Premier Gordon Campbell is fending off accusations swirling around the harmonized sales tax petition while the opposition New Democrats are demanding the legislature be recalled to deal with the issue.
Although Elections BC certified that the anti-HST petition reached its target of voter signatures, it won't submit the petition to the legislature until a legal challenge is settled.
Organizers of the petition claim the government is responsible for the delay, a charge Campbell denies.
"Elections BC is totally independent, and certainly I think they acted with integrity," he said Thursday. "They will make their own decisions and it would be inappropriate for me to comment on them."
NDP leader Carole James calls the success of the petition "an historic democratic achievement," but added the decision not to send the issue to the legislature threatens to thwart that accomplishment.
In a letter to Campbell, she demanded he recall the legislature to debate the petition.
"The public has spoken, and their will is clear," the letter said. "Therefore, I am writing today to urge you to respect the will of the people of B.C. by immediately calling the legislature back into session and tabling the initiative legislation for debate. To do otherwise would show considerable disrespect to the thousands of British Columbians who signed the petition."
With the petition effectively stalled, HST opponents led by former Premier Bill Vander Zalm say they will move to launch recall campaigns against Liberal MLAs.
Campbell doesn't appear concerned by the move, saying it's part of democracy in B.C.
"That potential is out there for people to decide to do that. Our job is to try to build a better economy for families," he said.
Elections BC declared on Wednesday the Fight HST campaign had successfully garnered the signatures of at least 10 per cent of voters in all 85 ridings. Vander Zalm has said more than 700,000 people inked their names to the document.
However, a business group has filed a legal challenge against the petition, calling for a judicial review to determine if the campaign is constitutionally valid.
