Manitoba Hansard — Sitting 48 (28th Legislature, 3rd Session)

28-3-48

Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)

THE LEGISLATIVE ASSE:MBL Y OF MANITOBA 2:30 o'clock, Thursday, April 1 0, 1969 Opening Prayer by Mr. Speaker. INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS 1131 MR . SPEAKER: I'd like to take a moment and introduce our young guests before we get into the business of the House, We have 46 students of 4H Club of Morris, Manitoba, These students are under the direction of Mrs. Godkin and they are from the constituency of the Honourable Member for Morris. We also have with us today 13 members of the Number 44 Cub Pack from the St. Marg aret's Anglican Church here in Winnipeg, These students are under the direction of Mrs.

Empey and are from the constituency of the Hunourable Member for Wolseley, On behalf of all the honourable members of the Legislative Assembly, I welcome you all here today. And for the benefit of our guests I would ask that there be no more photographs taken today. Presenting Petitions. The Honourable Member for Winnipeg Centre. MR. JAMES COW AN, Q, C, ,(Winnipeg Centre): Mr. Speaker, I beg to present the · petition of Victoria General Hospital, praying for the passing of

an Act respecting Victoria General Hospital, and the petition of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Manitoba praying for the passing of

an Act to amend

an Act to incorporate the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Manitoba, MR . SPEAKER: The Honourable Member for Portage la Prairie, MR . GORDON E. JOHNSTON (Portage la Prairie): Mr. Speaker, I beg to present a petition of Janet Pearson Morton Alexander, praying for the passing of

an Act for the relief of Janet Pearson Morton Alexander. MR . SPEAKER: Reading and Receiving Petitions, The Honourable Member for Brandon, MR . CLERK: The petitio,n of the Brandon Community Chest praying for the passing of

an Act to amend

an Act to incorporate Brandon Community Chest. MR . SPEAKER: The Honourable Member for Kildonan. MR. CLERK: The petition of Rossmere Golf and Country Club praying for the passing of

an Act to grant additional powers to Rossmere Golf and Country Club, REPORTS BY STANDING COM:MITTEES . MR . SPEAKER: Presenting Reports by Standing and Special Committees. The Honour able Member for Winnipeg Centre. MR . COW AN: Mr. Speaker, I present the First Report of the Standing Committee on Private Bills, Standing Orders, Printing and Library, MR . CLERK: Your Standing Committee on Private Bills, Standing Orders, Printing and Library beg me to present the following as their First Report. Your Committee met for organization and appointed Mr. Cowan as Chairman.

Your Committee has agreed that, for the remainder of this Session, the Quorum of this Committee shall consist of seven (7) members. Your Cvmmittee has considered Bills: No, 10 '"'An Act to amend

An Act to incorporate "La Congregation des Filles de la Croix.". No, 25-

An Act respecting Marianistes, St. Boniface, No. 27 -

An Act to amend and consolidate

An Act to incorporate Manitoba Pool Elevators, And has agreed to report the same without amendment. Your Committee has also considered: Bill No, 48 -

An Act to amend

An Act to incorporate Investors Syndicate of Canada, Limited. And has agreed to report the same with certain amendments, Your Committee recommends: 1. That the fees paid with respect to the following Bills be refunded, less the costs of printing: No. 10-

An Act to amend

An Act to incorporate "La Congregation des Filles de la Croix". No. 25 -

An Act respecting Marianistes, St� Boniface, 2, That the time for receiving Petitions for Private Bills be extended to the First Day of May, 1969, and that the time for presenting Private Bills to the House be extended to the Eighth day of May, 1969,

1132 April 10, 1969 (MR. CLERK cont'd.) .• All of which is respectfuliy submitted. MR . COW AN: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Souris Lansdowne, that the Report of the Committee be received. MR. SPEAKER presented the motion and after a voice vote declared the motion carried. MR . COWAN: Mr. Speaker, in accordance with the report, I move seconded by the Honourable Member for Pembina, that the fees paid with respect to the following bills be refunded, less the costs of printing: No. 10 -A n Act to amend

an Act to incorporate "La Congregation des Filles de la Croix". No. 25 -

An Act respecting Marianistes, St. Boniface. MR . CLERK presented the motion. MR . SPEAKER put the question and after a voice vote declared the motion carried. MR. COW AN: Mr. Speaker, in accordance with the report of the Committee, I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Pembina, that the time for receiving petitions for private bills be extended to the first day of May, 1969, and that the time for presenting private bills to the House be extended to the eighth day of May, 1969. MR . SPEAKER presented the motion and after a voice vote declared the motion carried. MR.

SPEAKER: Notices of Motion; Introduction of Bills. INTRODUCTION OF Bll.. LS HON. GEORGE JOBNSON (Minister of Health and Social Services)(Gimli) introduced Bill No. 28, The Hospital Commission Act. (Recommended to the House by His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor.) MR. JOHNSON introduced Bill No. 29, The Hospitals Act. MR . WARNER JORGENSON (Morris) introduced Bill No. 45, The Manitoba Municipal Secretary Treasurers' Association Act. ORAL QUESTION PERIOD MR. SPEAKER: The Honourable Member for Emerson. MR. JOHN P. TANCHAK (Emerson): Mr.

Speaker, I would like to direct a question to the Honourable Minister of Education. In today's Tribune, I have a clipping here, it says, "University Fees to be Boosted. Announcement likely today." Would the Minister please tell us whether he has been advised of any tuition increase in the university fees up till now, and if so by how much? HON. DONALD W. CRAIK (Minister of Youth and Education)(St. Vital): Mr. Speaker, I am aware that there is a meeting being held at the University of Manitoba today between the Board of Governors, I believe, and the students.

I'm not aware of the -- I understand it is to discuss tuition fees. I am not aware of the size of any increase. MR. TANCHAK: Mr. Speaker, a supplementary question. Would the Minister be kind enough to tell us whether he has made any counter proposals to the university officials in order to alleviate the hardship that any increase in tuition fees may create to so many of our univer sity students. Has the Minister made any counter proposals to university officials? MR. CRAIK; I'm not in a position to make any counter proposals, Mr. Speaker. MR . ELMAN GUTTORMSON (St. George): Mr.

Speaker, I have a question I'd like to direct to the First Minister. I understand that in January the Steering Committee of the Air Policy Committee asked the government if it felt there was any necessity to keep the committee on, once Northwest Industries took over the Air Canada base. Can the First Minister indicate whether a decision has been made? HON. WALTER WEffi (Premier)(Minnedosa): Mr. Speaker, I'll take the question as notice. HON. GURNEY EVANS (Minister of Finance)(Fort Rouge): Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Member for St.

Geol'ge asked me a question not long ago concerning something he described as "cost-plus contracts" and I've been trying to get information on the subject. I take it he means by cost-plus contract the type of contract in which the costs are accumulated and then some percentage is added to cover overhead and profits.

With that understanding then, there has been one contract of a definite nature for the construction by the Canadian National Rail ways of a crossing of their Hudson's Bay Railway Line over the Butnau River Diversion Channel, which forms a part of the Nelson power system, a contract entered into with the Canadian

April 10, 1969 1133 (MR. EVANS cont'd,) ••••• National Railways, Provision is made also in the general condi tions forming a part of tendered contracts that, where additions, deductions; alterations and extra work beyond the scope of the basic specifications are involved and have been approved by Manitoba Hydro's engineer, such changes may in some circumstances be paid for on a basis of direct costs incurred plus a percentage. MR. GUTTORMSON: Mr.

Speaker, I first of all want to thank the Minister for getting the information, Could he tell me the name of the company that received this contract on the cost-plus basis, MR. EVANS: The information I have is the Canadian National Railways, and presumably if they had a sub-contractor that's up to them, but so far as I'm aware the arrangement is between Hydro and the Canadian National Railways. MR. GUTTORMSON: ••••. that the railway was given this contract, It wasn't a const,.. ruction firm, MR. EVANS: That's the information I have and all the information I have. MR; SPEAKER: The Honourable Member for Elmwood.

MR. RUSSELL DOERN (Elmwood): Mr. Speaker, I'd like to direct a question to the Minister of Education. Has the Minister··or his department examined or investigated or studied what effect a fee increase may have on students at the uniYersity in terms of drop-outs or what the economic effect might be on student enrollment? MR. CRAIK: Mr.

Speaker, we haven't done any detailed work on it, We're aware of fee structures across the nation and in Manitoba, as I indicated in my estimates address, I don't know of any yardsticks that can be used to tell exactly the impact of any given fee in crease on the enrollment or drop-out rate, MR. DOERN: Mr. Speaker, I have a supplementary question, Since no study has been made, would the Minister consider directing his Department of Research to examine the effect of this imminent increase, so that we have some information on what impact there .is? MR. SPEAKER: The Honourable Member fc.· Lakeside. MR.

DOUGLAS CAMPBELL (Lakeside): Mr. Speaker, I'd like to direct a question to my honourable friend the Minister of Mines and Natural Resources, In view of the reports of high water in the south and in the west, is the Honourable the Minister prepared to make any further statement about the likelihood of flood in this area and what proportions it might be? And, Mr. Speaker, at the same tiire would the honourable member, because a lot of us forget the information that's already been given, would he give us the height of water above datum or the cubic feet per second at which the Floodway becomes operative? HON.

HARRY J, ENNS (Minister of Mines and Natural Resources)(Rockwood-lberville): Yes, Mr.

Speaker, I can give some further information with this respect, Firstly, I should indicate to you and the House that there will be daily reports on the flood conditions issued from herein·forward, There has been no revision of earlier predictions presently still standing here in Winnipeg at 18.5 to 19.5 feet above datum, and that crest is expected between April 25th to April 30th, Now I think we can appreciate that these can change froin day to day and I will be making these dally forecasts available to the news media if they so want them, and to the members of the House, For the information the Honourable Member for Lakeside just asked about, when the Floodway becomes operational.

I believe it is at 16, 5 feet above datum that the flood gates are opened and the water diverted. We anticipate diverting some 32, 000 cubic feet per second through the Floodway at these predicted levels of water, which would maintain that datum level that I just mentioned, It might just be for a note of interest - without this diversion the above datum reading here in Winnipeg would be some 26 feet above datum, MR. CAMPBELL: Mr.

Speaker, might I ask the Honourable the Minister: the 16 point something above datum at which the Floodway becomes operative represents approximately what flow at the intake of the Floodway? MR. ENNS: Mr. Speaker, I'm trying to recall figures, I believe it is -- the Floodway is designed to take a maximum of 60 or between 55 and 60 thousand cubic feet, and at 16 we're talking in the neighbourhood of 32 to 35 thousand cubic feet, MR. SPEAKER: The Honourable Member for Wellington, MR.

PHIT,IP PETURSSON (Wellington): Mr, Speaker, in a press release issued by the government on January 14th it is mentioned that winter roads have been built in t,he north, $66, 000 appropriated for that puTpose, to construct 2, 000 miles of winter road, and it states

1134 April 10, 1969 (MR. PETURSSON cont'd.) ••••• that the freighters will thus help to pass on the saving to the resident •••• MR. SPEAKER: Order. Order please. I wonder if the honourable gentleman has not given sufficient explanation now to ask his question. MR. PETURSSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I have. The freighters will haul gasoline among other things. My question is: is that gasoline taxed at the usual rate that taxes are levied here on gasoline? MR. EVANS: Mr. Speaker, I'd like an opportunity to consider this question and I'll provide an answer when I can. MR. SPEAKER: The Honourable Member for Elmwood.

