Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question.
Indeed, there are details to be worked out regarding the points that he mentioned in the harmonization process. These issues are not impossible challenges. The Quebec government is open to changes, just like Ontario is doing right now. However, the collection of that harmonized tax is a major issue. Since the early 1990s, Quebec has been collecting both the GST and the QST, and it sends the money generated by the GST to the federal government. Things are working just fine, and there has not been any complaint on the part of the federal government. That system is particular to Quebec.
As I mentioned earlier, and members are all aware of that, Quebec is recognized as a nation. Quebeckers also have a status that is different from that of all Canadians. Only in Quebec do taxpayers have to complete a separate provincial tax return, in addition to the federal one. Everything is working just fine and there are no problems in that respect. This is why Quebec absolutely wants to keep collecting this harmonized tax, because this way of doing things has always worked. This is something that is not negotiable for the Quebec government, and the federal government should accept that in good faith.