Volume 3 PROVINCE OF NEWFOUNDLAND THIRTY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NEWFOUNDLAND 3rd. Session VERBATIM REPORT MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1974 SPEAKER: THE HONOURABLE JAMES M. RUSSELL Number 12

February 18, 1974, Tape 275, Page 1 -- apb The House met at 3:00 p.m. Hr, Speaker, in the Chair. MR. SPEAKER: Order please: The honourable Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing: HON. H.R.V.EARLE (Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing): Mr, Speaker, on February 1, the Minister of Regional Economic Expansion announced that the level of DREE funding in the province over the ten year period covered by the General Development Agreement will not be less that $100 million per year. This amount is considerably higher than the annual level of DREE spending over the last few years.

It has been made clear by DREE, however, throughout our negotiations that while DREE is prepared to make this level of funding available, the amount which they are prepared to spend on water, sewerage and highway work will be limited. The conditions for cost--eharing which have been described in the General Development Agreement do not permit the funding of such general works designed to improve and equalize standards of public service across the province. (I think I should repeat that, Mr.

Speaker.) The conditions for cost-sharing which have been described in the f;eneral Development Agreement do not permit the funding of such general woru designed to improve and equalize standards of public service across the province.

While the provincial government has pressed for this prorlsion as the needs . of our people are well known in this regard, DREE has made it quite clear that it is not prepared to fund all such requirements, Instead DUE baa agreed that it will assist the province in providing~ these aerv1ces where they relate to specific development opportunities and to the alleviation of major bottlenecks to development and/or the creation of long-term employment. The provincial 1overnment recognizes that levels of municipal services vary greatly throughout the province.

Our government is acutely aware of communities which lack proper water and sewerage facilities, However, the General Development Agreement ia not designed primarily as an 920

February 18, 1974, Tape 275, Page 2 - apb instrument for reducing disparities in municipal service levels. It is therefore irresponsible that the honourable member for White Bay South and the_opposition should invite municipalities to present a list of their water and sewerage and road re·quirements to the province for inclusion in this programme of federal funding. The opposition has done a great disservice to our people by prematurely speculating about agreements currently under negotiation with Ottawa. MR. W.N.ROWE: Point of order, Mr. Speaker. MB.. NEARY : Sit down. HR. SPEAKER: Order please! HR.

W.N.ROWE: Point of order, Mr. Speaker. The honourable member is so wrapped up in his nonsense he does not know what point of order means. Is it permissible. Sir, for a minister ot riae in this Bouse and in a ministerial statement criticize the activities of the opposition in a highly partisan - question my motives as a member of this Rouse in a highly partisan fashion? SOME HON. MEMBERS: (Inaudible) HR. F.B.ROWE: MR. MARSHALL: The Speak.er can make up his own mind. Whether the honourable minister .•• SOME HON. MEMBERS: (Inaudible} MR. SPEAKER: Order pleas•! MR.

MARSHALL: The honourable Minister of Municipal Affairs is merely making a statement on an official and an important matter. 921

February 18, 1974 Tape 276 Alluding to the member for White Bay South perhaps detracts from the importance of the statement he was making but it is an official statement on the relationship of the government, of his department, to the DREE agreement, the general agreement. As such it is perfectly in order. MR. E. ROBERTS (LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION): Mr. Speaker, speaking to the point of order. If I may, I confess I do not have the citation. Although. if Your Honour would wish to take a little recess, we could find it.

It is out of order in any statement for any gentleman, including the gentleman from Fortune Bay, to question the motives. Furthermore, ministerial statements are merely indications of the government's intentions. I submit that the minister's statement goes far beyond that, Sir. The minister is trying to touch off a debate. He is trying to do it unfairly, one-sidedly and in a cowardly fashion. Therefore, Sir, I submit that that part of his statement is out of order.

His statement as a statement of the ministries· policy is in order but the second half of it is a cowardly and a base attempt not worthy of the minister. MR. W. ROWE: Yes, it is worthy of him. more than worthy of him. MR, SPEAKER: Order, please. I shall take the whole matter of the honourable minister's statement under advisement and rule on it later, MR. EARLE: Mr. Speaker, am I permitted to finish the statement? AN HONOURABLE MEMBER: Inaudible. MR. W. ROWE: Well, I have asked, Sir. for a ruling on statements already made in the House as to whether they are out of order or in order.

Now, Sir, obviously the minister is going to continue in the same trend, the same general direction. If Your Honour is going to reserve judgement on the point of order raised, then I respectively submit, Sir, that t~e minister be told not to continue hi.a ministerial statement until Your Honour has made his ruling. HON. J.C. CROSBIE (MINISTER OF FINANCE): Mr. Speaker, on that point of 922

February 18, 1974 order, the ministerial statement - AN HONOURABLE MEMBER: Inaudible. MR. SPEAKER: Order please! Tape 276 IB-2 MR. CROSBIE: If you do not mind, I can address myself t·~ the point of order as well as the honourable gentleman. How can Your Honour stop the ministerial statement until he has heard what has been said, If there is anything in the ministerial statement that violates the rules of the House, then action can be taken.

There is nothing in the ministerial statement that compares with the Leader of the Opposition•• statement that the honourable minister is cowardly nor is there any reason why the minister should not correct a false inwression given by the member for wbite Bay South to every municipality in the province. For Your Honour to rule out the ministerial statement before is completed would be unheard of. MR. ROBERTS: Mr. Speaker, to that point of order, Sir. There are precedents in this session of the House, that when Your Honour has reserved judgement on a point of order that the matter is put in abeyance.

The precedent would be my few remarks about the deputy speaker where Your Honour suggested and I quite readily went along • with it, it ls quite in point. Secondly. I repeat my statements that the gentleman from Fortune Bay is using the device of a ministerial statement to attack the member for White Bay South's motives and he ls doing so in a base and a cowardly fashion. If he has any gentlemanly instincts left in him, he will make those statements in debate and not under guise of a ministerial statement.

