Madam Speaker, I am responding to the hon. member's question. I did not interrupt as she asked her question, tempted though I was. I would ask her to respect the answer.
As noted in the HST technical paper, beginning April 7, 1997, businesses in the three provinces will be required to price their products on a tax inclusive basis. The participating governments have consulted extensively with business in this respect and recognize it will require some operational adjustments. Accordingly, rules have been developed that will minimize disruption for business while still addressing the desires of consumers.
That being said, we must bear in mind that removing embedded provincial sales tax from business inputs and moving to a single administration will entail significant economic benefits for businesses in the participating provinces, benefits which they can pass on to consumers.
The participating governments believe consumers will benefit which is why they have moved to tax inclusive pricing.