IAA fears sales tax

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Fears that the Alberta government will introduce sales tax in the near future have forced the Indian Association of Alberta to conduct negotiations with the government to ensure a new provincial tax will not be levied against Treaty Indian people, says president Gregg Smith.

In an interview after the University of British Columbia Native law conference, Smith said that through negotiations, the association hopes to ensure that "Indian people are treated fairly and that the treaties are upheld."

"We would hopefully like to implement a systme similar to the one operated by the Ontario government," said Smith. Ontario Indians carry a plastic identity card similar to a credit card and people producing this card do not pay any sales tax.

However, Smith says he is fearful that the Alberta government might take a leaf out of the B.C. government's book and not recognize the Indian right to provincial sales tax exemption. Currently, only British Columbia and Newfoundland do not have any provision to disallow sales tax to Indian people.

"We are also conducting negotiations in the recent five cent gasoline tax," said Smith. "Our people should not be paying this tax," he added.

An Indian Association sponsored tax conference will be held in Calgary this fall," said Smith. "And we'll see these issues addressed fully," he said.

The two-day conference was held on the UBC campus and featured lawyers and tax experts from all parts of the country.