I submit, Sir, that the minister is abusing the practice of a ministerial statement and that he should be asked to discontinue until Your Honour has rendered the ruling which Your Honour has reserved. HR.. L. BARRY (MINISTER OF MINES AND ENERGY): Mr. Speaker, to the point of order. I submit that that the allocations of the Leader of the Opposition's 92J

February 18, 1974 Tape 276 ... .b-..; references to the base and cowardly manner - that this is unparliamentary language whether raised in a point of order or raised in the course of debate. I would ask, Mr. Speaker, that the honourable the Leader of the Opposition be asked to withdraw - AN HONOURABLE MEMBER: Deal with one point of order, MR. BARRY: No, do not deal with one point of order and permit a callous disregard of all rules of order in the course of raising the previous point of order.

The Leader of the Opposition should be asked to withdraw the unparliamentary language that he raised in his point of order. Speaking to the point of order raised by the honourable members opposite, regardleas of what Your Honour's conclusions are as to the statements already made - Your Honour can reserve ruling on those - that has nothing to do with thereat of the statement which the honourable minister wishes to make and he should be permitted to continue. The honourable Leader of the Opposition has been asked to withdraw "bue and cowardly remarka." MR. ROBERTS: Mr. Speaker, to the point of order.

To the point of order, Sir. The honourable gentleman from Placentia West has had the face to stand in this House, Sir, and accuse us of unparliamentary.remarks and the.re, Sir. Your Honour will in due course rule. If they are unparliamentary, I shall withdraw them,of course. The gentleman from Placentia West has the gall, the arrogance and the unparalleled baseness and cowardice to stand and repeat the remarks and hurl them at me as an accusation. Shame on him, Sirt 924

February 18, 1974 Tape no. 277 Pagel - MW MR. SPEAKER: It appears as if the statement being give by the honourable minister has led to quite a bit of controversy and a bit of heated debate. I submit, perhaps it has led to a matter of a difference of opinion between honourable members. I shall permit the minister to finish his statement. If things in that statement continue to raise opposition or if opposition be raised by honourable members, I shall rule on the complete statement as given by the honourable minister after hearing the whole of it. MR. EARLE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thia statement is given to clarify the situation which arose not of our making. I think that the public is entitled to a clarification. It was therefore irresponsible of the Hon. Member for .

White Bay South and the opposition to invite municipalities to present a list of their water and sewer and road requirements to the province for inclusion in this programme of federal funding •. 'Ihe opposition have done a great disservice to our people by prematurely speculating about agreements currently under negotiation with Ottawa to provide co111111UDity services and by deliberating igno_ring the text of the general development agreement nor did they consult with our government prior to taking this highly irresponsible,politically motivated effort, I have copies for the press. HR. W. ROWE: Mr.

Speaker, on this debate, if I may be permitted a few words. AN BON. MEMBER: (Inaudible). MR. W. ROWE: Oh, no! If the House says I cannot say anything on it, Sir, I will gladly say it outside the House. It has been the tradition to allow spokesmen, Sir, to speak on a ministerial s~atement. Now, if Your Honour does not want to do that in this particular c,.ae, it is up to Your Honour. MR. CROSBIE: Mr. Speaker, the honourable gentleman has no status 92~

February 18, 1974 'rape no. 277 Page 2 - MW at all in this matter and I refer to Page 84 of Beauchesne, Section (91): ''When a minister makes a statement on government policy or ministerial administration. either under routine proceedings, between two Orders of the Day or shortly before the adjournment of the House, it is now firmly established that the Leader of the Opposition or the chiefs of recognized groups are entitled to ask explanations and make a few remarks but no debate is then allowed under any Standing Order." The Bon. gentleman from White Bay South is not a leader in this Bouse of any recognized group nor is he the Leader of the Oppoaition.

He, therefore, has no right at all to make a few remarks on the statement nor to aak for any explanations. It is only the Leader of the Opposition who can. MR. W. ROWE: On that point of order, Sir. Of course Beauchesne is reaorted to when our own Standing Orders or precedents are not clear. Now in the past two or three years or more in thia House, apokesmen in the opposition on different government departments or government duties, have been permitted to rise and aay a few word& to the Bouse. If Your Honour wishes to rule against that tradition being canied on, I am in Your Honour'• handa. AN BON.

MEMBER: There ie no such tradition. MR. SPEAEER: While the Standing Orders quoted by tbe Hon. Minister of Finance are certainly correct and if we were to be sticking strictly and directly to that, I suppose nobody would be permitted to 1114ke any coimaeats with regard to any ministerial atateme~t. except ,· the Leader of the Opposition or leader of a party. However, it ·'has been the custom in this Bouse to permit a person other than the leader of a party or the Leader of the Opposition, acting basically I suppose in the position as spokesmen for the leader, to say a few words to ministerial statements.

I do not see really why we shouJ,d perhaps discontinue that at the present time. I shall permit the Bon. Member for White Bay South to say a few woTiis in reply to this statement. 926

Febnary 18, 1974 SOME HON. MEMBERS: (Inaudible). KR. SPEAKER: Order please! T•p• no. 277 Pas• 3 KR. CROSBIE: I wish to speak to this point of order because, Mr. Speaker - AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible). KR. CROSBIE: Well I will raise another point of order. Until 1971, Mr. Speaker, there was no such cust0111 of this House and:I would. therefore, like to submit that there is no such custom in this House now. A custom of the House cannot be established in one or two years. Surely a custom of the Rouse must be something that goes back at least fifty or one hundred years in parliamentary tradition.

There is no custom of this House that I am aware of that permits anyone but the Leader of the Opposition or the leader of s recognized group to comment on a ministerial statement. I, therefore, submit there is no such - MR. ROBERTS: To the point of order, Sir, I think the Bon. Minister of Finance is being spacious and specious. Your Honour has made a ruling on the precise point. If the gentleman from St. John's West, the Minister of Finance,wish to appeal it, Sir. there is a procedure which he of course is at liberty to follow as is any honourable gentleman.

