will be provided as they become available.
"We listened to British Columbians, including opponents of the HST, who had concerns about the September initiative vote date and we are working to move up the process to June," said Penner in a media statement. "Under the Referendum Act, we will pose the question that was developed last fall by the acting chief electoral officer, with a binding outcome at a simple majority threshold.
"In choosing a mail-in vote, we thought carefully about voter turnout and the significant cost savings in having a mail-in ballot. We determined the mail-in was the best option."
