but the utter lack of candor since the introduction, any form of consultation , outright lies during the campaign and spurious claims about Ontario forcing their hand are deeply disturbing. It's galling bull$hit and the citizens are saying they're fed up with lies and being told they're dumb if they don't understand. We understand and we don't like it enough to stand up and be counted. And that's a good thing as people will start paying a bit more attention to whatever flavour is in power.
I doubt that people will pay more attention in the future....
I was listening to a CBC program on the British elections. Everyone is totally disillusioned with the politicians and they don't trust them. As a result they will probably end up with a minority or coalition government.
The conclusion that was drawn is that although the people recognize that tough tax and spending measures need to be put into place, they mistrust the candidates because none of them are addressing the need to take the tough measures. On the other hand the voters admitted that they probably wouldn't vote for a politician who proposed tough measures.
The politicians were totally avoiding the tough measures topic because they knew that if they were honest about what was needed (more taxes less spending) that they would lose the election.
Look at Greece, people are protesting and burning down buildings because they won't accept that the government needs to take tough taxing and spending measures in order to turn the country around!
The point is; this is exactly what is happening with Canadian politics. The electorate won't vote for a politician that is honest with them up front, so they vote for someone that is lying to them and then they get upset when the lying politician turns around and does the right things. You tell me whether the electorate is smart or dumb?? Are the politicians to blame or is the electorate to blame?
I just happen to support the party that does the right thing in the end, regardless what they have said they would or wouldn't do. They are there to do a job, not to win a popularity contest!
The leaders of the anti-HST group see an opportunity to exploit the "dumbness" of the electorate because they believe they can further there own political agenda. In other words they are lying to you and you are voting for them.