The hon. member for Cochrane-Superior is telling me it was announced in the budget. Spoken like a true Liberal. Whatever the minister or the Prime Minister says, we will vote yea.
Regardless of the fact that the business community is asking for the decision to be deferred and is against the idea, the Liberal members are all for it. Furthermore, this is the conclusion reached about Liberals in an article in the Ottawa Sun written by Douglas Fisher. When it comes to proposing bills, it is Forget constituents, forget personal belief-'' and, I would add, forget public opinion, forget all the people who might have something to say about the bills.Being a Liberal MP begins with always saying yea at the leader's command''.
They blindly follow the leader, unable it seems to express their own opinions. For all I know, maybe they are not capable of expressing their own opinions, they lack intelligence. Bill C-82 certainly does not show any signs of intelligence, just the government's indifference.
It shows that this government is not listening. It could not care less. The bill smacks of arrogance, of disregard for public opinion. The government could have consulted the public, it could have informed people that it was planning a $2 coin and really tried to find out if they were in agreement or not, but this was not done. The public has not been prepared for this soon to be introduced change.
Having done nothing to pave the way and shown little interest in public opinion, the government is going ahead. As I said, even the best informed people, those most affected by the introduction of a $2 coin, who know that it is coming, are concerned about the speed with which it is being introduced. Why the haste? Why not give the business community time to adjust?
The member for Cochrane-Superior tells us that the government will co-operate with business people in introducing the coin. This government is making empty promises. Furthermore, we were already promised consultation on this matter.
When members of the business community presented their report to the public works committee, they said that the government had promised them that after the reception given the loonie, there would be consultation when it came time to discuss the introduction of a $2 coin. There was no such consultation. If the government were truly interested in the opinion of business people or in public opinion, it would take the time to talk to them, to provide them with adequate information and to ensure that they understood the importance of issuing this coin. And if there was opposition, the government could at least have suggested alternatives, which it has not done.
It is presenting the $2 coin and saying that it will lead to huge savings. This suggestion is a joke, because any way you look at it, it would not create any savings. And there are costs involved. Admittedly, the government will save approximately $250 million, like the hon. member for Cochrane-Superior said earlier, but it will probably cost the business sector twice that amount to make the adjustments necessitated by this $2 coin. It is almost as if they are claiming that the introduction of the $2 coin will have no effect, no impact, that it will not bother anyone and that co-ops and IGAs will not have to change their cash trays and that vending machines will not have to be adjusted to make allowances for the $2 coin. All coin-operated devices will have to be updated.
Elementary math shows that the introduction of the $2 coin could cost business up to $400 million within the first year.