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CBC NEWS ARTICLE
HST arrives in Ontario and B.C.


The introduction of the harmonized sales tax in two of Canada's largest provinces and a wave of other new expenses could take a toll just as Canadians were beginning to feel some confidence about opening their wallets again, experts say.

Shoppers in British Columbia and Ontario start paying the HST on Saturday on a number of services — including theatre packages, airplane tickets and gym memberships — that will continue to be delivered after July 1, the day the HST will start to be broadly applied in both provinces.

The tax, which combines the five per cent federal goods and services tax with the provincial sales tax, has met with opposition from those who fear it will drive up the cost services that were previously exempt from provincial sales tax.

It comes as electricity rates in Ontario rise almost 10 per cent effective Saturday and consumers across the country brace for higher mortgage rates and rising municipal taxes.

The rising costs come as Canadians appear to be growing wary of their future purchasing power, according to the Conference Board of Canada's consumer confidence index, which fell a surprising 7.8 points this month to 84.8, the lowest it's been since December.



This article continues with Kenneth Wong, a marketing professor at Queen's University saying that H.S.T is not all that bad. Quote: "And many taxpayers in Ontario don't know they'll receive "transition" cheques of up to $1,000 per family starting in June."

Oh everything is OK.. We will get a check in exchange for a federal tax grab!!! Sounds fair that all of our tax dollars will go straight into the federal governments pocket, and they will decide what province will get what.

Yes a great big power grab from the federal government in exchange for a check of up to $1,000.. Thats how I see it. They think the Canadian people are so ignorant that a check will make them ignore the real facts about the H.S.T.

If the masses of people do not see through this, we are in big trouble!