By Bill Bennett - MLA Kootenay East

There is a recurring theme with the NDP MLA from Golden. He is inclined to choose crass politics over the long term interests of the people he is supposed to represent.

Although the Harmonized Sales Tax is not well understood today, it is supported by most economists, accountants, business organizations and by all resource industries, such as forestry, mining and construction - in other words, our major Kootenay employers. For Mr. MacDonald to say that everyone in the Kootenays is opposed to this tax is dishonest, though not surprising.

Mr. MacDonald’s constituency includes laid off forest workers and construction workers. The experts are emphatic that the HST will strengthen the resource industries, make existing jobs more secure and will encourage investment and job creation. That is a real benefit to Kootenay workers and their families.

The forest industry will retain $140 million a year to make them more sustainable. Tembec goes from month to month, deciding if they can stay open or not. Any savings they can pick up will help keep their doors open when lumber prices are lower. That helps workers and their families.

The construction industry will retain $880 million a year, with which they can hire more people and build more projects. The hospitality industry depends on a strong economy with good jobs. 

Mr. MacDonald and the NDP have never understood business. This short-sighted NDP’er is once again choosing partisan politics over his constituents.

If he had any understanding of the economy, he would stop parroting his weak, ineffectual leader and do what is right for the people of Columbia River Revelstoke. Real leadership requires us to stand up for what we believe in. I believe that a value added tax will make B.C. more competitive.

That means more jobs will be created. The many, many experts who support HST are not wrong. Mr. MacDonald and the NDP are wrong and time will prove that out.

If the NDP had their way, all decisions in Victoria would be political, no tough decisions would ever be made and the sustainability of hard-working families and their livelihoods would be at great risk.