Mr. Speaker, some information has been supplied to me regarding some comments about this whole idea.
The Retail Council of Canada has said that by forcing stores to bury the new tax in prices, the harmonized tax regime will cost retailers at least $100 million a year. A study by Ernst and Young, the government's own accounting firm, estimated that a midsized national chain with 50 stores in the Atlantic provinces would pay up to $3 million in a one-time start up and $1.1 million a year to comply with this new system.
The Halifax Chamber of Commerce has predicted that the harmonized sales tax will push up new house prices by 5.5 per cent and will force municipalities to raise the property taxes. The Canadian Real Estate Association says that harmonization will increase the cost of a new house by $4,000 in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and by $3,374 in New Brunswick.
GST harmonization is responsible for the closure of five Greenberg stores and the loss of jobs. I thought the issue of jobs was really important to this government. The management of this store has said that there is a 50-50 chance of further store closures and the loss of more jobs.
I am really surprised that the backbenchers from the Atlantic provinces are not in an outrage over losing jobs and raising more taxes. There must be a lot more here than what they are mentioning to the people of Canada including the taxpayers across the Atlantic provinces.
Consumers will pay more for funeral services, children's clothing, books, auto repairs, electricity, gasoline, home fuel heating, haircuts and a whole bunch of things. They will be paying more for these things and many of these families can barely get by now.
I am really confused that members from the Atlantic provinces are willing to accept this job killing situation. That is what is happening. It is killing jobs. Those who are making these statements are high-fluential people.