VIU hosting public forum in advance of HST referendum

VIU hosting public forum in advance of HST referendum

Vancouver Island University is hosting one of 11 public forums before the provincial referendum on the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). The public is invited to attend the forum June 9 in the Malaspina Theatre at VIU’s Nanaimo campus, 900 Fifth Street, 7:30 pm to 9 pm.

The HST Public Forums will take place in BC public universities, colleges and institutes between May 24 and June 9 in Abbotsford, Cranbrook, Dawson Creek, Kamloops, Kelowna, Prince George, Surrey, Nanaimo, Victoria and Vancouver.

The public forums are the result of the Government of BC’s $500,000 Public Dialogue Fund. During each forum, the yes and no sides will present their views about the HST Referendum in a public meeting format. The goal is to generate informed discussion before the vote.

Independent representatives of the post-secondary institutions will moderate the forums in a non-partisan way.

People are invited to attend the sessions or watch them on the Internet at www.hstpublicforums.ca.


The website has an online forum where people can express their opinions.

Representatives from two groups that have been successful in their request for public funding will be


the presenters at the HST Public Forums.

The Government of BC has appointed Stephen Owen, a former BC Ombudsman with extensive


experience in public engagement and mediation, as an independent funding decision maker. His role –


the Referendum Funding Decision Maker (RFDM) – is to ensure a fair process in allocating public funding


of $500,000 to both sides in the HST Referendum.

Owen has awarded two groups the right to apply for up to $250,000 each. The groups are the Fight HST


Society (the “yes” side, supporting a referendum vote to return to the PST/GST) and the Smart Tax


Alliance (the “no” side, supporting a referendum vote to retain the HST).

The RDFM is also responsible for working with three provincial organizations representing post


secondary institutions to organize the public forums. The organizations are: BC Colleges, BC Association


of Institutes and Universities and the Research Universities’ Council of BC. The organizations administer the Public Dialogue Fund.

For more information:

Website: www.hstpublicforums.ca


Facebook: www.facebook.com/HSTForums


Twitter: @HSTForums