To soften the blow of the pending Harmonized Sales Tax, the Ontario government is giving residents $300 in rebate cheques – but Premier Gordon Campbell says British Columbians should not hold their breath.

Single Ontarians who make less than $80,000 per year will receive three $100 government rebate cheques in the next 12 months. Families who earn less than $160,000 per year will get three cheques totaling $1,000.

The first rebates were mailed out in Ontario this week, but British Columbians have no need to wait by the mailbox.

"We did a number of rebate cheques when we did the new carbon levy, the public doesn't generally like that," Campbell said. "I think that one of the things they feel is, ‘Don't try and trick me by sending me a cheque.'"

Most of the British Columbians CTV News spoke to disagreed, but not everyone is rallying for rebates.

"Giving somebody some goodies in the first year to get them over it, you're treating them like children," anti-HST campaigner Chris Delaney said. "Like they don't understand this is their money, and that they're gonna pay for the rest of their lives."

The HST takes effect on July 1.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Shannon Paterson