A recent survey has confirmed that it is unlikely that Alberta will have a Provincial Sales Tax (PST) anytime soon. An opinion poll by ThinkHQ Public Affairs found that 72 per cent of Albertans surveyed would vote against introducing a PST in a referendum. The Alberta Taxpayer Protection Act requires that a referendum must be held before a PST could be introduced.
The idea of a PST has been hotly debated the past few months as the government faces a $4-billion deficit for the 2012-13 fiscal year. Former finance minister Ted Morton has argued for rolling back civil service wages as well as introducing a PST. Two other former finance ministers, Stockwell Day and Pat Nelson, have instead urged the Alberta government not to adopt a PST and rather take a look at cutting government provided services.
More on this story can be found here: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/poll+shows+overwhelming+hostility+toward+provincial+sales/7996174/story.html
Rebekah Lu 
Thomson Reuters Tax & Accounting 
Carla Yrjanson 
Marianne Couch 
Paula Singer 