▁Business ▁Fund , ▁required ▁smart ▁meters ▁be ▁installed ▁onto ▁buildings , ▁prohib ited ▁future ▁dam ▁construction ▁on ▁certain ▁rivers , ▁and ▁listed ▁provincial ▁energy - related ▁object ives . ▁It ▁was ▁critic ized ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁belief ▁that ▁the ▁act ▁would ▁result ▁in ▁increased ▁electric ity ▁rates ▁and ▁dis allow ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁natural ▁gas - f uel led ▁power ▁plants . ▁ ▁A ▁controvers ial ▁law ▁was ▁the ▁Cons umption ▁Tax ▁Reb ate ▁and ▁Trans ition ▁Act , ▁introduced ▁by ▁the ▁Minister ▁of ▁Fin ance ▁Col in ▁Hans en ▁on ▁March ▁ 3 0 ▁( and ▁given ▁royal ▁ass ent ▁on ▁April ▁ 2 9 ), ▁which ▁elimin ated ▁the ▁provincial ▁sales ▁tax ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁the ▁Harm on ized ▁Sales ▁Tax . ▁An ▁anti - H ST ▁pet ition ▁was ▁launched ▁by ▁former - P rem ier ▁Bill ▁V ander ▁Z alm ▁and ▁quickly ▁achieved ▁the ▁needed ▁targets ▁( 1 0 % ▁of ▁people ▁in ▁all ▁ 8 5 ▁rid ings ) ▁in ▁accord ance ▁with ▁the ▁Rec all ▁and ▁In iti ative ▁Act . ▁The ▁pet ition ▁of ▁ 7 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁sign atures ▁surv ived ▁a ▁court ▁challenge ▁by ▁business ▁groups ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁the ▁H ST ▁and , ▁in ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁pet ition ▁was ▁valid ated ▁by ▁E lections ▁BC . ▁The ▁pet ition ▁was ▁forward ed ▁to ▁the ▁Select ▁Stand ing ▁Committee ▁on ▁Legisl ative ▁In iti atives , ▁cha ired ▁by ▁Terry ▁Lake , ▁which ▁split