If not,Sir, I submit that Your Honour has made a clear ruling and that the practice in this Chamber, whether it be one week or one month or one hundred weeks or one hundred years, is that a spokesmen for this side may speak. Your Honour bas made that ruling. Now if the gentleman from St. John's West wish to appeal it, Sir, let him not do so W1der the guise of a specious point of order. Let him do so in the proper procedure laid down in our rules. HR. SP;:AKER: I said that I wo~ld permit the Hon. Member for White Bay South to say a few words. If 921

P•bruary 18, 1974 Tape No. 278 NM - 1 in future · matters such as this, they are only allowed as a bit of leeway given by the Chair I suppose, but if in future tend to involve honourable members in unnecessary debate them I guess I will have to stick strictly to the rule and permit nobody to reply to a ministerial statement. MR. WM. ROWE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have one or two brief remarks to make concerning the so-called ministerial statement.

First of all let me make the comment that, as the Leader of the Opposition has already said, it was an attempt to have a one-sided statement made without recourse to debate of any kind in the House as to whether what the minister says is factually correct or not. Fortunately Your Honour was wise enough to rule out the attempt by the Minister of Finance not to have anything said by this side of the House.

On what the minister said, Sir, let me say this, as I said in a public statement outside the House, I was not the one and the opposition was not the one who announced that special areas in this province were done away with. "There were no special areas in this province! If that statement has any meaning, Mr. Speaker, that there are no more special areas, it can only mean that every community and town in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador now stands on an e~ual footing with every other town and community in getting DREE funds for infrastructure.

If it does not - MR, CROSBIE: This is not permitted by the rules. The honourable gentleman is entitled to ask explanations and make a few remarks, not to start debating what the minister has said in his statement which is what he is now attempting to do. He is now attempting to create ~­ a debate. Does he want to ask an explanation? MR. WM. ROWE: Mr, Speaker, I am merely making a few remarks,which are no more intemperate than the minister's remarks in a ministerial statement. MR. CROSBIE: You know it is false. MR. E. ROBERTS: Mr. Speaker, to a point of order, the honourable gentleman from St.

John's West has just been heard to say that my coll~ague is 928

February 18, 1974 Tape No. 278 attempting to put across falsehoods, Surely Sir that is unparliamentary and he should be asked to withdraw it. AN HON: MEMBER: Inaudible. MR. SPEAKER: Order please! This whole matters seems _u be ge t ting into a more heated debate. I will still permit th f' :ionourable member for White Bay South to continue but cau~~on him to be perhaps a little more care f ul in his choice of words with regard to this ministerial statement. MR. E. ROBERTS: What about the point of order, Sir, the member for St. John's West? MR. SPEAKER: That was no point of order. MR. WM. ROWE: Mr.

Speaker, my remarks I would submit,· Sir, which I will continue with,are no more intemperate than were the remarks on the so-called ministerial statement. To summarize what I have already said: Thia government in a public announcement gave the impression to all Newfoundland, gave the impression to me as a member of this House, that because special areas were done away with, everybody in this province now stood on an equal footing as far as Dree money was concerned for infrastructure in the various towns and communities around the province. Now, Mr.

Speaker, nor is it my fault nor the opposition's fault this government has not signed any specific development agreements.By announcing to the people of Newfoundland that there was $100 million a year of DREE money they gave the people of this province the firm impression, right or wrong, the firm impression that this vast amount of money was available to look after their needs, no special areas, $100 million a year. What I have done, Sir, and I have done quite openly, is to send letters to every community - AN' HON. MEMBER: Inaudible. MR. WM. ROWE: Mr. Speaker, may I ~ke my few remarks?

To send a letter to every town and community in this province, calling upon them - 929

February 18, 1974 Tape N0,278 NM - 3 MR. CROSBIE: Mr. Speaker, on a point of order. The honourable gentleman is not making a few remarks on the minister's statement, he is attempting to defe~d his own position of sending out letters containing false statements for the municipalities of the province. He can debate that. He is quite entitled to debate that in the Address in Reply or at some other appropriate time. He is not making a few remarks on the minister's statement and he is not asking for explanations. He is explaining how he came to this devious plot to send out these letter.and it is not relevant now. MR.

E. ROBERTS: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, I submit that my colleague should be allowed to continue making his few remarks without harassment. AN HON. MEMBER: Listen to them. They would howl him down. Furthermore, if the Minister of Finance, Mr. Speaker, really thinks that the statements are false, my colleagues made the statements openly and outside the House, let the Minister of Finance seek his recourse or let him be man enough not to make base and cowardly attacks as he too has just done in this House. MR. L. BARRY, Minister of Mines and Energy: Mr.

Speaker, on a point of order, is the honourable Leader of the Opposition --·--- - ·· 930

February 18, 1974 Tape 279 PK - 1 going to be permitted to carry on with th••• cowardly allegationaf Now I ask that he withdraw that unparliamentary language, Mr. Speaker. MR. SPEAKER: First of all I would like to remind the Hon. Leader of the Opposition to look up Beauchesne, page 131, Standing Order 155, Sub-sect1on(2) in which Borneau gives the following exa1111>le of unparliamentary phrases; one of which is that he has acted from base motives. I think that the point of order as rai&~a by the hon. Minister of Mines and Energy is perhaps well taken. I would caution the Hon.

Leader of the Opposition about using such phr•~~• in the future. MR ROBERTS: Thank you, Your Honour. I shall not use them again but I wonder if Your Honour would direct the Minister of Municipal Affairs - he made a stateinent questioning my colleague once. He ude it deliberately. It was written out. He read it. Would Your Uonour direct that? Furthermore the Minister of Finance has just ~ccused cy colleague of making a false statement, Sir, and that is barred under the citation.155,to which Your Honour just referred.

