Like many British Columbians, Columbia River Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald is mulling over the content of Premier Gordon Campbell's address to the province on Wednesday night.

Macdonald's initial reaction? He doesn't think the Premier is going to get much traction out of it, despite the promised tax cuts.

He said Campbell didn't get anywhere trying to convince British Columbians that the HST is a good thing that was poorly introduced.

"It's been what, 15 months since it was introduced? I don't think he's going to change any minds. People see it for what it is. It's a shift of two billion dollars a year onto the backs of consumers."

"And in our area in particular there is going to be a negative impact on the tourism industry."

As for the 15 per cent personal income tax cut, Macdonald says it has to be paid for somehow.

"This is a tax cut to the tune of some $600 million. I don't see how it's responsible to introduce a tax cut without an explanation of how it will impact the deficit. Are they going to raise fees? Cut programs? It needs a broader explanation."

As for the portion of the speech reserved for education, Macdonald is distinctly unimpressed.

"He made a promise about ensuring that all Grade 4 students can read, write and do math at a Grad 4 level. I have sat through many speeches like that. Guarantees with no plan. Remember the five great goals? There was no follow up plan for those either and they never happened."

However, Macdonald will give approval for a portion of the speech.

"More StrongStart centres, I like those," he said. "They've been really useful for pre-school education. Expanding them is useful."

However, overall Macdonald says the speech contained nothing new.

"I think rather than spending $100,000 on a televised event, people are already paying for a legislature and MLAs. We're supposed to be sitting. These initiatives should be introduced in the legislature."

Meanwhile on the other side of the political spectrum, the speech was not met with any greater approval. BC Heritage Party Leader, Wilf Hanni said the speech fell way short of the mark but not of expectations.

"One statement that the voters will have difficulty believing" said Hanni, "was when the Premier suggested he would have liked to have consulted with British Columbians before introducing the HST. He had the opportunity to do that and he should have taken advantage of it. One short television address after the fact will not make up for over a year with virtually no consultation with the citizens who are being forced to pay that tax."

"The other thing that stood out was the fact that the Premier spent most of the time talking about how our personal income tax rate has been reduced without any mention of how the government has increased other taxes, including a whopping 25 per cent increase in the amount they take out of our pockets by replacing the PST with the HST and applying that tax to 25 per cent more of the purchases we make every day."