MR. DOERN: Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct a question to the Minister of Industry and Commerce. Each year he has given the :MLAs an allotment of those gold Bison pins and I was wondering whether he intends to give us our rations this year. HON. SIDNEY SPIVAK, Q. C. (Minister of Industry and Commerce)(River Heights): Mr. Speaker, I think it was only one year that I did, in fact, give the pins at that time, because they were pins we had available because of the Centennial year. I am not sure what inventory we have, and I'll take the question as notice and report back to the House. MR.

SPEAKER: The Honourable Member for Emerson. MR. TANCHAK: Mr. Speaker, a subsequent question to the Minister of Education. I was not quite satisfied with the questions he answered before. I think he can ejqland. In my question he answered that he is not in a position to make any counter proposals or take any action to alleviate the situation. Isn't it true that the Minister can increase grants to the universities? Although we had increased them by a certain amount, isn't it true that the Mini ster can increase the grants and so enable the University to bold the line in university fees. MR. CRAIK: Mr.

Speaker, if I could get the money from the Minister of Finance I would be able to do that. MR. SPEAKER: Order please. The Honourable Member for Inkster. MR. SIDNEY GREEN (Inkster): Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct a question to the Honourable the Minister of Finance. Will the Minister of Finance make available monies to the Minister of Education so that the line can be held on university fees? MR. EVANS: Mr. Speaker, the results of my discussions with the Minister of Education appear in the list of estimates. MR. SPEAKER: The Honourable Member for Inkster I believe has a supplementary. MR. GREEN: Mr.

Speaker, I have another question but I wouldn't dare ask another question of the Minister of Finance. MR. SPEAKER: I presume he's seen another gentleman caught my eye. The Honourable Member for Burrows. MR. BEN HANUSCHAK (Burrows): Mr. Speaker, I wish to direct my question to the Honourable the Attorney-General. Apparently there is a chemical that, if added to airplane glue, makes it most unpleasant for glue-sniff ing purposes. Would the Minister undertake to check into this and if this is an additive which should be encourag.ed in the use of the glue sold in Manitoba, do so.

Apparently it gives it a very offensive odour and one that certainly dis courages any attempt at this activity, which -- I believe it's unlawful; I'm not sure whether it is or not, or ••• HON. STERLING R. LYON, Q. C. (Attorney-General)(Fort Garry): Mr. Speaker, I think my honourable friend might direct his suggestion, if indeed it was a suggestion, to the appro priate minister of the federal government, because I believe they are considering legislation at that level.

Insofar as the provincial jurisdiction is concerned, l trust he is not suggesting that we add this to any of the products from the Liquor Control Commission. MR. SPEAKER: The Honourable Member for Inkster. MR. GREEN: Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct a question to the Honourable the Mini ter of Labour. I wonder whether the Minister of Labour is able to advise the House whether or not there has been a change of policy by the Workmen's Compensation Board with respect to the awarding of pensions for permanent disability. HON. CHARLES H. WITNEY (Minister of Labour)(Flin Flon): I believe, Mr.

Speaker, this matter was dealt with during the estimates, at which time I indicated that there was some experimentation going on with permanent partial disability, but on the question that you are asking, to my knowledge the answer is no.

April 10, 1969 1135 MR . SPEAKER: The Honourable the Leader of the Opposition. MR . GILDAS MOLGAT (Leader of the Opposition)(Ste. Rose): Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask a question of the Minister of Transportation. In his absence the other day I asked the question of the First Minister who indicated he took it as notice and would ask h,is colleague.

It's with regard to any special exemptions for the movement of farm goods, in the western part of the province in particular, where road restrictions exist because of the very bad weather conditions which were experienced earlier preventing the movement of much of the farm produce and particularly seed grain. Has the Minister given this consideration and is he able to give me an answer now? HON. STEWART E. McLEAN, Q. C; (Minister of Transportation)(Dauphin): Mr.

Speaker, road restrictions will go into effect tomorrow, Friday, the 11th of April, in the southern part of the province, and that, generally speaking, is the part of the province south of Township 22. We did consider whether or not to give general exemption in respect of any particular commo!f ity or situation and decided against it, and rather have set up machinery by which individual requests can be considered on almost an instantaneous basis, and each case will be,.judged on its own merits. MR . MOLGAT: Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister for his reply.

Could he indicate how an individual who feels that he has a special case can apply? MR . McLEAN: He can communicate with the district engineer or the maintenance engineer at the headquarters of the department here in Winnipeg, and of course it's always possible to telephone the Minister. MR . SPEAKER: The Honourable Member for Wellington� MR . PETURSSON: Mr. Speaker, may I direct a question to the Minister of Transporta .. · tion?

This is a news release dated March 28th issued by the government, announcing that the bridge on Highway No. 75 over the Red River at Emerson was to be closed on March 28t h but the assurance was given that the Highway Department would have the bridge open well before any flooding is expected in the area. Could the Minister give us any information about that bridge; whether it is open, closed or under repair, and when it will be opened if it isn�t? MR . McLEAN: Mr. Speaker, as the news item indicates, we had undertaken to try and have it open when and if a flood arrives.

As I understand it, the flood hasn't quite arrived yet. We are still hopeful that we will meet that situation and that it will be open for certain traffic during any flooding conditions. Then, after the threat of flood has passed, it will have to be closed again because it is not possible to make the extensive repairs necessary prior to that time. It will have to be done in two stages. As far as I am aware, we are still able to keep that undertaking. MR . SPEAKER: The Honourable the Attorney-General. MR . LYON: Mr.

Speaker, I would like to lay on the table of the House a Return to an Order of the House No. 22 on the motion of the Honourable the Member for Neepawa. MR . SPEAKER: The Honourable the Minister of Education. MR . CRAIK: Mr. Speaker, before the Orders of the Day, I wanted to bring to the attention of the honourable members the Manitoba School Science Fair that is now on at the Auditorium.

The reason I take the time to bring it to their attention is that I think they will find it W()rth while if they have an opportunity to drop in and have a look at the displays of the work of something more than 1, 200 young people in the province, in the school system, ranging from Grade 12, I understand, down to about Grade 4. This has been sponsored by the Rotary Club for a number of years now and it is now the largest Science Fair in the British Commonwealth. MR . SPEAKER: The Honourable Member for Churchill. MR . JOE BOROWSKI (Churchill): Mr.

Speaker, I have two questions here for the Mini ster of Transportation. The first one has to do with the weigh scales in Thompson which were installed last year. I think they are operated on an 8-hour shift. Since the expansion of the mine there are a great deal of trucks hauling nickel ore, concrete and gravel, and when the restrictions come into effect in spring these are the trucks that ruin the roads. I was wonder ing. if .the Minister would consider putting the weigh scales during the T:estricted period on a 24-hour basis so these trucks could be checked and not ruin our roads.

The second question deals with a letter I received from the Minister yesterday and it has to do with aid to unorganized and disorganized territories, which includes our area. There is a figure there of $500. 00. I am just wondering if this is an error. Should there be another zero on this?

1136 April 10, 1969 MR . McLEAN: Mr. Speaker, the answer to the first question is yes. The answer to the second question is: no error. That is a particular request received, no doubt, from the local government district concerned. There may be many more such orders, all of which no doubt will add up to five and three zeros and probably several other zeros. MR . SPEAKER: The Honourable Member for Elmwood. MR . DOERN: Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct a question to the Minister of Mines or the House Leader.

Could they indicate when we will be dealing with the issuance of a license to Manitoba Hydro for the flooding of South Indian Lake? MR . ENNS: It is my understanding it will appear on the Votes and Proceedings tomorrow, and that would make it Monday, I suppose, when it appears on the Order Paper. MR . SPEAKER: The Honourable the Minister of Transportation. MR . McLEAN: Mr.

Speaker, perhaps in order to pre vent any misunderstanding I should say to the Honourable the Member for Churchill, in reference to his first question, that road restrictions are not in effect in the northern part of the province yet, - the frost is still in the ground; and so my answer related to the time when road restrictions will be necessary. We do a daily check and they will be put on, of course, as soon as they are required. MR . SPEAKER: The Honourable Leader of the Opposition. MR . MOLGAT: Mr. Speaker, I would like to address a question to the Minister of Trans portation.

Could he inform the House when we might receive the report of the Commission on Northern Transportation? MR . McLEAN: No Mr. Speaker, I can't, although I would hope that it would be soon. MR . MOLGAT: Might I ask a subsequent question? Does the Minister know if it is printed yet? MR . McLEAN: Mr. Speaker, I am quite certain it is not printed. MR . SPEAKER: Before we proceed, with due respect to the House, I would like to express my appreciation for the collective good wishes of all honourable members on this important day in my life.

I took note of the verse and it was very encouraging, but I want to assure the honourable members that it is business as usual. Orders of the Day. Committee of the Whole House. ORDERS OF THE DAY- GOVERN:MENT BILLS MR . LYON: Mr. Speaker, if we could now move to second reading of government bills, Bill No. 16. MR . SPEAKER: Second readings, government bills, Bill No. 16. The Honourable the Minister of Transportation. MR . McLEAN presented Bill No. 16,

an Act to amend The Highway Traffic Act, for second reading. MR . SPEAKER presented the motion. MR . McLEAN: Mr. Speaker, as is customary, I point out that with respect to this bill and this legislation that there is no particular principle involved. These are a number of amendments to the Highway Traffic Act dealing with several separate items. Very briefly I might indicate to the members what are involved.

We are providing a definition of "implement of husbandry" and also "special mobile machine" and the effect of it is to require the equipment that falls within either of these categories, to use the slow moving vehicle emblem when they are on the public highway, that emblem being required by another

section of the statute. An illustration of an implement of husbandry might be, for example, a sprayer. An illustration of a special mobile machine might be one of these heavy scrapers that are used in the road construction business. A provision to exempt vehicles of the Department of National Defence from obtaining license plates. At the present time, they obtain a license plate from Manitoba and they only pay $1.25 for it and the amount of work involved in issuing them, of course, much exceeds the $1. 25 that we receive.

The Department of National Defence has requested that we exempt them from the necessity of having Manitoba license plates, and this provision will do so. The arrangement with the Department of National Defence is that they themselves will issue a reflectorized plate of their own with a distinctive number for each of their vehicles, and that that will be their identification on the public highway. We have a provision that would enable the registrar, in circumstances which he would deem proper, to require a person who .has been called in for re-examination and counselling to

April 10, 1969 1137 (MR. MCLEAN cont'd.) • , ••• attend a defensive driving course, At the present time, the registrar under those circumstances may require - and indeed I think in most instances does require - the driver concerned to pass a driving test. There are some cases where it is , considered that it might be more effective to require that person to take a defensive driving course, and that of course would apply in large measure in the metropolitan area of Winnipeg l!lthough these courses are available in some parts of the balance of the province, I should inform the Members, Mr.

Speaker, that in Law Amendments Committee I will propose a:n amendment to the provision set out in the bill to add the word "successfully" before the word "completed" so that it would read: "successfully completed a defensive driving course�" The word was in our original draft and in some fashion omitted, and I will be proposing an amend ment to add it back in. The provision with respect to school bus lights - and I indicate to the members that this is a permissive provision.

There has been a school bus light designed which in effect has a red flashing light on the front of the bus and a red flashing light on the rear of the bus, and right in the center of this red light are the words "don't pass" in black, so that the flashing red light shows of course the words "don't pass" in black, and this provision would·enable a school division or operator of a school bus to use that type of light on his bus if he wishes to do so. It is permissive only. It is not obligatory.