Furthermore, the Minister of Fiuance earlier made the statement again; that my colleague stated faleely; so I would ask Your Honour I gladly accept and I withdraw the incantationa made in the heat of debate, provoked by the unmerciful and merciless behavour of the other side, but the Miniater of Municipal Affairs comes in, reading a statement which was headed "Draft" -1cratched out - "Press Release" or ''Ministerial Statement" and I quote him; "Highly irresponsible. politically motivated action ••• " Mr. Speaker.

I submit that that is c0111pletely out of order; Citation 155, (2) (3); 131 and 132 support ample authority. I would invite Your Honour, just as I have accepted your rul1ng, to make the same ruling in respect to the gentleman from Fortune Bay. MR CROSBit: Mr. Speaker, on a point of order: To say that an honourable member made a false statement is not unparliamentary. To say that an honourable member has knowingly made a falae statement or has lied is unparliamentary. All I have aid about the honourable gentleman's statements is that they are false. -Now I have certain opinions about 931

Fevruaey 18 1 1974 Tape 279 PK - 2 the rest of it which I will not express now. At the moment, in this House, I have said that his statements were false. That is not unparlia­ mentaey; his statements were false. Whether he made them knowingly or not is ·another matter I have not addressed myself to yet. MR SPEAKER: The Minister of Finance I think is quite correct. I do not think he inferred that the honourable member uttered a deliberate falsehood but he inferred perhaps that his statements were false, which is not really unparliamentary. With regard to the ministerial statement made by the Hon.

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, I have already said that I would make a ruling on that later, and I shall so do. I shall permit the honourable Member for Whi~e Bay South to continue: MR. ROWE, W.N. I would like to thank the Speaker for allowing me to resume my few remarks. Sir, I will wind up my remarks at the present time with one or two more sentences but I will be going into to this whole matter at some length both outside of the House and in the general debates which will be before this House.

But alloWi to me to say just thissthe statements which I made publicly in my letters to the various communities and towns should not cause this government any fear, Sir, unless the statements made by them in their public announcement concerning DREE were false and a big bluff perpetrated on the people of Newfoundland.

If, Sir, the statements made by the government on that announcement were false and were a bluff on the people of Newfoundland then I submit, Sir, my action in calling upon the vartous community councils and town councils in this province,my action in calling upon them to contact the government and get some money under DREE will cause this government to be in fear and trembling in the months to come.

Let me conclude, Sir, by merely aaying,and this is not the end of this by a long shot because it is a very important matter, a very important matter, Sir, let me conclude by merely saying this - this government have 932

Febroaty 18, 1974 Tape 279 PK - 3 11!4de their bed, Sir, now let them lie on. it and let the people of Newfoundland find out who is being d.eceitfuI &nd who fa being a bluff and who is making false state~ts in this , matter. MR. ROBERTS: Hear! Hear! Well saidl MR. BARRY: ·Mr." Speaker~ if I l!laY 111Bke a few baae and cowardly remarks., one-sided - AN RON. MJ!:Ml'ER: Inaudible. MR. BARRY: All I have to do is look at the honourable gentl;-eman for a while. AN BON. MEMBER: Inaudible. MR. SPEAKER.: Order, please! MR. BURY: Mr.

Speaker, each year the government. as a part of its programme providing electrical service to the rural areas of our province, provides an operating subsidy to the Rural Electric Authority to enable it to provide service to individuals at rates which are substantially below the actual cost of providing such services. 933

~-- February 18, 1974. Tape 280 RH - l In the current fiscal year the subsidy required for this purpose is estimated to be $5,451,000 and for the coming year the subsidy is expected to be approximately $6,500,000. Rates on Rural Electrical Systems fed from deisel generation have up to now been higher than the rates for customers fed from hydro generation.

In order to enable these customers, that is the customers fed by diesel, to enjoy the moat electical conviences at the same cost as other citizens of the Province, the Government has decided to change the rates for domestic service for consumption of electrical energy up to 500 kilowatt-hours per month to coincide with rates charged to customers fed from the hydro grid. In other words, up to 500 kilowatt­ hours a month, the customer fed by a diesel generating plant will pay the same rates as customers fed from the hydro grid.

This measure has been introduced as a step towards providing a uniform standard of service in all areas of the Province. Rising prices for fuel oil prevent us from extending this policy to all levels of usage and classes of service at this time. We have, however, decided to maintain existing unit rates for the higher use levels and commercial load classes, in spite of rapidly rising fuel costs. Some 9,200 domestic , customers are fed from diesel generating stations. I have copies for the Opposition and the press, Mr. Speaker. MR. CROSBIE: Mr. Speaker, another great P.C. advance. I will not say a word, Mr.

Speaker, in this statement about the poltroons opposite or anyone of them. AN HONOURABLE MEMBER: Inaudible.. MR. CROSBIE: Poltroons. Mischievous and deliberately attempting to fool and foil the people of the country. Mr. Speaker, the Newfoundland and Labrador Power Commission has had an issue of $20,000,000 of bonds, the Power CollDllission,guaranteed by the Province. Today in the Canadian market the bonds will mature in 1999, callable in 1995, twenty-five year bonds, recallable in 1995.

The coupons of eight point seven-eights per ce~t, at a price of ninety-nine and three-quarters, which will yield eight point ·934

February 18, 1974. Tape 280 RH - 2 nine zero to the investor. The issue carri•• a one per cent sinking fund. HON. DR. A. T. ROWE (Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, it is with much regret that I have to announce the retirement due to uncertain health of Doctor Donald Cant, as deputy minister of my deparonent After spending some years in the Government Me~ical Service in New~ foundland outports, Dr. Cant was a private practioneer of Corner Brook until 1968 when he became assistant Deputy Minister of the Health Department.

