NetNewsledger.com

THUNDER BAY - The coming week in Ottawa promises to be a political drama. The Conservative Government has announced that it is bringing forward the motion and legislation needed to enact the HST in both Ontario and British Columbia.

Here is the text of the motion:

Notice of Ways and Means Motion to Amend the Excise Tax Act

That it is expedient to amend the Excise Tax Act (the "Act") to ensure, out of respect for provincial autonomy and to provide certainty to businesses and individuals, that all provinces have equal opportunity to enter into a fully harmonized value-added tax framework and to provide for, among other things, the facilitation of a new harmonized value-added tax framework to accommodate any province's decision to have the provincial component of the harmonized value-added tax under the Act apply in that province by achieving a common understanding with Canada in respect of such a new framework, including the provision of rules and mechanisms to ensure:

• the proper imposition of the provincial component of the harmonized value-added tax in respect of that province;
• the proper application of any element of provincial tax policy flexibility contemplated under the common understanding, including rate flexibility for the provincial component of the harmonized value-added tax, rebate flexibility in respect of the provincial component of the harmonized value-added tax and the temporary recapture of certain input tax credits in respect of the provincial component of the harmonized value-added tax;
• the proper functioning and application of the Act in all respects, including provisions flowing from the provincial tax policy flexibility contemplated under the common understanding and the addition of every province that chooses to join the new framework; and
• the proper administration and enforcement of, and compliance with, the Act.

Sources report to NetNewsledger.com that the process of this motion will, it is passes, lead to a Government Bill. That Bill would receive first reading likely the next day.

Under House rules, twenty-four hours are requred before a bill can be debated in second reading. Often at that point, a bill will then head to committee in order to be studied and have expert witnesses give testimony before the committee.

To meet the deadline, and co-ordinate with the McGuinty Government in Ontario, that is unlikely.

It is possible that even the debate at second reading could be limited severely with the strong possibility of closure, or a time allocation procedure.

The House of Commons is expected to rise by December 11th. This means that the bill is going to be pushed through fairly quickly.

With such a move, it is likely that tempers will be short in the House of Commons with the NDP determined to fight the HST. The rumour out of Ottawa this afternoon was that the Bloc was lining up with the NDP on this bill, leaving Michael Ignatieff to determine the fate of the legislation.

The Liberal leader, as yet has not commented.

Already the name calling has started with NDP MP calling Kenora MP Greg Rickford "a sell out" over his supposed support of the motion. Some of the animosity is likely stemming from a Conservative flyer that was mailed into Rafferty's riding just before the vote on C-311 to eliminate the gun registry.

That Conservative mailing accused both Thunder Bay area MPs of "working to support the gun registry". A claim both Hyer and Rafferty have refuted.

If the Bloc is lined up with the Conservatives, it is likely that the bill will be law very quickly. The debate is likely to make Sunday's Grey Cup look like a walk in the park for the meek and mild.

James Murray

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