Show #15: ATO on air - "Indigenous Nations VS. the Crown & the H.S.T."

Join Hosts Preston Twoyoungmen (Nakoda) and Gregory Cadotte (Anishinabe) as we discuss the reaction of Indigenous communities across Ontario & British Columbia to the harmonized sales tax Our Treaty Tax exemptions once again come to the forefront of the political struggles we face as Indigenous States/Nations within another state, the State of Canada. The tax exemptions available for Status Indians under the HST are not clear and there could be some serious repercussions for government and Ontario’s & British Columbia's Status Indians. Ontario’s Status Indians are currently exempt from the PST, but are only partially exempt from the GST. Some of our Status Indian listener's are worried that the HST will follow the GST’s partial exemption system, resulting in a larger tax bill for Indigenous people. For instance, in the Maritime Provinces where the HST is already in place, Status Indians do not pay the HST on reserves, but the tax is applied to purchases made off of reserves. Status Indians could also lose their point-of-sale exemptions under the HST. Some leaders argue that if the HST follows federal rules, Status Indians will have to apply for a tax rebate after making a purchase. As you will hear on our scheduled show, many people are banding together to fight the HST and holding public protests in cities across Canada. The HST will become effective on July 1, 2010 and there is speculation that businesses on reserves will stop charging sales tax to their customers in order to bypass the HST. Many of our Indigenous States/Nations across the land believe the HST being applied to Status Indians would violate their treaty rights and the Canadian Constitution. Join us as we bring you Show #15 of ATO on air, "Indigenous State/Nations Vs. The Crown & the HST!" Special Guests TBA