In July, 1971, under the retirement of Doctor Leonard Miller, Doctor Cant succeeded as Deputy Minister. I regret very much that Doctor Cant's work with the Department has been ter­ minated. Meanwhile, Mr. T.C. Sellars, Associate Deputy Minister, is acting as Deputy Minister. MR. ROBERTS: Mr. Speaker, with respect to the minister's state- ment, let me say that I am not surprised but I fully share his feelings of disappointment as I feel sure would any honourable members who had the pleasure of working with Dr. Cant. Dr.

Cant came into the department, I believe, while the present Justice Minister was Minister of Health. I had the great pleasure of working with him for a couple of years. He was the assistant Deputy Minister. Then, in due course, he succeeded Dr. Miller as the Deputy. All of us who have kept in touch in any way know that his health has been quite, you know, he has been off the last three or four months and now the inevitable has happened. His health is 'so uncertain that he has to retire. I am sorry. I think Newfoundlanders lost a good public servant.

I -think the people of Newfoundland are losing the services of a good doctor as well as a good public servant. I do hope that Dr. Cant's health does come back to him. He is a relatively young man, I venture. I do not know his age. but I doubt if he - he is not sixty, almost sixty? So he is a man who still got many years of good and active life left in him and I do hope his health comes back 93:i

February 18, 1974. Tape 280 RH - 3 and if he does not come back into the public service that he will return to the practice of medicine in due course. ..._. 936

February 18, 1974, Tape 281, Page 1 -- apb ORDERS OF THE DAY: MR. ROBERTS: Mr. Speaker, I am not quite sure if what I am about to suggest is in order or not, I realize that it is a bit of a departure frOlll some precedent but ve have had in the pr ,vince over the weekend - we have suffered the loss of one of t he more interesting and more noteworthy journalists, the late Mr. Rupert Jackson, M,B.E. The Premier referred to him in a tribute which I heard at lunch hour on the radio station, as to his being a not~orthy figure.and all of us share in that.

If it ia in order,I would propose a motion of condolence, that the sympathy of the House be sent to Mra. Jackson, Mr. Jackson's widow. Or perhaps, if more appropriate, the Premier could propose it and I could be taken as having seconded it, whichever is the appropriate way, We do in this House• Sir, note the p&;aing of prominent Newfoundlanders and I think Hr. Jackson was well known to us all and certainly a man whose passing ahould he aoted and noted with ~egret, MR. SPEAKER: Do we have agreement that such a statea8nt will be madel Agreed.

The honourable the Premier: BON, F.D.MOORES (Premier): Mr, Speaker, in that regard I was sorry for being late getting here today. I did not know if it had been IM!Dtioned until I came and found that it was not. I thought it vas too late to bring it up and I intended doing it tomorrow. I thank the Leader of the Opposition for doing it now. The fact is that Rupert Jackson waa an unusual Newfoundlander.

He was a man who was totally honest unto himself and I think with the contribution he has made to our province, the contribution he has made as an individual and through the media which he wrote for, It gives me great pleasure to move the motion seconded by the Leader of the Opposition or the other way around, whichever is fit, but certainly to make sure that this House shows its appreciation to the family of the late Mr. Jacks 'ou. MR, SPEAKER: I will take note of that and a convenient letter shall be forwarded to the family. 93"/

February 18, 1974, Tape ~81, Page 2 -- apb MR. ROBERTS: Mr. Speaker, further to that and I confess it has lipped my mind and everybody elses, but there is a long standing tradition in the Houae that when a former member dies a letter of sympathy and condolence goes forth from Your Honour as our spokesman and our representative. While we were in recess, it was early in December, Mr. Llewellyn Strange, a former Chief of Police>died. Mr. Strange served, I believe, two terms as the aember for Port de Grave. In 1956 and 1959 he would have been elected as the member for Port de Grave.

Perhaps Your Honour could - I do aot know whether we need 111Qtiona or not but if Your Honour could take notice of it and write a suitable letter to Mrs. Strange and to the family to let them know that this House has noted Mr. Strange'& passing and noted it with regret. MR. SPEAlCEll: I will agree to that. That is done. 'l'be honourable member for Bell Island: M.R NEARY: Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct a question to the bolaour-able the Premier, Sir.

I would like to aka the Premier if it is·c~rrect that the Premier's special real estate ~adviser, John Colboume,has resigned his position to take up a job as the Newfoundland repreaentative of Trizec? MR. SPEAKER: wish but - MR. MOORES: I shall permit the-Premier to answer if he should Mr. Speaker, the truth is that Mr. Colbourne has resigned from my office. He did so quite some time ago. Be gave me notice about a month ago.

I do not think any time any pe·rson working for any member of the government resigns it is a matter of importance for this House, Sir, but as it is obviously a matter of importance to the member for Bell Ialand, the answer is yes. Who he has gone to work with, I will be very honest, 1 do not know. As far as being my real estate agent is concerned, Sir, I only have one and that is Memorial. MR, ROBERTS: Memorial is a real estate agent? MR. MOORES: Would you believe, a landlord who owns the real estate? 938

February 18, 1974, Tape 281, Page 3 - apb MR. SPEAKER: Order please! MR. NEARY: Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct a question to the minister responsible for Recreation and Youth: In view of the province's contribution to the Newfoundland Amateur Hock· ,y Association. will the minister inform the House what steps if any he has taken to correct the drastic measures taken against a prominent Newfoundland sport figure, Dick Po•,,er, who has been expelled for life frOlll the N.A.H.A. without even as much as a bearing? MR. MARSHALL: That queetion is out of order. MR. NEARY: I beg your pardon? MR.

MARSHALL: That question is out of order. MR. NEARY: That question is in order. MR. SPEAKER: I feel that that question may l,e out of order because I do think it falls within the jurisdiction or responsibility of the minister's department.' MR. NEARY: It does, because, Mr .... Speaker, if I may point out, the minister is responsible for recreation and they make a substantial contribution to the N.A.H.A. every year. If I may, Sir, perhaps I could direct a question to the Minister of Manpower and Industrial lelationa under whose department comes the Director of Hwnan Rights.