In most cases, as members will know, the "don't pass" words are either on the bus itself or on a sort of a flag that comes out from the bus, and this is just another alternative. It deals with the fact that when you either meet such a bus or are behind it, that you are required to stop when the bus itself is stopped. A further provision that ties down in a rather, we believe, more satisfactory form, the provisions respecting fog lamps.

At the present time our legislation is somewhat vague and what we have endeavoured to do by the provision here is to prescribe the type of fog lamp that may be used, the position it is to have on the vehicle, the candle power of the light, the circumstances under which it may be used, and to prevent the simultaneous use of the head lamps and the fog lamps, and the legislation is all built around those principles that we believe will be more effective and better from the standpoint of road use and road safety. A further, and a small provision.

There has been some- I think perhaps we hadn't clearly set it out and it appeared that all trucks were required to carry flash flares. We have a provision here which makes it clear that this is not required for one-half ton pickup trucks, and all trucks over that of course would require to carry flash flares at all times. A further provision in effect makes the 30 miles per hour the basic speed limit in all villages, towns, cities and in Metropolitan Winnipeg, unless otherwise signed.

In other words, that the authority may have a sign that permits 35 miles or 40 or 45, whatever the case may be; otherwise, within incorporated villages, towns, cities and Metropolitan Winnipeg, the speed limit is 30 miles per hour, and this is to make it unnecessary to have these 30-mile-an-hour signs in various places through the towns or cities as the case may be. This is brought about by a problem that has evolved in the matter of the enforcing or prosecutions where it's not been too clear.

Some people have contended that they had to have- that there should be a 30 mile sign right at the very point where they were alleged to have exceeded the speed limit. But, in effect, what we are doing is making the 30-mile-per-hour the basic speed limit and allowing of course, as is the case, the authority concerned to have. a diff erent speed limit provided they have an appropriate sign indicating that. - (Interjection)- Pardon? Yes, well, I'm sorry about that. Mind you, this bill isn't in effect yet. It hasn't received Royal Assent.

The provision that in effect provides that the onus in an intersection, the onus will continue to rest on a left-tUrning driver which is, in fact, the practice as I understand it, and the pro vision we are proposing is similar to the provision that is in the Acts .of a number of other provinces and a number of American states. This provision is here at the suggestion of one of the judges of the Queen's Bench Court.

I would just say that I believe that if there are any problems or members wishing to have further explanations, this is the sort of provision that wh[n we are in committee it would be possible for the people from the department, who are sort of expert in these rather fine driving rules, to be able to give a detailed explanation of what is in�ol ved to the members. The provision that would require warning devices on all slow-moving vehicles at all times.

The members are familiar with the symbol that is used, A provision that would require a person to produce an insurance card or financial respon sibility card that is in force at the time. There's been a curious omission from the legislation

1138 April 10, 1969 (MR. McLEAN cont'd.) ••••• previously which apparently would enable someone, if he produced a card it might be one that wasn't actually in force, and of course that wasn't what was interided and we are correcting that error. A further provision to allow the registrar to permit a person whose license has been suspended to drive the vehicle for 24 hours after the permit is issued.

That is to take care of the situation which sometimes occurs where a driver appears before the registrar and has his license suspended at that time, and there's always the embarrassing problem of how does he get home, and this would enable the registrar in proper circumstances to give a permit that would be good for a period not exceeding 24 hours simply to enable the driver to get back home if that seems to be necessary.

We have a provision that deals with the procedure of the License Suspension and Appeal Board that would enable a member of the board, authorized by the board, under certain circumstances that are specified in the bill, to grant a temporary license or right to drive for a period not exceeding 21 days, pending the formal hearing of his application by the License Suspension and Appeal Board.

This has been brought forward as our suggestion for dealing with a problem that was brought to our attention by the Manitoba Federation of Labour, in which they pointed out that in some instances a driver who makes his livelihood from driving a truck and may have a very good record in that regard, but when he's driving his private motor vehicle he may become involved in some infraction for which his license is suspended, and there has been a suggestion that perhaps two licenses ought to be issued.

That idea is not considered favourably but we do recognize the problem that there may be a problem of doing something so that the person concerned does not lose his employment, in which he may have a very good record, while the matter is being considered by the License Suspension and Appeal Board. And so our proposal here is to enable a member of the board - and that could be done very quicldy - to give a temporary right to drive, in proper cases, for a term not exceeding 21 days and that would enable the board to hear the application in a formal way.

A provision making it clear that appeals from decisions of the License Suspension and Appeal Board may be taken within 30 days after the order. The term decision has been used previously and there has been some question about the date from which the time of appeal ran, and this we think will make the matter clear. Now, Mr. Speaker, I've left to the last the two exotic items in the bill, one which will require persons who are riding, who operate or ride upon a motorcycle on a highway to wear a helmet of a standard prescribed by the regulations.

Our proposal here is legislation which is the same, not necessarily the same words but the same effect, as the legislation now in force in Ontario and in the province of British Columbia. My understanding, and I was not a member of the committee some three or four years ago that considered the provisions of the Highway Traffic Act but at which there was considerable discussion and debate about requiring helmets by those who operated and rode motorcycles, and at that time there appeared to be no satisfactory standard of helmet.

Since that time, however, the Canadian Standards Association has approved a design, a standard for a helmet, and the Ontario legislation and regulations prescribed that particular type of helmet for use in this situation, and it is our proposal to prescribe by our regulations, if this measure receives your support, to prescribe the same standard of helmet. I am aware that there may be some differences of opinion about this item. I put it forward however, Mr. Speaker, on the basis that it is in the public interest and ought to be adopted.

And then finally, but certainly not least, the provision for a right turn on a red light. I understand half my friends are in favour of this and half of them are opposed to it, and in this case I'm going to be friends with everybody. The legislation proposed is not, again, the exact language but similar to the provision in the Ontario statute, and provides simply that a right turn may be made on a red light - that is, a red traffic light - at any place except where the traffic authority prescribes otherwise and puts up the necessary sign to indicate it.

It would then be possible for the traffic authority, and that normally is a city, town or a vill age if they have traffic lights, or the Metropolitan Council of Winnipeg, to preseribe. that at certain corners that that would be prohibited and if that was the case they would put up the sign that would so indicate. Other than that, right turns could be made on red lights, of course subject to all the rules that apply as would involve the safety of vehicles and pedestrians as we understand it.

This, as members will know, is the practice and indeed the method that is actually operating in Brandon, Portage la Prairie and Flin Flon, and with the support of the members of the

April 10, 1969 1139 (MR. McLEAN cont'd.) ••••• Legislature, Mr. Speaker, throughout the province of ·Manitoba fairly soon. MR. SPEAKER: The Honourable the Leader of the Opposition. MR . MOLGAT: Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister for his explanation. He said at the outset that there is no principle in the bill and a number of items which have to be dealt with step by step.

I agree in part with that and I intend to deal with a number of the items step by step, but I think there is one over-riding principle, and that is the need for uniformity in our traffic laws, not only within our province but within our country and hopefully within the whole of the North American continent, and I'll come back to that after I discuss some of the individual items which I trust I will be within the rules of the House, Mr. Speaker. I don't want to do it

section by

section but nevertheless on individual items I don't think we have any choice on this type of bill. The various provisions, for example, that the Minister mentioned, of special mobile machines, and he indicated that scrapers, as one, would no longer have to bear a license plate. Would this apply to scrapers that actually are in movement on Manitoba roads? Not at the time when they're on road construction quite obviously, but these machines are frequently transported on their own from job to job. I wonder what the Minister has in mind there insofar as regulations or special permits for license plates.

Coming to the ••• MR. McLEAN: •••• licenses in connection with the slow moving vehicles, only the requirement that they display a slow moving emblem. We didn't discuss licenses. MR. MOLGAT: Very good, and I thank the Minister for the explanation. Insofar as the school buses and the extra signs that they may display, Mr. Speaker, the legislation is clear in this regard, and it says: "May be equipped." I wonder if this is a wise course of action and whether we shouldn't have uniformity in the type of signs that our school buses do display.

I'm thinking particularly of the larger buses, not of the very small vans that are operated in a number of the areas, but when we come along. to the regular school buses is there not a danger, if there is a multiplicity of types of signs, that the motorist who is to follow the instructions may end up with some confusion, and I trust that when we reach the committee stage we may have in this. regard some advice of experts. It seems to me that this is an area where we want to be particularly careful.

Our young people are being transported all over the province now in buses; an accident could involve very many lives, and I would not wantto see a change here which could end up, through the permissiveness, in having any confusion in the minds of the public. I am going through the bill, Mr. Speaker, in the order in which they appear and not necessarily in the order in which the Minister spoke. Insofar as the provision for head gear for motorcyclists, I wonder what penalty the Minister has in mind in this regard.

Now when he says, "on a highway," when you look at the definition of highway, it is pretty well all inclusive. It covers every street;• lane, back lane, any travelled portion, any trail, really, that exists in the province, and the provision is simply that no person shall operate or ride upon a motorcycle without this head gear. Now what enforcement and what penalties does the Minister intendto apply? Insofar as the right turn on the red light, I'm on the 50 percent side of the Minister's friends who are for the provision, Mr. Speaker. I think it is far overdue.

I really think that we've been spending in certain areas of our province, money investigating whether.we should have turns on red lights or whether we shouldn't, and I frankly can't see the need for it. It's a provision which has been used elsewhere in other jurisdictions for years. The way it is worded here, if there is a special case at a certain intersection where this.is not valid -and there are some where it isn't, I agree- but this merely permits that with putting up a sign it need not be done, And so I commend the Minister.

I heard him the other day saying that he thought the time had come when this should be done. My honourable friend is not always noted for his quick acceptance of new ideas and while this one has taken some time - I felt the time had arrived a few years ago, but I commend him for moving on it now.

The provision for the marking of speed zones I think is a sound one, but unless it appears somewhere else in the Act I think we will have to be careful as to what regulations we apply, because unless we specify that at least at the entry and exit of all municipal corporations there be an indication either there of the speed limit or the fact that you are entering that particular corporation, a motorist could find himself not knowing that he is within, as the Act says, Metropolitan Winnipeg, a city, town or village, and if there are no signs indicating at the entry

1140 April 10, 1969 (MR. MOLGAT cont'd.) ••••• that the speed limit starts there at 30 miles an hour, or that this is the boundary of the village, a motorist may be in a position where he would not be aware at all that he is within the village limits and therefore subject to the speed. So, while I agree that we shouldn't force the corporations to have signs all over the place, I think it must be clear that there must be signs at least at all entry points.

I notice one matter which has been removed from the Act to which the Minister did not refer, and that is the present necessity in the Act for signalling when you are going to pass another vehicle. The Minister appears to not agree with my comment. Unless I misunderstand the Act, it seems to me, and if I may, it's for the clarification of the Minister, Mr. Speaker, not to change the rules, referring to 105(1) on Page 5 of the bill, I think we removed by that new section, a previous subsection in the Act which stated that when you are going to pass a vehicle you must indicate by your turn signal.

Now, again, there may be some sound reasons for doing this and the experience of the department may indicate that this is sound, but it seems to me that we should look at this one carefully.

I think there might be some good reasons for maintaining this so that other vehicles not involved- when you're dealing with simply one vehicle passing another that's one thing, but there are other vehicles sometimes approaching frlDm the back and others from the front, and with the fact that almost all of the cars today are qquipped with mechanical devices to indicate turning, the fact that people no longer have to roll the window down and use a hand signal, I think we should look at this one again and I would ask the Minister to give it further consideration to see if there isn't - or if the experience of the department is such that we might look at this one over again.

