Merchants comment on tax change

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The day after the announcement was made in the provincial budget that the tax exemption for status Indians was no more and that Native people will now have to pay the six per cent PST, Sage correspondent Marj Roden, identifying herself as a freelance reporter, approached several businesses in downtown Prince Albert to see what the reactions of different store managers would be to the news.

The comments speak for themselves.

Fresh Air Experience, Ron Horn, manager:

"The whole tax collection issue is very much a hot potato for most of the business community. I think the fact that they're asking everyone to pay taxes, I don't think we need a race-related tax system in our country. It doesn't bode well for future generations because it's very conducive to a lot of racism-type comments and so on and so forth. The sooner that they deal with that, however, they have to do that with the treaties, whether it's rebates and so on through various systems . . . We're computerized now, and people who authentically live on reserves, who fall under the original treaty concept, they should be able to apply for it and [the government should send] them cheques for the PST rebate.

Don't put the onus on the individual businesses and retailers to be tax enforcers."

Carment's Jewellers, Gary Kripki, manager

"I feel that they're taking it from the wrong people. The people at the bottom of the pay scale getting the services done are having to pay the PST now.

Supposedly, they're getting reimbursed. We don't know for sure yet if that's going to happen or not, but supposedly, they're supposed to be getting reimbursed next year, but they would kind of need the cash now, I think."

Image Comptronics, Eldwin Wittig, manager

"That's been expected for quite a while, they've been negotiating for several years. Part of the population has been receiving all of the benefits for health and education and not paid the tax, and that had to change. The demographics of the province changed, and as that segment of the community becomes larger and larger, it's more and more important that they pay their fair share. The way I understand it, the government is going to be rebating part of the money back to the lower income families and that rebate will benefit the Native population more than the other population simply because more of the Native population, percentage wise, are in the lower income brackets."

Houle Electric and Furniture, Marty Houle, manager

"It makes no difference to me."

Sears, Marv Erikson, manager

"I guess we like the fact that restaurant meals weren't taxed and that they didn't change the PST level which makes it a complicated process for the retail establishment. We liked the level field with the taxes applicable to all purchases with the exception of the deliveries to the reserves. Very simple, very easy to implement."

San Francisco Gifts, Julie, manager

"I think that (Aboriginal people) are part of the outside, other than being on a reserve would be different, that's their land. This is everybody's community, not just their land, and it's fair that they pay."

Dockside Clothing Co., John Nicholson, manager

"It's not going to affect me personally because I was paying the tax to begin with, but I don't know. We haven't had a whole lot of negative comments about it today. I was expecting more, I guess, but we haven't had a great (number) of people in today, so I don't really think we've really seen some of the reaction we're going to get from it yet."

Ricki's, Christina Cross, manager

"We haven't had any reaction at all. I was the only one who came in that didn't seem to know this morning. I don't read the newspaper, so I haven't seen any reaction to it. I think it's fair for everybody. Kids, I guess, are the only ones that are tax exempt now."

Sportchek, Mike Bariwell, manager

"I don't think it's affected business at all, from our standpoint. I think a lot of people understand where it's comin from. I think it's generally going to be omething that everybody's going to accept. It's going to take a while, but I think it's going to go over okay."

A few comments were gathered concerning the question of an urban reserve mall opening in Prince Albert.

Image Comptronics, Eldwin Wittig, manager

"They might start their own businesses on the reserve, but what they would save in taxes definitely is not going to pay for a business, so they would have to have other reasons for starting a business, and personally, I think that it's high time that they did have their own businesses on the reserve, because they're very much a part of our Canadian society and more Natives should be in business. I see this as a positive thing. I would like to see that."

Dockside Clothing Co., John Nicholson, manager

"I wouldn't be surprised. I know that there's definitely going to be some upset feelings about it, no question. I think at a level, there will be some of that, especially around here, because we do have such a high Native population around these parts, and we are surrounded by a lot of bands as well, too, so it is something that is a possibility. I guess we'll never know until that actually happens."