Would the minister of Manpower inform the Bouaa 939

February 18, 1974 Tape 282 L-l if the director of Hu111&n Rights has taken any ateps to see that drastic measures taken against Mr. Power will be corrected. MR. SPEAKER: It will be placed on the Order Paper. MR. NEARY: Hr. Speaker, could I direct a question to the Minister of Transportation and Communications? Will the minister inform the House if the government have adopted measures recommended by the Government of Canada that the use of seat belts in the various provinces be compulsory? MR. T.P. HICKEY (MINISTER OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS): I will take it under advisement. MR.

NEARY: The minister has taken it under advisement. ORDERS OF THE DAY: MR. SPEAKER: I think the honourable member for Port de Grave adjourned the debate last day if he wishes to continue now. MR. WILSON: Mr. Speaker, and members of this honourable House of Assembly, it is one great pleasure to stand in this honourable House, to speak in this debate in Reply to the Speech from the Throne. I wish to congratulate the member for Bpnavista South and the member for Harbour Grace who ably proposed and seconded.

It becomes ones duty, elected to a district, to try his best to bring forth the things that are happening in the district and much more our province. I am proudly honoured in this honourable House to do that for the district of Port de Grave in my small way because I feel that . I am not worthy to represent it. Also in this honourable House, Sir, today without any further -.; ado, we have in his place our Premier, the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador who has a birthday. I am sure, Sir, that members of this honourable House .will join with me in wishing the honourable Premier many happy returns • .

Being forty-one yeara of age, just a young man, to take the responsibilities of running this noble province of which I am proud to be one who is in the government to represent - proud 940

February 18, 1974 Tape 282 IB-2 of his people, proud of bis youth and much more, proud of the place in which I stand. While speaking to this debate. we have heard in this honourable House of the things that have been done, things that,have not been clone. The Throne Speech was empty and barren. as bare as the Funks. Well, Mr. Speaker, it takes one, I suppose, to criticize. Lots of things have bean done right also pertaining probably to these. They uy criticize some of those that are done wrong. There are none perfect, as we know. We are all trying to do oat best.

Some are educated to the hilt and more are uneducated. I have sat i.n this honourable HOW1e1 Mr. Speaker, for two years wondering if I could gain some light and knowledge from those that I loo~ to to show some respect. After two years I find myself into a position that not one that I see on the other side of the Bouse that has been in this Bouse of Assembly for years, has shown me that, Sir. That goes to show to me thnt somewhere alOGg the line someone must have been barred in, barred away.

They got a chance to peep ·. out through a hole and finally they tore away and tore away and got room enough to get out, to get out of their hall and have been permitted in this honourable Houae to get out of their ahell and speak their mind. Before that, Sir, it goes to show llMI that they were into a shell and the finger was pointed at them. If you were to go down, you were to go down. If you were to go up, you were to go up. This is what bas gotten us into where we are to. Mr. Speaker, it is not my will and not my pleasure -to criticize any honourable member.

It is my will and my pleasure to stand in this honourable House and try to represent my district,·not only my district, Mr. Speaker, but my province, To stand here, which I have already said, . with the Leader of this province of forty-one years of age, with the guts and the gumption to take on his shoulders the responsibility of this province which has so long been degraded, for twenty-three years 941

February 18, 1974 Tape 282 IB-3 that I and other m~mbers in this House were shoved by the wayside, You were black-li,ted because you never went along with the things that happened. I have proven and I have bome the burden and the beat of the day and still after coming to the place we see even some of it yet. I am prepared to take, I am prepared to stand in this Bouse, out on the street, out on the hillside or on the ocean for what I think is firm and right, that the youth of this country deserve. · That has been ably, Sir, shown when the honourable Prmier went away to Ottawa to see about the energy crisis.

As far as I am concerned, no man comes in and takes what I have on my property and gets away without me finding out what is going to become of it. I think this province belongs to Newfoundlands not barring those that want to come into it to do some good. It belongs to us and why should we not find out what is going to be done with the resources of it? 1 tell honourable members, Mr. Speaker, that we are finding out what is becoming of the resources. I come from a little settlement and a district but I assure you that the people in Port de Grave district know what is becoming of our resources.

Go out and stand on the corner on the Trans Canada Highway or anywhere in Port de Grave district, just take stock and take noti~e of what is happening. If you were caught yea~s ago going in on the Trans Canada Highway with a bucksaw on your back or an axe in you hand, you were brought up with about fifteen, with a stamp on their shoulder. I do not know if it was from Bitler or Communists or what it was for but they had it there. Go there today and all you can see are people going around with power saws trying to make a living and a decent one and a good one. While I am speaking on this, Mr.

Speaker, I have nothing but praise and admiration for our Minister of Forestry who has so ably done the job, who has brought our forests under control. We have heard a great lot about our fisheries. Sure, we need them. We need our forestry. We need everything that is into it. They have accepted the values of it and put the values to work for the coming 942

February 18, 1974 Tape 282 generations. I am not prepared to sit idly by if l • sixty years of age or seventy and say it is finished. Someone rowed the long boat that bas brought me where I am to. 1f I figure that I am all right, then , . \ SIil I goiug to sit back and let the other fellow row tl\e long boat? It is TA'f duty to show respect, to show honesty, to show integrity to those that are gQing t .o have to pick up for the future generation. We do 11ot know how long. we do not know how abort it will be but the duty has been placed 011 the ahouldera of chose in position to do so. I want to be listed~ Mr.