There are a number of matters, Mr. Speaker, that are not in the bill which I had hoped the Minister would be prepared to move on. One of them in particular is the compulsory testing of motor vehicles. This is an area again where the Province of Manitoba has been thinking - I suppose the Minister is going to say thinking hard - about the subject but not taking any action. Now just recently, all the members of the House heard the motor vehicle dealers, for example, suggesting certain changes in the Act.

One of the areas where they made a particular recom mendation was the need for all cars having a certificate of road-worthiness. They were making the point that 50 percent of the used cars sold in Manitoba now are sold thvo11gh private channels, that where a car dealer is selling a vehicle, a used car, he must give it a certificate of road worthiness, or if he doesn't, the car cannot be driven away, it must be towed away.

They pointed out that in a number of cases cars that are unfit could be towed away and then resold by an individual to someone else and there is no sanction of any kind, because on private sales there is no need for any kind of a certificate, and that if we are serious about the need for the certificate then we ought to make it applicable all over the province. And this sounds sensible. But rather than take that course, Mr. Speaker, have we not arrived at the point where we should consider the compulsory testing of motor vehicles? And I am not suggesting that this should be done at government expense.

I recognize there is some expense involved in this but I think it would be fair to say to our motorists, "You must have your vehicle inspected once a year or once every six months, " -- whatever is required. The government testing stations would do the testing; the motorist would pay the cost of the test and then be subject to doing whatever repairs the test indicates. We are concerned, Mr. Speaker, all the time about the rising rates of automobile accidents. This is a concern not only in our province but right across the whole of the world, and this is one area where we can make a positive step.

It is being done in certain other jurisdictions. It would get us away from the problem which apparent ly exists presently on the certificates and I think would be a forward step, And I was really hoping that this year the Minister would have been prepared to move o� this, and I commend again, Mr. Speaker, this action to the Minister. There need be no government expense in this.

When you consider the investment that people put into an automobile today, and all you need to find out is go and try and buy a new one, the average prices are going up every year; they are getting, it seems, fancier and fancier all the time, with more gadgets and more chrome, and surely if people can purchase automobiles ranging from two to ten thousand dollars each that it is not unreasonable to say these must be in road-worthy condition and the costs of the test would not in any way be prohibitive. ' One matter that is not in the bill and I wonder what the intentions of the Minister are, if he has any, is the question of snow toboggans.

Does he have any intentions of registration or licensing? I don't know whether he has given this more thought. It was brought up in the House before and I would wonder what recommendations his department has to make in this regard.

April10, 1969 1141 (MR. MOLGAT cont'd.) •• , •• But I want to come back, Mr. Speaker, to what I feel is "the" basic principle in highway traffic laws and which I mentioned at the outset, and that is the need for uniformity; the need for uniformity from a safety standpoint to begin with, Mr. Speaker. If we have varying laws in diff erent parts of.our province with regards to highway traffic and varying laws across our country, I think it can in a number of cases be a cause of accidents. We talk about the increased mobility of people.

The TED Report tells us that tourism can be the fastest-growing industry in Manitoba. Now this means that there are more and more people coming into our province every year. We are spending millions of dollars every year on improving our rmad system. Surely we can get down to the point where we would have a national highway code in Canada, and for that matter why not an international code, Mr.

Speaker, so that the travelling public, the tourists, would know that there is a uniform set of laws across the country, a uniform set of signs, that a sign which they see in the Province of British Columbia means the same thing when they see it in the Province of Manitoba. Now I know the Minister says, well, we-have had conferences and we can't seem to reach agreement. Well, Mr. Speaker, if we can't reach agreement on an international scale or a national scale let's at least start with the three prairie provinces.

Let's get together with Saskatchewan and Alberta and establish one basic highway law applying to the three of us. If we can get more provinces involved, all the better. As I state, I would rather see it right across the board, but let us start somewhere, and the first step in my opinion would be the three pra:irie provinces. If we get those operating on a standard Highway Traffic Act, we will be doing ourselves a great service and we would be making the whole question of transportation and tourism, I think, very much better for everyone. MR . SPEAKER: The Honourable Member for Kildonan. MR .

PETER FOX (Kildohan): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have no objection to the bill and,, as the Leader of the Opposition has stated, it is difficult to speak on the principle since it's an admixture of many things, but I do believe that one of the principles of this bill is to facilitate and make our Highway Traffic Act create a safe condition, and of course make mobility more feasible on our highways.

And I, too, would agree with the Honourable Leader of the Opposition that we want to have things as universal as possible so .that motorists travelling around in our nation would be able to acclimatize themselves very easily when they move from one province to the other. Now, Mr. Speaker, one of the things I noted was that there is a new

section in there in respect to fog lamps, and specifications are spelled out. In regard to this, I think it would also be well to take into consideration in future amendments to the Traff ic Act to specify specifications for the other lamps. Today there are very few lamps that are standard. .

We find that each different make of vehicle has a different intensity and so on, especially with the imported ones, and if we are going to start specifying expecially for fog lamps, which I think is a good idea, we should also start specifying for the other lamps, and I would agree with the Leader of the Opposition that it's time we started road testing and especially in the area of lamps. This is one of the biggest faults on the road today. You travel at night and you have these one-eyed monsters coming at you.

You don't know whether it's on the left or right side of the car, if it's a car, or whether it isn't. and this makes it very hazardous at night. There's one serious thing in regard to this bill and I think should be considered, Mr; Speaker, and that is this new change in regards to the turning on the red light. I have mixed feelings on this, and in particular I am concerned because there are some people'on our highways today who are colour blind, and this may create a problem of these people not knowing whether they are proceeding through on a green light or on a red light.

I think it's time there was some consideration given to altering the shape of our traffic signals so that these would be recognizable by people who are colour blind. I believe this has already been recommended at a conference of highway safety people on the North American continent, and I think it should really be considered here in this province too, There is one other aspect of this bill. There are a number of changes in respect to driving regulations for the public and Pm just wondering whether the Minister is going to indicate to us that there will be any pains taken to inform the public of this.

Now, I do know that the press sometimes takes note of what is said in this Chamber and more often than not they will probably report many of the things. But some of the things may just be missed by them and I do think it is important that the drivers all become aware of the changes pertaining to their persona! habits on the road so that they will be notified of it and thus drive in more

1142 April 10, 1969 (MR. FOX cont'd. ) •• ••• safe conditions. One other question I wanted to ask of the Minister and that was in respect to the Depart ment of National Defence vehicles. Is this standard for the other provinces or are we just moving into this area ourselves at the present time? And I would like to commend the Minister for going ahead and facilitating the licences for people who earn their livel ihood by it, and we will be watching this

section closely to see how .it affects those people who are professional drivers. MR. SPEAKER: The Honourable Member for Rhineland. MR. JACOB M. FROESE (Rhineland): Mr. Speaker, I think the bill that we have before us is a good one. I certainly welcome it. There are many improvements in it, the way I see it, but accor ding to some of the expres sions that have been made by members that have spoken, both by the two previous speakers, I doubt in certain respects whether compulsory testing should be gone into. I certainly have some reservations on this because we'd be hitting at the poorer people in this province.

The people that are more wealthy and have means, they buy the new cars. They buy those cars that are road-worthy, that do not need repairs. But the poorer people in this province have to buy the second-harid cars and they are the ones that will be hit. Now I don't mean to say that any kind of vehicle should be on the road that probably is a hazard, but certainly that to have compulsory testing I certainly have reservations at this time. I think before we do that we should have some investigations made as to the acci dents that are happening on our roads in Manitoba.

Are they really caused by cars that have no defects or are in need of repair, or is it more because of drunken driving? And I still feel that the drunken drivers are causing many more acci dents than a vehicle that probably isn't completely new or hasn't got everythigg up-to-date. And before we go into compulsory testing I would like to see some checks made and some information given to this House. On the matter of special lights for buses, school buses and so on, I think we could devise a much more inexp ensive way than to have these different kinds of lights on buses.

Why do not we only put occasi onal signs on the road, such as Alberta has, that no passi ng of buses when loa ding or unloading ? Then people would know that this is standa rd, that you� re not supposed to pass a bus when they are loading or unloading. Certainly this would be much much cheaper and much less expensive, and people would know. Right now, unless the people know the Act, know the law, they don't know. Jf we had a sign on the highway, and occas ional signs along highway s stating this, people wollld know and I don't think we would need all this expensive equipment on these buses.

I do hope the Minister brings in a sample, when we meet in committee, as to the fog lights. We have a description here of the type of lamp and so on. Maybe it would be of interest to the committee to know just what type of a lamp is meant by the description here under the sections dealing with that matter. I also welcome the matter of allowing for a right turn on a red light. I know in other areas where they have this and apparently it' s working out quite well, and so often it happens that pedestrians will not heed the "Do Not Walk" sign when you come to an intersection and that they'll just keep on crossing.

Even though the driver of an automobile has the right-of-way, still people will be crossing the intersection and you cannot make any moves, and therefore I welcome this because this at least would, lf there is an opening, it would at least give you the opportunity to make a turn when the situation arises. I too welcome the matter of issuing special permits as a privilege to those people that are under suspension so that they can use their vehicles for their daily livelihood. I've spoken on this in past years and I think this is very welcome indeed.

These are a few of the matters that I would like to raise at this par ticular time. I have one other matter but I don't know whether it comes under this particular Act or whether it just involves the Depa rtment of Transportation. I think it's a dual situation and I will make that matter known when we get to committee. MR . SPEAKE R: Are you ready for the question? The Honourable the Minister of Trans portation. MR . McLEAN: Mr.

Speaker, in closing the debate I want to thank the honourable mem bers for their commendation at leas t of those items they approve of, and I'll perhap s make a comment or two about some of the points raised. Just proceeding in reverse order, I'll be speaking about the compulsory testing which was mentioned by the Honourable the Le ader of the Opposition and also by the Honourable Member for Rhineland, and also with regard to school

April lO, 1969_ 1143 (MR. McLEAN cont'd.) ••••• buses. We'll do our besttq have something in the way_ of-a fog. lamp. I wouldn't just like quicldy to say that we would have actual lamps availableJmt _we'il , do our best to have available something in committee that will be as helpful. l!.S possible� · The Honourable Member for Kll donan, speaking of fog lamps and also suggested specifi cations for other lamps, I rather had the impression that The Highway Traffic Act does h<l,ve specifications but if I'm. incorrect in that we will certainly be happy to look into that for further provisions in the Act. MR.

FOX : On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I don't think there's the intensity,there in the regulation. There's only that they must be of white or red and so on, but there's no specifications in regard to what intensity, like there is for the fog lampe_ that you are now introducing, MR. McLEAN: Thank you. We'll look at that with a view to seeing what might be proper under the circumstances. - The matter of the shape of traffic signals, Again, we'll have .a look at that. Informing the public. Actually I think, Mr.

Speaker, that there are not that many changes involved in this legislation with regard to the driving rules but we have more or less. a contin-:" uous program of public information about the driving laws and driving rules.

I suppose they have varying degrees of effectiveness depending on the people concerned, but we note that and certainly that's a very important point. - - The Honourable Member for Kll donan asked about the Department of National Defence, whether or not this was a standard proposal, The Department of National Defence is asking all provinces to agree to this and I believe that it is already in effect in some provinces, but in any event we have indications that other provinces are going to agree to this same request that is being made and I would anticipate that it would be uniform.

