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One of the things that makes my job as a public-opinion researcher so compelling is having the chance to test how the population will react to a particular issue or decision. A recent opportunity arrived with the perceived outcry from individual homeowners to the changes in taxation that were announced by the B.C. government in the latest budget.

An Insights West poll conducted earlier this month showed that more than four-in-five British Columbians thought three items included in the budget were “good ideas:” Increasing the foreign-buyers tax from 15-20 per cent (82 per cent saw it as a “good idea”), introducing a “speculation tax” of two per cent of a property’s assessed value for vacant homes whose homeowners pay no income tax in B.C. (81 per cent) and expanding the foreign-buyers tax to areas outside of Metro Vancouver (also 81 per cent).

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The foreign-buyers tax has always been popular with residents. Increasing it by five percentage points and taking it to other areas that could potentially be attractive to foreign investors makes sense for many. A speculation levy for those who pay no taxes in the province is also regarded positively. But what about the government’s proposal to increase the property-transfer tax from three to five per cent for homes valued at more than $3 million? The idea was welcomed by 77 per cent of British Columbians.