Mr. Speaker, first of all, the tax will not be disguised, it will show on the bill. Second, in the negotiations with the Atlantic provinces, agreement was reached on a mechanism for changing the tax, if a change in the tax was wanted. This means that it will be even harder to raise it. It will require a consensus among the provinces.
I have one other point to make. The hon. member believes that, instead of an integrated federal-provincial tax, instead of implementing in the Maritimes a tax system similar to what there is in Quebec, he is saying there should be a totally different tax, that Quebec should be pushed aside.
I can tell you that, at the meeting of finance ministers, Quebec asked us to really respect their desire to have a tax that can be harmonized with the Quebec sales tax in order to have a uniform tax, for that will be to Quebec's benefit. The hon. member ought to ask his head office if that is what is wanted.