According to the report, arguments as to whether or not to raise the HST were made at a recent Future N.B summit, where some business representatives warned of potential consequences for the province’s tourism industry, while others argued that a hike might alleviate current economic troubles.
“Moncton, we have to admit it, is a retail mecca in Atlantic Canada,” Andreea Bourgeois, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, told the CBC. “It is the gateway to a lot of tourist attentions in the province. It has a major airport and so on, so businesses here would be hurt significantly by an increase in HST.”
The HST — recently implemented in B.C. and Ontario — has been a source of contention for business owners, including those in the foodservice industry. The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) has expressed fears about the tax’s impact on the industry.
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