How Do You Stop a Oligarchy?

An Oligarchy (Greek Ὀλιγαρχία, Oligarkhía) is a form of government in which power effectively rests with a small elite segment of society distinguished by royal, wealth, intellectual, family, military or religious hegemony. The word oligarchy is from the Greek words for "few" (ὀλίγος olígos) and "rule" (ἀρχή arkhē). Such states are often controlled by politically powerful families whose children are heavily conditioned and mentored to be heirs of the power of the oligarchy.[citation needed] Oligarchies have been tyrannical throughout history, being completely reliant on public servitude to exist. Although Aristotle pioneered the use of the term as a synonym for rule by the rich, for which the exact term is plutocracy, oligarchy is not always a rule by wealth, as oligarchs can simply be a privileged group. Some city-states from Ancient Greece were oligarchies.

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Change "Public Servitude" to Consumerism and you get the idea.

You get use to the same pattern over and over again with regards to Keith Baldry speaking for Gordon Campbell's Liberal vision by not asking the right questions? Somehow offering some "other opinion" to the process of HST and how acceptable it is. Same ole Global television offering some "other opinion" when it always sat with corporate views and saw this opportunity to ensure the public gets first hand information on how good the HST is for you?

B.C. Initiative process.

Initiative

The initiative petition process allows registered voters to propose new laws, or changes to existing laws, on any matter over which the Legislative Assembly has authority. Like recall petitions, B.C.’s initiative process is unique in Canada.

The initiative petition process is governed by the Recall and Initiative Act. To start an initiative petition you must submit an application to the Chief Electoral Officer. The application includes a copy of your draft Bill and a $50 fee. If your application is approved, you have 90 days to collect the signatures of 10% of the registered voters in each electoral district. You may be helped by volunteers when canvassing for signatures.

When you return the petition at the end of the 90-day period, Elections BC reviews the petition to ensure that enough signatures of registered voters have been collected. This process must be completed within 42 days.

If the review confirms that you have collected enough valid signatures, a copy of the petition and draft Bill is forwarded to the Select Standing Committee on Legislative Initiatives. The Select Standing Committee must either recommend that the Bill be introduced in the Legislative Assembly or put to a province-wide initiative vote. If an initiative vote is required, a vote will be held on September 24, 2011. If it is put to an initiative vote and the vote is successful, the government must introduce your Bill at the earliest possible time.

For more information about initiatives in B.C., including a detailed guide to the entire process, and the initiative petition application form, click on the Initiative link.

See: Guide

Imagine then, the cost savings being past back to you the consumer. Are you that gullible?

One of the things that the Conservative government has been touting during its reign in Ottawa is improving inter-provincial/federal integration of the Canadian economy by encouraging the “removal of inter-provincial trade barriers“, the creation of a national securities regulator, and the harmonization of sales taxes. See: Federal Conservative MPs Distance Themselves From HST

Carrying on Federal Liberal policy in Ottawa while Progressives Conservatives distant them self from the idea behind providing SPP with TILMA to provide a solid platform on Canadian soil while Federally it's reach would have been hampered "had we not signed onto the Liberal view." So before the existing Federal government? Who the hell is offering 1.6 billion. "Strike it down" in a unanimous vote in the house of Commons Federally then?

Oh and then the platform to BC election time in our provincial decision making process was couched by how well we are doing. Then elected, the story of changes, just as the platform does as we see the results of lie after lie and back room deals.

