Jim Flaherty: still loving the HST

Trying to spin his HST show ever-so-carefully now. But we know he's the architect of the HST and besides, he's just not that good at the spin:

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty offered a firm endorsement Sunday of a harmonized sales tax while at the same time distancing his government from a policy that has sparked criticism of provincial governments considering it, particularly in British Columbia.

Flaherty, speaking with reporters in Vancouver, said "there's no question" that combining provincial sales tax with the GST is good fiscal policy - but he stressed it's not up to Ottawa.

"First of all, the decision to harmonize the GST and PST has to be that of the provincial government," he said.

"I realize that this is challenging for provincial leaders, but I have no doubt in my mind that it's good long-term economic policy for our country."(emphasis added)

Think that one should be printed up and carpet-bombed across British Columbia just about now.

Remember kids, the HST got the special seal of approval as a policy that was good for "Canada's Tax Advantage." The clear intent of Flaherty's budget was to encourage sales tax harmonization across Canada. A national policy.

How ridiculous Mr. Flaherty looks, ducking and hiding from his own budget.