Speaker. with one of these. It is one of these today that places me in the position that I am standing on this aide 0£ the Houe with the government as it stands f~rm to do just that. Our fisheries, Mr. Speaker, have been talked about. We cmmot get clear of them 94J

P'ebrary 18, 1974 Tape 283 PK - 1 I can remember when they were told to burn their boats. I can remember your Uncle Joe saying bum your boats. AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible. MR. WILSON: Like the mushrooms on Bell Island you would never burn them, could not get them to burn. AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible. MR. SPEAKER: Order, please! MR.

WILSON: If the honourable member for Bell Island had done so much for his district, as he has done to criticize this government or disrupt his party~ the other side of the Bouse, they would be better off today. they would not be out on the road saying th~t they are finished, that they are buried. MR. NEARY: The honourable member better watch his blood pressure. MR. WILSON:· I do not have to watch my blood pressure. My blood pressure is all right. The honourable member for Bell Island is after attacking everything in this House from religion down. I am not sorry to stand here and tell him. MR. NEARY: Mr.

Speaker, MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. MR. NEARY: On a point of order, I think the honourable member has gone too far, Sir, he should withdraw that statement. I did not attack anybody in this House on religious grounds. MR. WILSON: On religion, yes. MR. MARSHALL: On that point of order, Mr. Speak.er, every since the honourable member has started to speak the honourable the member for Bell Island has been interrupting him, requiring and inviting comments~ and he is the author of these things that occur, as he is the author so many times.

I think, Your Honour, the honourable member for Bell Island ought to follow the rule that has been accepted although he disregards it without timidity t~at a member is to be allowed to be heard in silence. MR. SPEAKER : Order, please! There is no point of order as raised by the honourable the member for Bell Island. I will remind all honourable :members that when one member is speaking he does have the right to be 944

February 18, 1974 Tape 283 PK - 2 heard in silence. MR. WILSON: Mr. Speaker, and members of this honourable House I have been challenged. I spoke about it. I am prepared. What did the honourable member for Bell Island do with the honourable m~mber here for St. John's Centre about prayer beads 160 years ot age. AN HON. MEMBER: Shame on him. MR. WILSON: I never heard such language in my life. This is why I am not prepared to take it. I am not prepared to take it from the. honourable member for Bell Island if he wants to get up and challenge me,what he said here in this House.

The honourable member could not challenge me. Mr. Speaker, on things lik.e,because he has gone too far and indulging too much in it. I_do not anticipate indulging into it. But I ask, Sir, the honourable members, when he ie all the time cr~ticizing - he has attacked every member on the floors of this House of Assembly. If the honourable member had to be so much interested into his district, he would have been looking for something else, Mr. Speaker, more at par, more better and more enabling to look for for his district than looking for a mushroom farm. MR NEARY: Maybe a lumber farm for over there. .

MR WILSON: A lumber farm - very good, I will tell you about the lumber too in a short while. MR SPEAKER: Order, please! MR. WILSON: The honourable member is after bri~ging something else into in and the lumber that he is getting into he was walking right back into the rural development because the Minister of Rural Development is after getting into so many sawmills going in Newfoundland.

I say "God grant li.,im." We have the privilege to know at this very present time before I left home that last year in Decem~er an invoice showing, two by four from the Mainland $220 a thousand delivered on Clarke'  Beach Siding, What a good justice the Minister of Rural Development is doing to create sawmills in Newfoundland to the day - he picked 'up the phone on the Mainland and called me to try and sell me a carload of two by four for $150 - why, Mr. Speaker, an~ honourable members if they had found out that someone in Newfoundland or 945

February 18, 1974 Tape 283 PK - 3 half the Province of Newfoundland are after coming awake. They found no more dumping ground. Therefore lumber has dropped from $70 or $80 a thousand. If the Rural Development have done nothing else they have put us in a position to get lumber lower and therefore we have heard -so much about it in this honourable House about housing - it is a good savings of probably $1.000 or $1,200 or $1,500 on the building of a house on lumber. That is number one.

Number two is: Never in the history of Newfoundland did we have such a building boom as we had last su11111er and had so many strikes. No lumber could get to the country. What happened? The local sawmills through the help of the Rural Development took over. Ask any merchant, any lumber dealer who are in St. John's or outside of St. John's what keeps them afloat? Only just the local sawmills kept them going, that kept the men on their payroll where they would have to be laid off if there had been no rural development - and went on unemployment insurance or tried to receive welfare.

There were men called for·, carpenters could not be gotten to do a job. · Everyone was fully employed. I say that the rural development did a clever job and I hope it will not end there. I will tell you what we had in rural development before,in our previous government, ;,e had a sawmill at Hawke's Bay, lo and behold! -you know who had to sell me the lumber, that I had to buy my lumber from the agent, the Pc,odfellow Lumber Sales on the Mainland. That is who it had to be brought from.

That is a pretty good programme our previous administration brought in - if you had a sawmill your lumber had to be grade marked and stamped. Why? Because there was so much Lnterest and influx into the building~ trades from the Mainland,because if the local lumber sawmills used and stuck up in the houses, the houses would have to be thrown down. Do not tell me that I do not know as a contractor,it did have to be done. Now I never had to tear them down but I bad fellows who had just received the lumber from me. But you had to buy lumber from the Mainland.

When . . you brought a carload of lumber you had to sign to take twenty per cent of number two. That was grade marked to go into your house and it was 946

February 18, 1974 Tape 283 PIC - 4 not fit to use as firewood. These are some of the things the Ru.ral Developed have done. There are lmnber dealers in this country that sold the same amount of lumber this year past, imported 700,000 thousand feet the year b~fore that only imported 150,000 feet and sold the same amount of lumber. Now where did it come from if it were not gotten through rural development? Now as far as the honourable gentlemen on the other side that come in; why would they get knocking this? We have heard all of this in the House of Assembly. Are they interested in the welfare of the Province?

Are they just over there just to criticize? I believe they are against Newfoundland, they are against the Province of Newfoundland. That is what 1 figure. They 111USt be. AN HONOURABLE MEMBER: Shame! They are not Newfoundlanders. MR WILSON: Another thing: The honourable Member for Hermitage is not in his seat but I would like to congratulate the honourable member on being elected to the District of Hermitage.

