Government will provide $1.7 million in funding to ensure that well-informed public engagement on the Harmonized Sales Tax occurs across the province in advance of the referendum, Attorney General Barry Penner announced today.

Under the plan government will:

• Provide a total of $500,000 for the "yes" and "no" sides, subject to conditions on the appropriate use of public funding and accountability for spending.
• Create a Public Dialogues Fund of $500,000 to be independently managed by the province's public universities, colleges and institutes to hold informative public dialogues in advance of the referendum.
• Produce and send a comprehensive voter's guide to every home in British Columbia with information on the referendum including statements provided directly by the main "yes" and "no" groups, a summary of the independent panel report on the HST, and other information to help inform voters about the referendum ballot. The cost of this guide is approximately $700,000.

In order to ensure a fair process for allocating public funding and mediate any disputes over the format and locations for the public dialogues, the Honourable Stephen Owen, QC, PC has been appointed as an independent funding decision-maker. Owen, a former B.C. Ombudsman, is acting in a personal capacity utilizing his extensive background in public engagement and mediation. He will make public funding allocation decisions for both sides as well as finalizing an appropriate format and locations for the public dialogues.

The public universities, colleges and institutes will engage a project manager to be accountable for managing and executing the public engagement program.

Terms of reference for the independent funding decision-maker are attached in the backgrounder.

For more information about the HST referendum, visit: www.hstinbc.ca

Contact:

Matt Gordon
Communications Director
Ministry of Finance
250 896-4923