Mr. Speaker, I want to set the record straight. On December 3 the member of the third party from Medicine Hat stated during debate on Bill C-70 in this House that I, the member for Saint John, was in favour of the HST.
For the record, I am not in favour of this harmonized tax with tax in pricing or any proposal that puts our Atlantic provinces out of sync with the rest of Canada.
I have met with the Retail Council of Canada on two occasions on the Hill and have made arrangements for the Retail Council to come to Saint John to speak to the business community. I have met with our local chamber of commerce and it is working actively to have the HST delayed until all provinces are on side.
It is no wonder that the third party is at 1 per cent in the polls in Atlantic Canada. Reformers should read the local papers. They would know that this type of small p politics does not sit well with my constituents.