To the editor:
Members of the Independent Wood Processors Association (IWPA) of BC have voted more than 90 per cent to retain the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST).
The IWPA is an association of more than 60 of British Columbia's largest non-tenured, family owned wood-processing companies. Our members are located in communities throughout the province and are engaged in value-added sawmilling and remanufacturing.
We are not big business; we are just business. We are not publicly traded; we are owned by British Columbian families.
We are not managed by hired executives; we are managed by British Columbian owners and their families. We do not harvest public timber; we buy logs and lumber on the open market. We do not export raw material; we add value to it in B.C.
As such, we think our members bring a balanced perspective to the HST debate.
The collapse of the United States housing market and the simultaneous imposition of a border tax on the products produced in B.C. by British Columbians have resulted in hard times for B.C.'s family owned wood-processing companies.
The HST is viewed as a rare positive among negatives. We need all the positives we can get to help us re-establish our competitive position so we can continue to employ British Columbians to extract the greatest possible socioeconomic benefit from every cubic metre of timber harvested in B.C.
Like many British Columbians, no doubt many of our members considered voting against the HST out of principle due to how it was implemented, and no doubt, many considered voting against it because some previously untaxed items are now taxed. But after weighing all the factors, they have overwhelmingly decided to support the change to HST because they believe that on the whole, it is the best thing for their families, their businesses, and their employees.
Russ Cameron, president
Independent Wood Processors Association
