Liberal leadership candidate Christy Clark has walked away from her very first campaign proposal, saying British Columbians have convinced her that a referendum is the way to go to determine the future of the HST.

When Clark announced she would run for the leadership in December, she floated the idea that the HST should be put to a free vote in the legislature, rather than an expensive referendum.

The position was unique among the five other candidates, four of whom have campaigned on moving the referendum up to June, rather than September.

But Clark said Wednesday she landed firmly in the referendum camp after meeting citizens on her campaign and coming to understand that people want their say on the tax.

"Part of leading is being able to take advice and then to act on it," she said in a video statement.

"The tax does need to go to a referendum, and it needs to go sooner rather than later. Few issues have caused as much anger or as many problems for the BC Liberal Party as the HST."

George Abbott, one of the former cabinet heavyweights running against her, immediately jumped on Clark's latest position.

"For two months she has been telling British Columbians that the HST referendum was unnecessary, a waste, and that the decision should be made by politicians, not the public," Abbott said in a statement.

"Suddenly, she now wants people to believe she supported the referendum the whole time. More and more, it's abundantly clear that Ms. Clark's positions are simply not credible."

Clark never said she was against a referendum, but her position has been criticized as unclear and contradictory.

In a YouTube video of a gathering in North Vancouver posted Jan. 8, Clark said the $40 million estimated cost of the referendum could better go towards "special needs teachers and heart operations."

Clark said she personally believes the HST is good public policy and there's always a chance that the referendum might pass.

"If we get there and it looks like it could pass at referendum and we're not sort of ignoring the obvious, then we should let it go to referendum and let the people have their say on it," she said three weeks ago.

But then she added: "I know some people say, 'Hey, I want my vote and don't take that away from me.' ... If 80 per cent of British Columbians want to tell the government what we already know, it's an expensive way to find that out, but I guess we can do it."

On Wednesday, Clark said she has come to understand that the HST has become an issue of public trust.

But she said her decision to ditch the free vote idea and embrace a referendum still sets her apart. She said among other things, she will ensure Elections BC offers equal funding to both pro- and anti-HST forces.

"We are in this leadership campaign because of the way the government introduced the HST in the first place," she said in the Wednesday video.

"That's why we need a new style of leadership -- one that rebuilds public trust and one that engages the public and is willing to listen."

But Abbott slammed her idea of giving anti-HST forces government funds.

Those are the same people who are working to recall Liberal MLAs, he said.

"Ms. Clark's position is so misguided that she now thinks it's a good idea for taxpayers to cut Bill Vander Zalm a blank cheque for his efforts and pay groups who are actively misusing recall legislation," he said.

"If Christy was really listening, she would know that the very last priority for B.C.'s families is to see their hard-earned dollars going to line Bill Vander Zalm's pockets."

The HST was introduced in July 2009, less than three months after the BC Liberals won their third straight majority government.

The tax was not a major issue during the campaign, because the Liberals said it was not on their radar, but documents released last spring revealed federal and provincial bureaucrats were engaged in an HST courtship that started months before the election.

The HST combines the five-per cent federal Goods and Services Tax, with the former seven-per cent B.C. provincial sales tax into a single 12-per cent tax.

The anti-HST petition drive led by Vander Zalm received more than 500,000 validated signatures and prompted the referendum, which is set for Sept. 24.

But Clark is now joining the majority of the Liberal leadership candidates in calling for a June 24 referendum date.

Only leadership candidate Ed Mayne, a former mayor of Parksville, said he supports waiting until September for the vote.