Questioning the Minister: Standing Up Against the HST!

Ms. Irene Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to ask the minister a couple of questions.

I want to begin by assuring him that New Democrats all across the country are profoundly concerned about taxes that are being downloaded onto consumers in order to give yet more tax breaks to multinational and profitable corporations.

My question has to do with the secrecy surrounding this HST. I wonder when the federal government began its negotiations with the provinces, and I wonder what consultations were undertaken with the public, because very clearly it is the public that is profoundly upset by the apparent new tax and the effect that it will have on them.

Would the minister please explain, if he is so concerned about democracy, why he did not consult the public?

Hon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the provinces are responsible for consulting with their populations when they bring forward tax legislation in their area of jurisdiction, which is what they have done, as I understand it, in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia.

With respect to so-called secrecy, at some point after the last election in Ontario some discussions began with respect to possible harmonization at the request of the province, and it was after the provincial legislation most recently in the province of British Columbia, that discussions began between the minister of finance and myself on this subject vis-à-vis British Columbia.

Join Irene in opposing the HST, sign the petition, visit: http://fightthehike.ca