HST RELIEF EIGHTEEN MONTHS OVERDUE
Date: Wednesday, February 23 @ 13:57:01 CST
Topic: Atlantic Issues
NS NDP News Release
February 18, 2005
Issued by: Darrell Dexter ()
Halifax: NDP Leader Darrell Dexter is calling on the Hamm government today to give notice to the Federal government and to New Brunswick and Newfoundland, that Nova Scotia intends to remove its share of the HST from essentials, like home heating fuel. Notice to change the HST agreement must be given eighteen months in advance.
“This month marks an anniversary,” says Dexter. “If John Hamm had served notice when he was re-elected eighteen months ago that he wanted to remove the HST from essentials, families would be seeing the benefit of that now.”
“Instead families are struggling. Heating fuel has gone up by 30% in this last year alone. Seniors and those on limited incomes are making the hard choice to cut back on food and medication to buy oil, and even just turning off the heat.”
“No one should make that choice. The necessities of life must remain affordable.”
Dexter notes that the province’s fuel rebate program has offered too little, too late for many families this winter, and has excluded many who need help. He points out that the rebate program is a limited one time only offer, and that families need the stability and sustained help of a permanent point of purchase price reduction.
“When the HST was first introduced John Hamm promised to take it off essentials as soon as he was elected,” says Dexter. “It’s time he kept that promise.”
“If he gave notice of that intent today we could start that process and families could start looking forward to some real relief.”
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