Indeed one of the advantage,s in the provision at all is the uniformity, because then the vehicles no doubt are moved from province to province and this would sort of simplify the whole operation as far .as the Dep�rt� , ment of National Devence is concerned. - · I join the Honourable the Leader of the Official Oppo sition in his views with regard to the need of uniformity and the National Highway Code.

I think we are moving fairly well along the way in that direction, and I don't report provincial meetings and being unable to get other provinces to agree; indeed I think we, in the course of the last two years, that we have achieved agreement in uniformity on a number of matters. Now this is always a slow process, of cou:r,"se, and I might just cite one lllustration to show how sometimes our loyalties to this importantpriri ciple are divided.

We would like to follow what is in effect the uniform approach to highway signs, but in many cases communities - and that code, by the way, specifies - and I cite this only as an illustration - specifies that there should be on a sign the name of only one commu nity in any particular direction, so that you point to Ste. Rose as going in one direction, Dauphin in another, but that if you had two communities, and I take that corner as being a good case, Ste. Rose and Rorketon, you may not put both names on because that indicates two places in the same direction.

Now that's what the code says and what we try to maintain, but try and con vince the people at Ste, Rose that because we put Rorketon on- we can't put on ste. Rose, and that's where you begin to get a conflict, sometime s, between what is an important principle and what are local wishes. School buses. I would have to confess, Mr. Speaker, that I wasn't really all that enthusi astic about this particular legislation but it was presented to me that this was a useful method which some school divisions wished to adopt.

I was reluctant to make it compulsory because it may not necessarily be the best method, and again I agree with the idea of uniformity and I'm sort of open to conviction one way or the other about this particular provision, except that there are those who feel that this new proposal is an improvement over the method being used now, I was reluctant to make it compulsory because I felt that it might involve some cons iderable ex pense for certain school authorities. Helmets.

The penalty will be the general penalty which is provided for under the Highway Traffic Act, and those persons who are found to be not complying with it will be prosecuted in the usual way. The penalty will be the general penalty that is provided by the Highway Traffic Act. The marking of speed zones, I think I may have omitted to draw the attention of the mem bers that the wording of the provision indicates that there must be a sign at the entrance to each incorporated village, town, or city, that indicates that that is the entrance and that the 30 mph

1144 April 10, 1969 (MR. McLEAN Cont'd. ) •• •• speed zone is in force except where otherwise posted. That is my understanding, that the provisions in the Bill taken with the general provisions of the Highway Traffic Act require that, and that's a proper suggestion. With regard to signalling, I was afraid someone was going to ask me to explain this. Actually it doesn't mean what !thought it did in the first place and what the Honourable the Lead er of the Opposition thinks. This is a technical correction and the provision regarding signal ling is contained in another section.

In any event, we'll be glad to consider this and if I am in error we can deal with it in committee there. The matters not dealt with in the bill, compulsory testing .of motor vehicles, well this has been a great debate. I merely want to repeat that extensive research in the United States in some of the American states has indicated that compulsory testing of motor vehicles is really not that effective from the standpoint of preventing accidents.

However, I don't discount it as being an important aspect of highway safety but I would point out to him that when he speaks of the motor dealers, of course, they are talking about an inspection system that would be avail able at the time of sale. I think that they would not necessarily be satisfied with the system in which a vehicle that has been tested at any time within the past year would be satisfactory for purposes of sale. They are really talking about a different situation and I am not too certain that a system of compulsory testing, once every year for example, would necessarily meet that situation.

We are alive to the importance of testing. We are also - I am aware of its limita tions. I simply say we are proceeding as fast as we can get money from the provincial treas urer and we think that we are proceeding on the right course. I recognize that there will be those who won't be so sanguine about it and that' s fair enough •••• Snow toboggans. There is no provision regarding registration or licensing of them in this bill. I would think that when and if we come to that decision that it would be done by a separate statute.

I say that because one of the things that concerns me very much is that if we were to write, license or register the snowmobiles under the provisions of the Highway Traffic Act, I would be much concerned that that would be taken to mean perhaps some implied right to use the public roads with them, and so I just say that if it ever comes about - and it may well - it will probably be done by a separate statute, and it's not proposed as part of this bill or not proposed as part of the Highway Traffic Act. MR . MOLGAT: Mr. Speaker, before the question is put, I wonder if I might ask the Minister a question.

In referring to

Section 105, the question of signalling when you are pass ing another vehicle, he indicated that he didn't understand that this was changed. Well, the previous Act 105 had a

section saying, "shall not pass the vehicle without first signalling his in tention to do so in the manner prescribed by sections 116 and 117, 11 and that was

Section A. B and C read as the present Act read under A and B and so it seems to me that it is strictly a re moval of A. Now I wonder if the Minister would make sure that when we reach committee stage we have this matter clarified because it would appear to me at this point that it's the removal completely of one section. MR . McLEAN: Mr. Speaker, if I may, on the point of order, I believe that the provision in the former statute was a duplication of a requirement of another

section of the Highway Traf fic Act - I am sorry I don't have my Act with me - and that this removes the duplication. In any event, we will be ready to deal with it in detail in the Committee. MR . SPEAKE R put the question and after a voice vote declared the motion carried. MR . McLEAN presented Bill No. 20,

an Act to amend The Highways Protection Act, for second reading. MR . SPEAKER presented tre motion. MR . McLEAN: Mr. Speaker, present legislation enables applications to be made to the Highway Traffic and Motor Transport Board for entrances to or exits off highways.

An omis sion was discovered in tl:P-legislation dealing with the situation where there is a service road parallelling and in effect being complementary to a highway, and there is no provision in the present legislation to enable the Highway Traffic and Transport Board to deal with an application to have an entrance onto the highway or off the highway to the service road, and this proposal in the legislation here is to rectify that previous omission.

It arises, as I say, by virtue of having discovered that this was omitted from the present provisions and that at the moment the Highway Traffic and Motor Transport Board do not appear to have jurisdiction to deal with such an ap plication. We wanted to clear that up and make it clear that there was such a right. MR. SPEAKER: Are you ready for the question? The Honourable Member for Ethelbert

April 10 , 1969 1145 (MR. SPEAKER Cont1d. ) •••• Plains. MR. MICHAEL KAWCHUK (Ethelbert Plains): Mr. Speaker, !fullY realize that the blll is just strictly a caretaking bill to bring the Act up-to-date, but I was juSt, wondering what would happen, and I'm not too sure on this point, in the event when the highway is also a street, supposedly like the Metro area here. Would it also. come under the same Act or wlllthrs' in effect supersede the rights given to the. Metro Corporation? MR. McLEAN: Mr.

Speaker, if there are no other speakers - this legislation does 'not deal with highways or streets in incorporated villages, towns, cities or in Metropolitan Win nipeg. This deals with entrances to highways outside of. incorporated •••• MR. SPEAKER put the question and after a voice vote declared the motion carried. MR. EVANS: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Transportation, that Mr. Speaker do now leave the Chair and the House resolve itself into·a committee to consider of the Supply to be granted to Her Majesty. MR.

SPEAKER presented the motion and after a voice vote declared the motion carried and the House resolved itself into a Committee of Supply with the Honourable Member for Souris-Lansdowne in the Chair, COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY MR. CHAIRMAN: Department of Agriculture. 1. (a)-pa ssed ••• The Honourable Member for Lakeside. MR. CAMPBELL: Mr.

Chairman, my only excuse for entering into the debate at all at this time is because I was particularly impressed by the viewpoint of the Honourable Member for LaVerendrye when he spoke to the committee at the opening of the Agricultural Estimates, and I wanted to just develop a trifle further the same line of thought that he presen ted to the Committee, because I hold to the view with him, Mr. Chairman, that agriculture in Manitoba continues to depend .to a very great degree on what happens in other parts of the world.

We simply aren't able to consume our agricultural production in this province; we aren't able to consume very important parts of it in our country; and so we are constrained to depend more and more on the rest of the world, and what happens in the rest of the world is of equal im portance, sometimes greater importance to us, than what happens in our oWn. country.

And that reinforces once again the argument that some of us have been using for years, that the Honour able Member for LaVerendrye emphasized yesterday, that the marketing, finding the markets for our products is really the key question - and I thirik there is a little difference of opinion in the committee on this - is really the key question rather than production.

I have looked, too, at the TED report with regard to what they say about agriculture, and I'm interested to see that they continue to give so much attention to production, and while they do pay some attention to markets as well it seems to me that the emphasis right now needs to be put particularly on the marketing end, but I stlll hold the view, Mr.

Chairman, the farmers, faced with the hazards that they've always had to run and still have to run, they can compete with them pretty well and come up with an answer in the end if they have a market for their product and a reasonable price, and I have the feeling that though in the long run we will have that market, we are almost bound to on account of the world situation, I stlll wonder, faced with the position that we are in right now, what we are going to do in the meantime, The long run may look favourable but how do we get over this immediate situation? lri the long run we undoubtedly face the prospect that there are going to be tremendous demands for food, There doesn't seem to be the same emphasis placed on that growing demand that there was a couple or three years ago.

You don't see as many people writing about the rate between population growth and food production. There seems to be a change in emphasis, but the fact is that we are still going to have the tremendous increases in people. I put the figures on record as I understand them or read them, a year or two ago, Mr.

Chairman, but I think they're worth repeating, that if the experts that I have been reading are correct that the popula tion growths are going to be something spectacular and that those estimates are supposed to be made in the light of the recent information and experience and programs with regard to birth control, because apparently in the areas where the populations are increasing the fas test those particular programs don't seem to have the same impact, and those people tell us, Mr.

Chair man, that it took all the time from recorded history, or even before the time of recorded his tory, all the time of the world up until 193 0, for the world to achieve a population of one and a half billion people, and then within the next third of a century after that, after all the eons that

1146 April 10, 19 69 (MR. CAMPBELL Cont'd. ) •••• had passed before, within a third of a century thereafter that the population doubled to three billion or a little more. And the same people say that by the year 2000 that that population is going to double again, more than double, and be in the neigh bourhood of seven billion people, and the food people say it's almost impossible to contemplate that we can keep up with the food requirements of that population explosion. Another interesting part, Mr. Chairman, is that the increase in population comes from the less developed countries.

If I said to this committee - and I asked the same question a year or two ago - if I said to you today: where will the greatest increase come ? the most of the people, I think, would be inclined to answer China, but the demographers say no, that the great est increase of all is going to come from south Asia, and the second one from east Asia, and the third one from Africa, and the net result of all that is going to be that where we used to have approximately a third of the people of the world in the developed countries, the high standard of li ving countries, that by the year 2000 the experts say that only 18 percent or thereabouts of the population will be in the pres ently well-developed countries, and more than 80 perce nt in the under-developed colllitries.

And what this means to me, Mr. Chairman, in the way of require ments for food, is that the food people are still right, that it will be a race to keep up with the requirements, particularly as it seems that the under-developed countries are not expanding their food production in the way that it had been hoped they would. And when the Honourable Member for La Verendrye mentioned yesterday the fact of Russi an wheat production, it seemed to rather startle some of the members..

He mentioned the fact that in a normal year it wasn't out of the way for Russi a to produce as much wheat as the United States, Canada, Australia and the Argentine put together, the four countries that are traditionally thought to be of the great exporting countries, and this is true, apparently, because it seems that the figur es are much better now, better kept, the statistics are better kept, they are more accurate than they used to be, and that' we have much greater access to them, but the other fact, of course, to go along with that is that Russia is a tremendous consumer as well, and it's not usual for them to enter into the export, the world trade market, to a great degree.

