“It’s a monumental victory.”
So says Saugeen First Nation Chief Randall Kahgee after being informed by Bayshore Broadcasting News that the federal government says Ontario can allow First Nations people to have a point of sale exemption on the harmonized sale tax.
Kahgee says it’s a step in the right direction.
He says he’s glad to see that Canada “has come to its senses” and realized the good work that First Nations have done to make the HST point-of-sale exemption a reality.
Ontario has been blaming Ottawa for not allowing the exemption.
However in a letter obtained by the Canadian Press, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says Ontario failed to ask for the exemption by the original deadline of Jun 30, 2009 but Ottawa has decided to allow it.
Kahgee questions that Ontario was not fast enough in asking for the exemption.
He says First Nations were out of the block right off the bat, asking for the HST exemption.
First Nations in Ontario have been exempt from the provincial sales tax for decades, and were threatening road closures during the G8/G20 summits if they didn’t get an HST exemption.
Kahgee says next week (week of June 21st) the All Ontario Chief’s Conference will likely decide whether or not to go ahead with their threatened blockade.
Kahgee says the next step is what to do on an interim basis when the HST kicks in on July 1st until the point-of-sale exemption can come into force in September.
