New Democrats And Restaurant Industry Stand Together In Fight Against HST
VANCOUVER – This morning, Prospect Point Cafe owner Daniel Frankel joined New Democrat MLA Spencer Herbert to speak out about the impact of the Harmonized Sales Tax on the restaurant industry.
"The HST would be a big blow to the restaurant industry, putting thousands of jobs 
Spencer Herbertand the survival of many small businesses on the line. This is made all the worse by the fact that the B.C. Liberals promised British Columbians they wouldn’t bring in the HST, and then just a few short months after the election they went back on their promise and betrayed the people of this province,” said Herbert, opposition critic for tourism and the arts.
“The HST is an unfair tax hike that impacts ordinary families and small businesses the hardest. Like many other businesses, restaurants would have to charge an additional seven per cent with the HST, driving up the cost of eating out for British Columbians and cutting into businesses' bottom lines."
The Foodservices and Restaurant Association has estimated the HST will cost the industry $750 million per year and could lead to the loss of up to 12,000 jobs.
“The HST transfers $1.9 billion in taxes onto the backs of consumers. This means ordinary people will pay more out of their pocket,” said Herbert. “The entire restaurant industry is already struggling to deal with the government's HST betrayal, which will also hit the tourism sector at a time where are they just trying to emerge from the economic downturn.
“The B.C. Liberals are giving the people of this province a lump of coal this holiday season. Next Christmas, people will find themselves spending more because of the HST.”
Carole James and the New Democrats have launched a petition to stop the HST at www.StoptheHST.ca.
Under the Campbell government, B.C. has had the worst rate of full-time job losses, the second-worst performing economy, and highest level of child poverty in the country.