But the other fact that is perhaps less well known, I think, is the extent to which another Asian country and three or four of the European countries are large producers too.

It surprises a lot of people when you remind them that France has traditionally produced three-quarters as much wheat as Canada has, and those of you who have had the opportunity of seei ng that great fertile belt of beautiful agricultural country in France can realize the increased production that there could be there when they adopt more modern methods than they have at present, or at least than they had a very few years ago when I saw them. And this is true in some of the other European countries as well.

But those countries are high population countries and they are not normal, big fac tors in the export market, but they have been increasi ng their production pro grams and they are helped by their government in doing it, and it's mighty tough competition for the traditional exporting countries to engage in competition with them. And perhaps the other factor that all of us realize, is that those countries vary in their yields very little compared to Russia and the United States and Canada. The ones that have been traditionally the big exporting countries have gr eat variation in their yie lds.

Russia in recent years has had a year where it produced twice as much as in another one quite recently. Canada fl uctuates to where, if you take the low of a few years ago with the high of a few years ago, you'll find that it goes as low as one third, practically. The Australian variation is even greater than that, and these are some of the considerations that make it extremely difficult for the tra ditional exporting countries in a time when it happens that the other countries have, of their own, considerable supplies of grain, due to natural conditions and due to governmental policy. And so here we sit, Mr.

Ch:i.irman, with a tremendous impasse on our hands in the form of a great deal of grain that the prospects of marketing which appear at the moment to be pretty bleak. I don't know what the situation is going to be in a short time, but I do know that there are many farmers in Manitoba that have sold a very small quantity of this past year's crop and also have a very large propor tion of the crop before on their hands, and under those circum stances I don't know, quite franldy, what the Minister of Agric ulture and the Department of Agriculture can do.

They can't institute programs to take it off their hands, and I think once again we do have to turn to the feder al government, and when my honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture said yesterday that he hadn't heard anybody from this side of the House - or may be he was applying that just to the NDP group or perhaps even to one individual of the group - anybody propose a blueprint for agriculture here, I think it's pretty difficult to propose a

April 10, 1969 1147 (MR. CAMPBELL Cont'd.) •••• blueprint for agriculture under these conditions.

I think it's almost impossib le to implement a program provincially; I think we've got to look to the national government in a situation of this kind, and I think we have to be hopeful about the international · situation but, that being the most important of all, the international situation is fraught with all sorts of diff iculties; there 's the economics of the situation to deal with; there 's the question of whether the people in those countries are even going to accept the foods that we could offe r to them; but there's a much more difficult one of how they' re going to get paid for it, and the in dividual far mer can't do much about this, and I don't think quite frankly that the Department of Agriculture locally can.

So what do we have to ask under these circumstances, Mr. Chairman? There's only one thing that we can ask, I think, and that is that in view of the world situation, in view of the facto rs that fa ce the fa rmers with regard to the grain position now, that we just about have to ask for a national policy that will recognize the long term situation and in some way equip the farmers to wait out for that long term situation. Now, how do we do it?

My honourable friends this year, in the New Democratic Party, have proposed a couple of resolutions that I think have some merit, and the same ones were proposed on other occasions, I believe, from this side of the House, and I don't intend to debate one of those resolutions that's presently befo re the House but apparently the government side favour an alternative that I for one do not believe to be as good, because after all, Mr. Chairman, . haven't we a right under circumstances of this kind to expect that the national government try and develop the blueprint that my honourable friend is talking about?

We've just about got to depend on them to carry the immediate situation and to promote the long term best program, as I see it. So what is it. Well, I have a lot of faith in this two-price system as a start.

I know it's not the answer, I know it isn't the answer for long term and I don't like subsidies and better than anybody else does, but it seems to me that it' s a start, and it seems to me that recognizing the variation in our own yields in Canada, in the prairie provinces, and recognizing the fact that whether we like it or not we have to compete both with the capability for produetion in other lands and with the government policies that en couraged production in some of those countries, that we must get to something of the ever nor mal granary type of philosophy where we recognize the situation that the farmers are placed in and make some arrangement to tide them over until the better days that we hope are coming.

Now are they coming ? I don't know. I guess they're coming. My honourable friend the Minister of Mines and Natural Resources is convinced that they're coming. I guess they are, but what do we do in the meantime, Mr. Chairman? That's the question I think that faces us here, and I haven't got any easy answers to that question. What do we do in the meantime ?

I know that there are many farmers that have been doing pretty well; I know that there are many farmers who are in a parity income position; but I also know that that's not the average farm er, that a great many of them are not in that position and they can't cope under the situation that fa ces them right at the moment. And Mr.

Chairman, I don't think that easy credit is the an swer unless you can look at the longer term situation and honestly feel that there's a better than even chance of them getting out of this situation into a more profitable line. ( I purposely have not attempted to cover the range of the agricultural subjects. I know that there are differences of opinion, I know that there are diffe rences of approach.

I know that we can talk about the livestock area being in much better shape than the straight grain growers, but in the meantime rm very much concerned about the position of the farmer who is one of the many in the Province of Manitoba who faces what appears to me right now to be an almost im possible situation in order to put in this new crop - and I'm speaking of the grain farm ers of course - in order to put in this new crop with any sense of confidence at all while he faces the prospect of full bins on his farm of last year's crop and the one before it.

In all my years in this House I don't think I have seen the situation for the grain farm er more doleful than it is at the moment. And I'm not blaming the Minister of Agriculture for this situation, and quite frankly I don't think that the Department of Agriculture here can do a great deal about it, but I do think that we should be trying to establish the seriousness of the situation with the federal government and saying to them that we just have to have this national policy.

Now, I don't know what took place at the recent meeting that some of our friends have talked about, but I do think that the one thing the Manitoba government should be doing is recognizing the difficu lties of the situation that exists and pressing for national assistance. I couldn't help but pay some attention to what the report of the Commission on Targets for Ec onomic Development had to say� You are aware, Mr. Chairman, and without telling any state

1148 April 10 , 19 69 (MR. CAMPBELL Cont'd. ) •••• secrets I guess I could say that I think you were the one who rather shares with me a bit of a lack of enthusiasm for the pronouncements of these experts in these fie lds, and when I get a volume such as this -- by the way I do intend to ask sometime soon and I could give my honourable friend the Minister of Fi nance notice now, that I would like to know what was the total cost of producing this particular document. I'd be interested in know ing that.

But when I see the amount of resear ch that is indicated in this volume and look at the names of those who formed the committee itself and then the many chairman advisory commit tees and then the pages and pages and pages of advisory committee members, I really had to read to the committee one of the things that they have come up with. This is on Page 40 and 41, and I must put it on record, Mr. Chairman, because I think it's characteristic of how little even capable groups of this kind can propose for us in concrete terms under a situation that we face right now.

I haven't been able to propose very much my self, but af ter all I'm not paid the way these folks are and I don't pretend to have the technical knowledge that was represented by the many experts here. Here's what they say: "The Co m mission's examination of Manitoba's situation gives rise to both optimism and concern.

Opti mism springs from recognition that Manitoba is a province with large material resources well along the path of self-g enerating economic development, strategically located, politically stable, peopled with a vigorous , diverse, educated breed, solidly implanted in a growing nation res pected around the world for the quality of its institutions and the promise of its fu ture.

Con cern arises from the pres ent, although far from universally, of a nagging attitude of provincial ism, inward-looking, faul t-finding , querulous turn of mind and spirit, linked with complacency among some and with indiff erence or hostility among others. The material constraints referred to throughout this report - relative size of indigenous market, distance from major population centres, the rigors of the win ter climate, the incipient loss of talent to presently more dynamic environments - are either correctable or compensable given intelligence and time.

"It is with constraint of the spirit that the Co mmission is most concerned as it seeks to mark out the road to 19 80 . In assessi ng the world around Manitoba and in identifying in that world the key ingredients of economic success stories, the Commis si on has been struck by the relative importance of determination, energy and achievement ori entation in the building of strong and happy economies in cities, provinces and nations.

The wealth of nations arises ap parently as much from the heart as from the hand, and in the most striking cases, without much correlation with initial material resources, many with the least material wealth, the Japanese for one, have made the most progress in modern times toward reaching their economic goals. The road to 19 80 will be best travelled, in the Commi ssion's opinion, if Manitoba takes that lesso n to heart. " Well, Mr. Chairman, there's a lot that I could agree with in that but there' s a good bit I disagree with too.

I don't think that people are just being querulous and inward-looking and fault-finding if they'r e honestly trying to point out the diffic ulties that beset us. I think it's a fool 's paradise if we don't recognize the Situation that we're faced with, and it seems to me it's seri ous and difficult, and while I applaud this noble sentiment about the wealth of nations arises apparently as much from the h�>,art as from the hand, I don't think there is any group in the world has got more heart than the farmers have.

Even in the face of adverse circumstances they have lots of heart, but what can they turn their hand to these times. I lmow that some of them have diversified - I know they can. If everybody diversified and fo llowed the trail toward livestoc k production, we'd soon be so over-produced livestoc k-wise that we'd be in the same pos ition there that we are with the grain. I know that individuals are fo llowing these programs with success, but what about the rank and fi le ? That's the question that I ask. And as you thumb through this, I'm concerned, Mr.

Chairman, with the lack of program that these so called experts have been able to come up with as far as agriculture is concerned. I hope they've done better in some other regards. Up to date I've only had time to devote my time to the ag ricultural sections. I may as well say one other thing while I'm talking about this particular report.

It doesn't belong to agriculture, but I think they are entirely gratuitous and going outside their fiel d when they become so interested in the prog ram of the Departmen t of Industry and Co m merce that they take the posi tion of advising the Premier of the province what he should do with regard thereto. I think it's perfectly within their right to state their posi tion as to what they believe should be done in the different fie lds, that's what they were set up to do, but when they undertake what I think is a matter of policy within a government and they start promoting

April 10 , 1969 1149 (MR. CAMPBELL Cont'd. ) •••• one particular branch of the department and telling the Premier what position he should take with regard to it, then I think they're going outside their field. So you can see, Mr. Chairman, that as far as I'm concerned I don't get a great deal of assistance from this report agriculturally speaking. A great many of the members have started off by congratulating the Minister of Agricul ture upon his appointment and saying that they consider it to be the most important portfol io ,in the government. I agree with the part about the importance of the portfol io. HON.

J. DOUGLAS WATT (Minister of Agriculture)(Arthur): •••• might be better right now, I should say to the Honourable Member from Lakeside, MR. CAMPBELL: I didn't hear my honourable friend. MR. WATT: Condolences might be better instead of congratulations. MR. CAMPBELL : Well I was going to say that I congratulate him on his position; I cer tainly have a lot of sympathy for him in the position that he fac es because I think it's a diff icult one for any Minister of Agriculture. I believe he will give his very best to working at it and I am a great believer in a practical farmer having tha� position.

I think he'll give his best, but I think that we're faced with very difficult circumstances and I think it demands the very best attention from all of us and I think it's a case where all of us could submerge our personal views, and what we might think were our Party interests for the moment, in endeavouring to L present a united front to the only government in Canada, the federal one, that can do anything about it.

I doubt that they can do too �uch at the, moment, but they should be working at a pro gram to tide us over situations like this so that one is available in the futu re. - (Interjection) - What should it be ? That's a good question. rll tell you later when I deliver the second installment. • • • • • continued on next page.

