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OTTAWA – New Democrat Leader Jack Layton, BC NDP Leader Carole James, and Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath today called on all Members of Parliament to block the HST by voting down enabling legislation being debated in the House of Commons.

“It’s time for politicians to start listening to the people who elected them. They’ve been clear. They don’t want to pay a new unfair tax," said Layton. “New Democrats have consistently opposed the HST because it is the wrong tax at the wrong time.”

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff announced that his party’s vote to support the Conservatives’ HST framework would be whipped. Unfortunately for him, many in his caucus don’t seem to care.

What he said:

“We were trying to get the vote in before QP so some of our MPs were still in the lobby, but you’ll see in subsequent votes that the caucus is united.” Michael Ignatieff, in the House of Commons Foyer, 3 December 2009

What they said:

By Jack Layton

Next summer, if the Harper Conservatives and McGuinty Liberals have their way, a haircut will cost you eight percent more. Burying a loved one will cost eight percent more. Vitamins, a pair of sneakers, postage stamps, vet fees for your dog, and an oil change for your car will all cost eight percent more. Even the price of gas will go up. That’s going to hurt a lot of families, seniors, young people and small business.

At the same time as they are forcing an agenda of higher taxes on BC and Ontario families, today in Question Period, the Harper Conservatives dared to once more suggest that their party has a better record on regressive sales taxes than New Democrats. It’s not the case.

In the interest of cutting through the spin, let’s have a closer look at both the New Democrat and Conservative records on sales taxes, shall we?

1990: The Goods and Services Tax

What the Conservatives did: The Mulroney Conservatives passed the GST in the House of Commons by a vote of 144 to 114.

With discord growing among Canadians against their aggressive plan to push higher sales taxes on BC and Ontario families, Conservative ranks are beginning to show signs of division over Stephen Harper’s HST scheme.

Conservatives are still stinging from the decisive New Democrat win in the British Columbia by-election last Monday that some called a referendum on Harper’s HST plan for that province.

OTTAWA – Today New Democrat Bill Siksay (Burnaby-Douglas) has tabled a motion (M-465) to stop the Harmonised Sales Tax from being implemented in BC by cancelling a $1.6 billion federal incentive payment to the BC government.

“As Chair of the Federal New Democrat BC Caucus, I wanted our strong opposition to the HST to be crystal clear,” said Siksay. “My colleagues and I believe this is a punishing tax that must be stopped.”

For months the Harper Conservatives have told Canadians their plans to introduce the harmonized sales tax in Ontario and British Columbia is a “provincial decision.”

Unfortunately for them, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty begs to differ:

In a Question Period response to Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, Premier McGuinty confirmed once again that the Harper’s government’s fingerprints are all over the hated tax plan:

Whether it’s within Party ranks or in the household, no one likes a family feud.

Just ask the Harper Conservatives who are having a tough time convincing Canadians that it’s the provincial governments of British Columbia and Ontario who are the only ones driving the implementation of the HST. The reason? It’s simply not true.

But don’t take New Democrats’ word for it. Let’s look at what Conservatives are saying:

Are Ujjal Dosanjh and the Ignatieff Liberals no longer opposed to the “horrendous” and “criminal” HST?

For weeks, Michael Ignatieff’s senior Liberal MP in British Columbia Ujjal Dosanjh (Vancouver South), has echoed BCers outrage over the Harper/Campbell HST. Here’s some of what he’s said about what he called the “mother of all issues.”

OTTAWA – The new HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) will hurt thousands of Ontarians already paying more than their fair share of taxes, according to both Federal New Democrat Leader Jack Layton and Provincial New Democrat Leader Andrea Horwath. Both Leaders were in London today calling on their respective governments to stop their plan to implement the HST.