Premier Christy Clark promised to tweak the HST and tweak it she did this week, promising to lower it to 10 per cent by 2014.

The tax cut would happen in two stages - down to 11 per cent on July 1, 2012 and to 10 per cent on July 1, 2014.

The Liberal government also pledged that all families with children under 18 and lower-income seniors will get a one-time transition cheque by the end of this year, which will be $175 for each child or $175 per senior.

Southeast Kootenay MLA Bill Bennett says that the change should make people seriously consider whether they want to reject the tax and return to the PST in the coming referendum.

"We have been asking people to embrace this tax policy change on the strength of its positive impact on the economy. We have asked people to do that, knowing that it's going to cost them some money as well. This changes that," Bennett said. "We still have a tax policy that is going to lead to a stronger economy, it's going to create more jobs, it's going to incite more investment, but now it's not going to cost you any money. In fact, after the second investment is dropped, you're actually going to save money."

However, Columbia River Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald says the decision to lower the tax rate is just a sign of a government that will do anything to get the HST approved.

"If the BC Liberals really believed that the promised 'new and improved post-referendum HST' was the right direction to go, they would have made these adjustments before implementing the tax in 2010. The truth is, they are desperate to get voters to keep the HST, and will say anything to make that happen."

Promises of rebate cheques and tax rate reductions have the appearance of tax policy written on the back of a napkin by a government in crisis, Madconald says.

"It's disturbing to see that the BC Liberals are so cavalier about managing revenue streams. Recently we have seen tax cuts announced and then rescinded, tax exemptions cancelled and then reinstated, and tax promises made and then broken. The BC Liberals' flip-flops have been remarkable and Christy Clark is continuing this pattern," said Macdonald.

"This is a government that can't manage and can't be trusted. The bottom line is that the BC Liberals have completely bungled the HST file, and now voters have a responsibility to send a strong message in the upcoming HST referendum."

"It's a democracy and it's their right to do what they want to do here," Bennett said. "But if the referendum succeeds and we have to go back to the old GST + PST system, it's going to cost people more money and it's going to be really bad for our economy."

The HST referendum will be mailed out to every household in B.C. in June and will ask electors to say yes or no to the question: "Are you in favour of extinguishing the HST and reinstating the PST in conjunction with the GST?"