XPost: bc.politics, van.general, vic.general   
      
   September 1, 2010  By CBC News   
      
   Anti-HST forces livid about B.C. documents   
      
   The leaders of the anti-HST forces in B.C. say documents made public Wednesday   
   support the view   
   that the provincial government has lied to the public.   
      
   The documents show that senior bureaucrats in the B.C. finance ministry had   
   briefed politicians   
   on the HST as early as January 2009.   
      
   The documents also indicate ministry officials put specific questions to   
   federal tax officials   
   in early May 2009, asking how B.C. could tailor the HST to its needs.   
      
   'It's the biggest lie we've ever experienced in the history of the   
   province.'-Fight HST leader   
   Bill Vander Zalm   
      
   B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell and B.C. Finance Minister Colin Hansen have both   
   repeatedly said   
   the HST was not on the government's "radar" prior to the May 2009 election.   
      
   B.C. NDP Leader Carole James said Wednesday the documents show the government   
   was planning the   
   HST all along, but not telling the electorate about it.   
      
   "It's pretty clear from these documents it was on their radar screen," James   
   said. "They were   
   looking at the HST. They were exploring options ... I don't know how many how   
   ways they can   
   continue to hide and come up with excuses."   
      
   Former B.C. premier Bill Vander Zalm, who led the successful Fight HST   
   petition in the   
   province, also said the documents are disturbing.   
      
   "It was a lie from the beginning," Vander Zalm told CBC News on Wednesday.   
   "It's the biggest   
   lie we've ever experienced in the history of the province and I think the   
   premier and the   
   minister of finance should step down. They should recall the legislature and   
   they should call   
   an election."   
      
   CBC News and other media organizations obtained the 134 pages of documents   
   through a Freedom of   
   Information request.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)