Pressure Liberals to vote against HST: James

B.C. NDP Leader Carole James says Liberals who won by narrow margins in May's election could potentially be swayed to vote against their government on the HST.

James says voters who are upset about the tax should pressure their Liberal MLAs to vote against it.

James acknowledged that it's an uphill battle, but she says the public is angry about the pending harmonization of the provincial sales tax with the federal GST.

She says the party hasn't targeted specific MLAs just yet, but the province's sole Independent MLA has already said she'll vote against the tax.

The HST legislation will be put forward in the house in the spring and the tax is set to take effect on July 1, 2010.

The Ontario government is also introducing a harmonized sales tax and Atlantic provinces already have a harmonized tax.

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  Carole James thanked supporters at NDP headquarters in Victoria on Election Night, May 12, 2009. James pledged to co-operate with the Liberal majority to protect families in British Columbia.