Angry in the Great White North

Several provinces levy a sales tax.  There is also a federal sales tax called the GST.  Some provinces have harmonized the taxes, and other are pursuing the idea.  The upside is simplicity, especially for business owners.  The downside is political unpopularity, as the new combined tax is often applied to items formerly exempted from the provincial tax.

Ontario under Liberal premier Dalton McGuinty is considering an HST, as is Gordon Campbell's government in British Columbua, and the federal Conservatives are helping with the transition. This has not stopped federal Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff from trying to score some political points:

The federal Liberal Leader sought to put the 12 per cent HST, introduced after a provincial election in which the B.C. Liberals ruled it out, in play as the "Harper Sales Tax."

He said his party is concerned the Tories have "pushed" sales tax harmonization across Canada at a time of recession, and "is now walking away from it, saying 'It has nothing to do with us.' We think that's dishonest. They're fully implicated in this decision, and they should take responsibility for it."

So now we have news that Michael Ignatieff is also fully implicated in this decision:

The Ontario government has federal Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff's support for the sales tax harmonization, Premier Dalton McGuinty said today.

"We've secured Mr. Ignatieff's commitment to moving ahead with the single sales tax should he ever earn the privilege of serving Canadians in government," McGuinty said this morning. "We have approached Mr. Ignatieff in that regard and we've secured his support for this."

The premier said he hadn't personally spoken to Ignatieff on the issue but officials from his office have had discussions with the federal politician's staff.

Oh, so Ignatieff has his staffers assure Dalton McGuinty that the harmonized tax would be supported by a Liberal government.

I wonder if anyone had the sense to ask that staffer if it was also the case that Michael Ignatieff could guarantee support in the case of a Liberal-NDP coalition?

In any case, I don't think Michael Ignatieff is in a position to offer lessons on how to take responsibility.  Letting Dalton McGuinty deliver the news on this decision?  And Ignatieff not being present himself?

Why doesn't Michael Ignatieff get in front of a microphone and make it clear that the federal Liberals support a harmonized sales tax in Ontario and in British Columbia, and then explain what the Liberals would do differently from the Conservatives, who are helping this happen right no?

Hey, it could be Ignatieff's first real policy platform!  Assuming there is a difference, of course.