Madam Speaker, it is quite evident that the member for Capilano-Howe Sound is quite right. We realized as did he when he was working with us on the committee that the essence of getting a streamlined tax system for all Canadians is co-operation at the federal and provincial levels.
All of us knew this. We do not have the authority to dictate what the provinces do. However that does not mean we should not endeavour in all parties to try to make our country work better. All of us agree. I know the member who just asked this question agrees with us that it would be a significant improvement to the system if we could get rid of the 10 different existing tax systems and replace them with one tax system under one administration.
The saving in cost of compliance to small and big businesses would probably be in the neighbourhood of $400 million a year. The cost to all taxpayers by getting rid of 10 different systems and replacing them with one would probably be in the neighbourhood of $400 or $500 million each year.
The cost in aggravation to consumers of not having tax included pricing when they go into the store about which he spoke most eloquently would be enormous. Of course it requires the agreement of the provinces, as many things in this country does, in order to make it the type of country we want it to be. He knew that and we knew that when we spoke of it in the red book.
We said that we wanted the tax to be harmonized with the provinces, that is, we needed their compliance. We needed their co-operation. We needed their agreement. That has always been part of the understanding and he knows it.
While I still have the floor-