John Les and Ida Chong - two BC Liberal MLAs with the lowest vote percentage - and potentially easiest to recall over the HST.The HST is going to be good for all concerned, but there are exceptions. - B.C. Tourism Minister Kevin KruegerThere is only one way to stop the B.C. Liberals' plan to impose a Harmonized Sales Tax on British Columbians -- a recall campaign that ends their legislative majority.Premier Gordon Campbell is clear -- despite enormous opposition and more than 65,500 people joining my Facebook protest group NO BC HST - that he will go ahead despite the fact that 85 per cent of BCers despise the HST.Those Ipsos Reid polling results show that people realize anything currently taxed with the five per cent GST will get an extra 7 per cent tax added on in July 2010 for a total 12 per cent HST.Consumers would pay an extra $1.9 billion a year - with all that money going to big business. Not a dime of the HST will pay for healthcare, education or social services.Reasons to recallIt looks like the only way to force Campbell and Finance Minister Colin Hansen to drop the HST is to threaten their legislative majority and, if necessary, recall enough B.C. Liberal MLAs that they cannot remain in government.The appropriate response to abuses of power is to remove that power. Taking out just eight B.C. Liberals would defeat the government.It's not easy. Despite promises to improve recall legislation -- sound familiar? -- the Campbell government did nothing.But it's also far from impossible.First, the recall campaign cannot start under Elections B.C. rules until 18 months after the election -- November 2010 -- but organizing can take place now to identify voters who want to recall their B.C. Liberal MLA.That's important because once the recall petition process begins you only have 60 days to collect the signatures of 40 per cent of voters who were registered voters for that riding during the May 12th provincial election.A tough task -- but recall pre-organizing can happen without spending limits until petitions are filed.Liberals most vulnerable to recallSuccessful recall pre-organizing could panic the government into dropping the HST, because if not, Campbell and Hansen would lose power long before the 2013 election.That may be enough, but if not, here are the unlucky 13 B.C. Liberal MLAs easiest to recall, in order of their percentage of votes won in 2009:Eric Foster -- Vernon-Monashee, 37 per cent; John Slater -- Boundary-Similkameen, 37 per cent; Pat Pimm -- Peace River North, 43 per cent; Bill Barisoff -- Penticton, 44 per cent; John Les -- Chilliwack, 45 per cent; Murray Coell -- Saanich North and the Islands, 45 per cent; Marc Dalton -- Maple Ridge-Mission, 46 per cent; Ida Chong -- Oak Bay, 47 per cent; George Abbott -- Shuswap, 47 per cent; Terry Lake -- Kamloops-North Thompson, 47 per cent; Margaret MacDiarmid -- Vancouver-Fairview, 47 per cent; Don McRae -- Comox Valley, 47 per cent; Donna Barnett -- Cariboo-Chilcotin, 48 per cent.And one more for good measure. At 17th place, there is Gordon Campbell -- Vancouver-Point Grey, 50 per cent.If you haven't joined the Facebook group NO BC HST you can do so here.The B.C. NDP also has an online petition against the HST, as do a few other folks, even more folks and the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association.Only one way to fight the BC HST - recall BC Liberal MLAs - and plan for it now
aggregated from: Bill Tieleman

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Recall

A recall is a petition by a registered voter to remove a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from office. The recall process is unique in Canada - no other province or territory has a system in place for removing elected representatives from office between elections.

The recall process is governed by the Recall and Initiative Act. You can only recall the MLA for the electoral district in which you are registered as a voter, and an MLA cannot be recalled during the first 18 months after their election. Applications will be accepted as of November 15, 2010.

To start a recall petition you must submit an application to the Chief Electoral Officer. The application includes a $50 fee and a statement of 200 words or less of why, in your opinion, the MLA should be recalled.

If your application meets the requirements of the Recall and Initiative Act and is approved, Elections BC will send you a petition. Once your petition is issued, you have 60 days to collect the signatures of at least 40% of the people who were registered to vote in your electoral district in the last election, and who are currently registered as voters in B.C. You may be helped by volunteers when canvassing for signatures.

If you return the petition before the end of the 60 day period, Elections BC reviews the signatures to make sure they are valid, and that enough have been collected. This process must be completed within 42 days. If the review confirms that you have collected enough valid signatures, the MLA named in your petition ceases to hold office. A by-election must be called within 90 days of the Chief Electoral Officer receiving a warrant from the Speaker.

For more information about recalling an MLA, including a detailed guide to the entire process, and the recall petition application form, click on the Recall link on the left column.