1150 April 10, 1969 MR. CHAIRMAN: The Honourable Member for Morris . MR. WARNER JORGENSON (Morris) : Mr. Chairman, the Hous e, as usual when the Honourable Member for Lakeside rises to speak, heard words of wisdom and experience. I am always interested in what the honourable member has to say because his number of years of experience in this House has given him the authority and the respect which he commands whenever he rises to speak on any subj ect.

I was very interested in some of the remarks that he made in connect ion with the difficulties in agriculture, and I don' t want to take up too much of the time of the House but I was prompted to rise to my feet today because of some remarks that were made in this House by someone that normally you would not have expected to have heard on the subj ect of agriculture, the Honourable Member for Burrows.

I found in his remarks some interes ting observations, so interesting as a matter of fact that I would venture to say that if the Member for Churchill and the Member for Burrows were to call aside those three farm experts on that side of the House - the Honourable Member for Brokenhead, the Honourable Member from Ethelbert Plains and the Honourable Member from Inkster - they could perhaps benefit from the words that they have uttered in this House, and I just want to recall some of the things that were said by these two gentlemen.

To deal first with the comm ents made earlier in the sessi on on another subj ect by the Honourable Member for Churchill, and I won't repeat his remarks as they appeared in Hansard because I'm afraid the terminology might offend the sensibilities of the Honourable Member from Inkster, but I' ll paraphrase it. What he did say was that if he made a mist ake or a group of people made a mis take that was their responsibility and they would take the blame for it and they were perhaps the ones that would suffer, but when the government makes a mist ake then everybody suffers .

I think that is an obse rvation that to me se ems to be contrary to the philosophy of the honourable gentlemen in the NDP Party, because they seem to be, in their remarks in this House and some of the sugges tions that they've made seem to want the govern me nt to take and assume the responsibility for practically everything in this country . The Honourable Member for Burrows men tioned a few things that I want to comment on. One of them was the problem of the inequitable or the unequal distribution of food.

It' s a chal lenging question, it' s one that has puzzled people throughout the years, and it•s been many years since first efforts were made to attempt to devise some syst em whereby many of the nations of the world who are not producing enough food for thems elves and their people would have an opportunity to get a supply of food that would enable their peoples to survive and pre vent them from starving. I had the honour and the privilege in 1961 of attending the Food and Agriculture Organi zation mee ting in Rome.

It happened to be the particular year that the world food program was introduced by Can ada as a resolution and adopted by that body, and later ratified by the United Nati ons . I me ntion this only because of the difficulties that we experienced during that period in attempting to convince, not the "have" nations, not the nations with the food but the develop ing nations, those who had starving people, the difficulties of convincing those people to adopt such a program . And when you come to realize their point of view it is really not as difficult to understand as it might appear on the surfac e.

We have the same problems in this country . Our farmers, our producers, our man ufacturers, our labour, are all confronted with that same problem . They don' t like to have their efforts in the produc tion of the goods or the food that they are engaged in producing undercut by prices of commodities dumped into their markets . Farm organizations in this country for years have been asking for anti-dumping duties, have been asking for embargoes , have been asking for tariffs on agricultural comm odi ties coming into this country as well as manufacturing industries have. And it was the same with these people.

They argued, quite logically, that they had a responsibility as governments to ensure the development of their agricultural potential. They felt that agriculture in those countries wa s basic to the development of their economies and they wanted all sorts of safe guards placed in any resolution that was adopted by the Food and Agriculture Organization, all sorts of safeguards to ensure that this was not going to be just another surplus dumping sc heme on the part of the "have" nations.

We went through quite an experience in attempting to convince them and to make amendments to the original res olutions to safeguard against that possibility. And so in the consideration of disposing of the surpluses that we prod uce in this country we must take care to ensure that you'r e not going to interfere with the development of the economies of those nations that you are attempting to help. The other point that was raised by the Honourable Member for Burrows, and I must

April 10, 1969 1151 (MR. JORGENSON cont'd) ..... congratulate him on these points because they are pertinent points in the development of agricultural policies in this country, and I hope that he will take the three gentlemen aside that I mentioned earlier and lecture them very sternly on these matters - and that will include the Member for Churchill too - because it might rationalize their thinking and then they may not come into the House here and make the proposals and the observations that they do make.

He mentioned the development of new varieties of rice, and it is true that the newer varieties of rice will most certainly, because of the increase in pro duction of particular yields, will most certainly have an impact on our exports. It has often been said that the reason .that the Chinese were buying wheat from us is be cause they were starving. That was not the case . The situation in China was simply one of good sound economics as far as they were concerned.

They could sell a ton of rice for enough money to buy two tons of wheat and feed more people - just sound business - and they continued to do that because it was sound business. But will they continue to do that if they can produce double the quantity of rice off a given acreage? It doesn't seem possible. Or triple the quantities ? And it doesn't only apply to rice. Pakistan today has a sample of wheat at the Board of Grain Commissioners testing laboratories, a new variety that they are using, to find out its milling qualities .

India and Pakistan could conceivably be exporting nations within a few years if the technology that is currently available to them is put to use . It has been the lack of the use of that technology in India an:d Pakistan has been more of a social problem than it has been a technological one, but they'r e sl owly overcoming that and it most certainly will have an im pact on the total volume of grain that's going to be available for export out of this country.

The Honourable Member for Lakeside mentioned just a few moments ago the quantities of wheat that Russia is producing, and I have here the Report of the Canadian Wheat Board for the last crop year of 1967 -68 and they list the production in the last year of the major wheat exporting countries . The U. S. S. R. is the top producing nation. In the 1966 -67 crop year she produced 3, 603, 000, 000 compared to 2, 840, 000, 000 bushels last year. The Asiatic countries produced 2, 220, 000, 000 bushels. The North American continent was third.

We produced 2, 203, 000, 000 and western Europe produced 1, 908, 000, 000 bushels ; while eastern Europe, 737 million; and then South America, 349 million; Oceania, 291 million - and I understand that Australia today has a 525 million bushel crop and most certainly this is going to .have an impact on our ability to move grain; and Africa is last with 220 million bushels .

Now the question can very legitimately be raised, particularly in the light of the state ment that was made in the United States just recently by the President of the Farm Bureau, when he advocated the scrapping of the International Grains Arrangement which wa�;� the succes sor to the International Wheat Agreement which for many years in my opinion, and I think in the opinion of the grain experts in this country, kept some rationale and some common sense in world wheat marketing.

If the International Grain Arrangement is to be sc rapped, we will go back to the chaotic years that preceded the adoption of the International Wheat Agreement, and if you think we have got trouble now in marketing then one can only imagine the difficulties that will face farmers in this nation if the Americans are successful in sc rapping the Inter national Grains Arrangement.

There is no question that at the present time prices are being undercut, but I would think that rather than throwing the baby out with the bath water that a meeting of the signatories to the Internationa Grains Arrangement could be held and perhaps a more realistic floor price es tablished in the light of present marketing conditions. It might mean a reduction in the present floor levels but that would be a lot better than the scrapping of the entire arrangement. The Honourable Member .also mentioned the advent of synthetic products. This is posing some difficulties and it has over the years.

We remember the debates that took place in this House on the question of margarine for a number of years, and this is the inevitable result. The development of synthetics is the inevitable result of the application of rigid prices which do not permit the adjustment to changing market conditions, and everyone here in this House knows how rapidly those conditions are changing. We seem to have, as the Honourable Mem ber for Lakeside said, little or no control over what is happening in international markets, or wh at technology will do.

You have to remain flexible enough to cope with the situations as they develop, and I am not one that ever advocated the placing of any industry, and particularly one as dynamic as agriculture, in an economic strait jacket. This does not say that I am not in favour of some stability; this does not say that I do not think, as the Honourable Member for

11 52 April 10 , 19 69 (MR. JORGENSON cont'd) ..... Lakeside has said, that someth ing is needed now to save an industry in what could very well be a disaster period. But if we are going to develop policies that will prevent the repetition of the very situation that we are faced with today then we have got to think beyond tomorrow, long range policies that will enable an industry to adjust to a changing climate.

And as difficult as it may be for us in this House to have to continue to say that the rationale must be developed by the federal government, it is a known fact that much of the policy that affects agriculture is on a national basis.

One of the real problems that we face in agriculture is the difficulty - farmers are a unique group in that respect - the difficulty of getting them to speak with one voice, of developing amongst themsel ves, because of the variety of indus tries that are within the industry, you have one part of the agricultural economy developing or asking for protection, such as the fruit and vegetable growers, from imports ; and another sec tor will be asking for freer trade. You have one group asking for subsidies and another group telling the government "hands off'• .

It doesn• t seem to mat ter what you do in one part of the country, it adversely affects another part. It is not an easy problem to resolve. What might have another effect on our ability to produce, and it might be a beneficial one, is some thing I read recently - and I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman, that I do not have the date of this publication but it is from the Winnipeg Free Press and it' s a foreign news exclusive. The heading of the

article says, "European Common Market Unveils Farm Plan" . They are suggest ing some pretty radical and drastic changes in their farm economy in the light of the conditions that have overtaken them there, and it could have quite an impact on Canadian pro duction patterns . The first suggestion is that 12. 5 million acres are to be taken out of pro duction in the common market countries and turned over to tree planting and refores tation to help meet a growing world wood shortage. Here is the irony - surpluses on the one hand and shortages on the other.

I recall the sugges tion made by the former Minister of Agriculture in Ottawa several years ago that we adopt this very same program . It was ridiculed - it was ridiculed by a subsequent Minister of Agriculture the Honourable Mr. Greene. He said a tree planting program would be very beneficial to dogs but it wouldn't help humanity too much. He received a lot of laughter over that obse rvation but I don' t know whether there was much wis dom to it. The secon d point.

An economic minimum of 20 0 to 30 0 acres to be established for a wheat farm, which is considerably more than - we would consider that to be a pre tty small farm in this country - but it' s considerably more than the wheat acreages that they have in those countries today. A herd of 40 to 60 cows to be the economic minimum for a dairy unit, and to reduce butter production, 25 0, 000 cows to be slaughtered annually over a ten year period and a bonus of $25 0 paid to farmers for each slaughtered cow. And in chicken farming, 10 , 000 laying hens to be the unit size.

Farmers to be paid premiums to sell or lease their land to larger farm units and the farm popultion to drop to five million throughout the common market by 19 80 . And finally they sugg est that a ceiling of 50 0 million dollars to be placed on common market agricultural subsidies by 19 80 against the two billion dollars that they are cur rently subsidizing agricultural farm products .

So after years of experience in the European Common Market countries , they now real ize that the policies that are being advocated by my honourable friends opposite have not worked out and they are sugg esting a reversal of those policies to enable their agriculture to adjust to changing economic and technological conditions . We face that problem in this country. It takes greater wisdom than I have ever been able to accumulate to find the answer to it, but I agree with the Honourable Member for Lakeside that perhaps the collec tive wisdom of all of us, including the farmers , can and must find the answer.

Thank you. MR. CHAIRMAN: The Honourable Member from Brokenhead. MR. SAMUEL USKIW (Brokenhead) : Mr. Chairman, I was not going to continue rem arks on the Minister' s salary, but in view of the fact that the Honourable Member for Lakeside added to what has already been said - and I want to compliment him on the way in which he pre sented his remarks - I wa s looking indeed for some support the other day and it has finally come through.

