Mr. Speaker, I welcome the question from the hon. member. I agree that a goods and services tax, that a consumption tax along the lines of the GST does eliminate tax cascading and does allow us to produce and manufacture products, and export goods at a lower cost.
That still does not justify what the government is doing with this partial harmonization in three provinces. That is a tax theory, a tax question, and I agree with the member's point of view on it.
How long will it take the savings from this Oshawa plant to recover a billion dollars of taxpayers' money to help three provinces to recover the $100 million minimum that some of these businesses have said it will cost them to conform to this new bill? Yes, it is good for business. Yes, products can be sold cheaper. However, in the end the very philosophy of a GST is that the consumer pays the tax. The hon. member knows that.
What we have done here is make it more fair for business. There is no question about that. However, we have now increased taxes. Harmonization helps. Instead of having two taxes, federal and provincial we have one. All those arguments make sense.
When the consumers find out how much more it will cost them, I predict there will be a lot more complaints and a lot more people crying about it than there is now. Everybody will be affected. At first they support the theory and the concept. Then, as they find out more about it, it becomes like the tax inclusive pricing which is causing a nightmare. That is what is really creating a cost for businesses.
The government would have them on side if it just dumped it. I do not know why the geniuses in cabinet do not go for it. They are stubborn. They will force it. The MPs will have to explain it. That is fine. Handle it. That is their job. They brought this in.
In the end, wait until the consumers get a hold of it. Wait until they see how it affects them. That is when it will be really of concern to members of Parliament, especially the Atlantic provinces. They will hear about it in their constituency offices. I predict that.