Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance. Last May 12, the opposition asked the Minister of Finance if he could confirm whether negotiations were under way with provincial governments to combine provincial sales taxes and the GST into a single national sales tax. The minister replied, and I quote: "The answer is no".
Yet, we recently learned from the Canadian Press that a task force of federal and provincial officials was set up last March to try to establish a single national sales tax.
Does the minister not realize that he misled Quebecers and Canadians by stating that no negotiations were under way with provincial governments to create a single tax, when in fact a federal-provincial task force has been looking at the issue since last March?