The Honourable Member for Morris seems to imply that the group or the people or the members of our group are always :;tdvocating ad hoc policies that were really being rejected L1 other sp heres in the wor ld that have pr oven to be not wo rkable, and I just want to point out to my honourable friend the Member for Morris that we have been one of those groups that have been for a long time advocating -- in fact at the time when my

April 10, 1969 1153 (MR. USKIW cont'd) ..... Honourable friend from Morris was representing the constituency of Provencher in the federal House, we were advocating that Canada have a national farm policy, that we designate the areas that we want increases in production, the areas in which we want to curtail production, and the program that would provide some incentive for producers to make some movement in some reasonable direction. And I want to point out, Mr.

Chairman, that my honourable friend, and the government of the day, did have an opportunity to imple ment some so rt of a meaningful program whereby the farmers of this country would have a bit of planning done in agriculture, some guideline on which they would base their production, but Mr. Chairman, I want to say, with all due respect, that my honourable friend being in the position to do something about it did not do anything about it and he finds himself in this Legis lature today making a speech of what ought to be done, when he was in a position to do it, Mr.

Speaker, a few years ago. 'Now this is something that I find difficult to understand, and I don•t accept the proposi tion that it is only now that something ought to be done. It ought to be done years ago, Mr. Chairman, twenty years ago there ought to have been some direction given to the industry in Canada. There has never been and there still isn't, and I still don't know, Mr. Chairman, what position the government of Manitoba is taking with respect to the farm conference at Ottawa. What is our proposal ? Do we have proposals ? They haven't revealed anything, Mr.

Chairman, except to criticize res olutions emanating from this side of the House, and Mr. Chairman, I don't say that we have all the answers. But I expect if there is criticism of some thing that is proposed from this side of the House let•s see the alternatives , maybe I'l l support them, Mr. Chairman, but empty talk is not going to solve the problems of agriculture and I would hope that the Honourable Member from Morris would have something more to offer. MR. CHAffiMAN: The Honourable Member for Ethelbert Plains . MR.

KAWCHUK: I too want to join my colle ague from Brokenhead in making a few comments on the remarks of the Honourable Member for Morris . He had indicated that he was in favour of having the prices under the National Grain Agreements lowered so the expor ting countries, namely Canada, could enjoy a more favourable position in exporting grain to the importing countries . I see he has left his seat now and probably will be unable to answer the question I have posed, which is very typical of the behavior of our friend, He is joining wr group. Have you got a membership?

Probably by the time I finish posing my question he will be back in his seat. The fact is that in order to reduce the price of our grain to be more competitive on the world market, does he propose that the farmers of Western Canada compete with the federal treasuries of other countries, because all other exporting countries are now having a subsidy program for farmers.

And if I can just cite one particular situation, we have in France, for instance, the government of France is paying $1. 23 by way of subsidy per bushel of barley whereby in the country of Canada the producer only receives $1 . 06 in all, so you can see that the government of France is subsidizing more than what the producer receives in the country of Canada. I was just wondering whether or not our honourable friend would be in a position to indicate to this House whether or not he would favour a subsidy be paid to the grain pro ducers of this country the same as is the case in all other exporting countries .

MR. CHAffiMAN: The Honourable Member for Rhineland. MR. GREEN: I just wonder if he would let me just say that I am rising to my feet to address the House only so that I won't fall out of the "Big Three" to which the Member for Morris has put me. MR. CHAmMAN: I didn't hear what the honourable member said. MR. GREEN: ...• didn't hear me. The Honourable Member from Morris indicated that there are three agricultural experts for the New Democratic Party.

The Member for Brokenhead has spoken and the Member for Ethelbert has spoken, and I rise merely so that I won' t fall out of the "Big Three" into which he has placed me. MR. FROESE: Mr. Chairman, I think we have listened to a very interesting debate this afternoon. I certainly enjoyed it but I feel that the need is there that we must do something about the situation. We can discuss long term ways of solving this situation, but we know that the authority for this lies in the federal field and that we are so helpless at the moment under this situation.

When we take a lo.ok at the TED report, and as reported by the Honourable Member for Lakeside who read a portion, I feel the same way he does, that the trend today, unless you go into debt you cannot expand as a farmer, you cannot expand your operations,

11 54 April 10 , 1969 (MR. FROESE cont'd) ..... and if you do you must go into debt. This is the situation for most of the farmers, and when you take a look at the older farmers or those who own their property, that have paid for it, they think twice about expanding and going into debt, and therefore we have this attitude prevailing at the present time. The only alternative to this is to set up a corporation and in this way limit your liabilities that you will be facing in case som ething does go wrong.

Then too you require borrowed funds for that purpose, but this is the only alternative and the only way you can expand. So here we are faced with this situation, and at the same time the profit margin, or if there are any pro fits, this is also thinning out and is getting less and less, they' re getting smaller and smaller year by year because of the interest charges, because of the increased costs of farming and taxes. Everything costs more and as a result your margins are getting smaller and smaller. So, Mr.

Chairman, the only logical thing that I can come to is come to the same thing that I have advocated in this Ho use on previous occasions, and the only thing that I think that this government can do under this situation is to provide inland storage.

I'm still convinced that this is the only thing that we can do and that we should do at this particular time, because the Honourable Member for Morris just mentioned the increased production of food materials across the world and that the farm ers of this province will be able to deliver very little of their crop, the past year's crop to the elevators and get the cash for it. So my opinion is that we should get busy now and provide inland storage. And I've stated this on a previous occa sion, this need not be expensive storage at all.

Compared to what the storage facilities cost at the La.kehead, this could be very minimal or nominal, and also that the cost s of providing the storage facilities would be paid for and that we would not have a repeating charge on every bushel of grain that you store charged to you . This would do several things. First of all, it would put cash into the farmer s' hands.

This would certainly alleviate the situation, not only ju st for the pres ent but also for the com ing year I feel, that if these facilities were being used and that this could be done under the present line elevator companies or the pool, whatever you have in these various localities, their facilities could certainly be used as far as weighing and what have you, so that in this way they could act as agents of the Wheat Board and that the farmer could get his cash for his crop. I also mentioned the lower cost of storing.

The cost, once your facilities would be paid for, and I think the go vernm ent could pay for these facilities so that this would also ease the burden of the farmer in cost. Then another thing that it would do, in my opinion, is it would probably exert greater pressure on the federal authorities to take some action, because the amount of grain sold would add to the inventory of the Canadian Wheat Board, and, as such, they would find this grain on their hands and they would probably take other actions to get rid of it and find other areas and ways and means of trading with other countries .

Then too it would either add or restore a measure of prosperity for the farmers of Manitoba . We need this in the worst way, because if things are going to keep on the way they are now we'l l see more bankruptcies, not only farmers but businesse s as well as a result, because this will have a chain reaction, so that we need to assist and correct this measur e.

We also know that we• re facing a new crop year, and if farmers are unable to deliver last year' s crop they will then be forced to provide new storage facilities if we do not take some action as a government, and I feel that they certainly will not be in a position to put up new storage facilities for next year' s crop when many of them already have found it very difficult to store their pres ent crop. This would also give the Manitoba farmers a larger quota, under which they are really handicapped right now. We find the provinces to the west have larger quotas for their farmers .

We are in the worst situation as far as the three prairie provinces are concerned as far as the quotas are concerned, and this would ce rtainly also be of help. Mr. Chairman, this is the only answer I can see that can come forward and where we can do someth ing to give immediate help to the situation, and I'd really appeal to the govern ment to give consideration to this matter and do som ething in this connection, because as I see it, this is the only way that we can be of help to the farmer at the present time. MR. CHAIRMAN: The Honourable Leader of the Opposition. MR. MOLGAT: Mr .

Chairman, before we leave the ma tter of the Minister's salary, I ju st want to add a very few words on the subject of agriculture . I was very impre ssed today at the growing group of agricultural experts in this Hous e. We now, I'm told, have three

April 10, 1969 1155 (MR. MOLGAT cont'd) ..... experts plus two side experts I think it is on my left, and on the government's side, where las t year we were in a position where we didn•t even have a Minister of Agriculture, this year we find we have two, so we• re very relieved on this. side, Mr. - Speaker, to see this growing interest, particularly on the government side. I think it' s been very common, Mr.

Chairman, to say. that ·the majority of the. problems in agriculture really lie in the federal field and that there may not be much that we can do pro vincially, and to a certain extent I share that point of view, There is one area, however, where I think that Manitoba c!!-n take some action, There are others, but one in particular and one that concerns I think most of the farmers in Manitoba and certainly those in my consti tuency, and that is much better information on marketing, much better information on what they should be producing.

When we consider the business aspects in Manitoba, the Department of Industry and Commerce prepares countless reports. If you want a report on the production of pottery in the Province of Manitoba the Department of Industry and Commerce will produce it for you. It has reports coming out of its ea rs ; they• re stacked I don• t know how high in the departmental office. I would suspect that some of them are almost burying the staff there, Mr. Chairman.

Reports dealing with marketing of all sorts of things, This is available to business men; similarly business itself is constantly conducting its own market research. No business enterprise today of any size starts a project without first of all analyzing what the market is going to be. Now we can• t expect individual farmers to do .that; it' s just beyond their capacity.

Even if they are big farmers, even if they happen to be running a herd of lives tock of say 500 or 1, 000 head, or if they'r e running a farm of two or three or six or eight sections, they do not have the possibility of asses sing the market conditions. They can•t have. This is an area where government must accept the responsibility. When you consider for example, the situa tion this year, the farmers are overloaded with grain and yet a production season is coming along and they can't leave their land idle. Now where are they to head?

Are .they to proceed and grow more wheat or should they switch to mustard seed or shouid they go into rape? Un less they have fairly cl ear indication from government as to what the likely market areas are going to be; recommendations as to the direction in which they should be going, they find themselves in the hopeless position of either carrying on with the same practices that they have in the past and growing the same crops, and adding further to the problems of surpluses.

Now I recognize that the Minister cannot change that overnight, it' s not something that you can do all of a sudden and it's not likely something that can be done just by the Manitoba government, but this is an area where I think the Manitoba government, along with the other two prairie provinces and the federal government's Department of Agriculture, must take a · much more positive stand. I'm convinced that there are areas that we have not explored suf ficiently.

In the case of Manitoba, with the excellent purebred livestock herds that we have in this province, I think we could be having a much more aggressive sales effort in foreig.n coun tries for the sale of our specialized purebred cattle, Now this means a very determined effort in that particular field, and I know we•ve been having some groups come over to the province here from Japan and from Europe, but I think that we have to do more than that and we have to take the lead, that we• re really not doing enough in this area and that we could be exporting very substantial, or mucn greater numbers of purebred cattle than we have been doing in the past.

Comments were made today about the wheat-growing capacities of other nations . My colleague the Member for Lakeside mentioned the wheat-growing capacity of France for ex ample, and it' s true, and yet we find that France is unable to supply itself with red meat. While their wheat production is far beyond their consumption, they are importers of beef. This is an area where we could be supplying part of it, although distance probably precludes us from supplying the beef for consumption, but we may well be. in a position to supply, in reverse, purebred herds .

We know that in the last few years the reverse process of one par ticular breed, Charolais, have been coming into the province, or into Canada. We may have in other areas some special advantages which we could be stressing to them. So I want to stress, Mr. Chairman, what I think is the major need, certainly for the far

Document details

Collection	Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	28-3-48
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	28th 3rd hansardpdf 48.pdf
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	701978341d842646a6c48cc070b29c20a4a5544d

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