But I am going to tell you, Sir, if it did Hermitage a disloyalty by going on "Open Line", when.he never yet made a speech in this House.and degrading himself - I figured myself that he had something to offer the L~ber~l Party or to this government because he is an educated man. .And"t}le "Open Line" it was this way he attacked them. I hope the honourable member is going to sit there and speak by-and-bye, from Hermitage, and have some input into this government; because this govenunent.

I hope, I hope, Sir, if this government do not come to a pace that the Liberal Party wants to get at, the P,C, Party wants to get back not ' the Liberal Party, I believe we are faced with something different than that. Surely, if we are not, we should take a second look and go back to our h0111es and consider that if we are going to do a justic~ to our province, not sit down but get out and let somebody get in who is going to do justice to our province. AN HONOl]RABLE MEMBER: Hugh Shea.

MR WILSON: I am not inclined to -think any darn thing at all abo~t Bill Saunders because we have had enough of that, for twenty-three years 947

...... February 18, 197~ Tape 283 PK - 5 already. AN BON. MEMBER: Inaudible. MR.. SPEAKER: Order, please! MR.. WllSON: Ve have had enough of that. Thie is what is being continually brought up. It aeems a• though the Opposition are. afte.r running out of steaJn and.there are nothing else to use only these dirty tact:ice. AN HON. !@:!!ER: Inaudible. MR. SPEAKER: Order, please! · MR.. VILSON: We have heard enough about bribing and we have heard enough about the honourable member as far as that is concerned, I do not know how true it is but probably the time will catne when we may find out, Mr. Speak.er. We may find out i.t is not the honourable member of Pc:,rt de Crave that ~he accusations 948

February 18, 1974 Tape no. 284 Page 1 - MW ware thrown at, it was the Hon. Member for Bell Island. He -tNSt have been implicated s0111ewhere. If he were, let that lie until that times comes. I was not prepared to say anytbi,i.g at all about it, as fu as that is concerned. I was never elected by my district to c0111e in here to wonder off and bray at the honourable member. They have his record in public print. The record bas been plain to aee for years. AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible). JIB.• WILSON: White Lily! Mr. Speak.er, 011e may get carried off - -~HON.MEMBER: (Inaudible). MR. SPEAKER: Order please! MR.

WILSON: Apparently, Mr. Speaker, the Hon. Member for Bell Island apparently since I have been here, that is just about all he baa been looking for. First when I came into this Bouse, he attacked the Bon, Member for Port-de-Grave ( I am not worriad whether be called me honourable er not) about a bus service. 1 invited hia over to take over the bus service but ha would not come over. I would like to tell the honourable member now that somebody alae has it taken over. It is on the honourable member's shoulders to get a decent road for that bus driver to use bis bus. I am very much afraid if the Hon.

Member for Bell Island had been there to run a bus service, he would have made a job of it the same as his muahroom farm on Bell Island. He would not have gotten anywhere with it, The people would be too strong for him, Mr. Speaker, not only that but at the opening of this honourable House, I came in here, sat down and I listened with ~eat interest in what was going ahead. By and by the Leader of the Oppoaition aot up and attacked the Hon. Member for Port-de-Grave because he had a letter from the Mayor of Brigua in the person of Reverend Wells. Now the letter was sent to the honourable member.

Whatever gentleman viah,as far as I a111 concemed, to send a letter to any honourable member 949

011 the other aide, it does not make any difference to me. I can assure you, Sir, and I can assure the honourable members of this honourable House and the members of the op~osition that they are not getting the support of the Member for Port-de-Grave. I am quite willing to handle their letter• that they have to send in. If they vant to bury me, try to bury ma right, decent, honest and respectable. I was accused for jeering, the Hon. Member for Port-de-Grave. You need not snigger. Mr. Speaker, I never came in this honourable House, elected from the Port-de-Grave District, to snigger.

I c•e here for a purpose, that I am trying to do to the beat of my ability and I have proven so to do it. I have worked with ay colleagues. I have gotten good support. There have been holes found out in the Port-de-Grave District that were never known before. Lo and beholdJ Sir, one along life's way gets in the position partly to be honoured. I wish to tell you. Mr. Speaker. and this honourable Bouse that I have been just that. I have been honoured by a member in the opposition with which I do not have a great lot of condolence with and that is the Hon. Member for Bell Island.

He chose to be a flunky for the Member for tha Port-de-Grave District. In bis own right intelligence, well he bu the right to do so. He went to work and announced that a breakwater would be built in Port-de-Grave; to get electricity. Well I wish to inform the Bon. Member for Bell Island - MR. NEARY: They have to come to•• MR. WILSON: I wish to inform the Hon. Member for Bell Island that the Hon Member for Port-de-Grave did not c0111e here for publicity. I did not have to come here to get that. There is lots of that outside the Bouae of Assembly. If the Hon.

Member for Bell Island had to know a lot more, probably he would have gotten more publicity. He might have announced the dredging for Port-de-Crave. He might have announced a lot of other things over there aa far as that is concerned. 950

February 181 1974 Tape no. 284 Page 3 It goes to show, Mr. Speaker, and it just proves that they are out to try to kriock down and drag .down this govermnent. MR. NEARY: You do not mean to tell me that. MR. WILSON: It goes to show, Mr. Speaker - AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible). MR. SPEAKER: MR. W. ROWE: _MR. WILSON: Order: (Inaudible). Would the Hon. Member for White Bay, in the parson of Kr. William Rowe - the honourable member puts out this big write up about DREE, trying to stir up some more of it. Apparently, Sir, they are not satisfied with their lot.

I am going to tell the honourable members of this Bouse that they are on the way down, _never to rise again. MR. YOUNG: Mr. Speaker, on a point of order: Is it right, while a member is speaking, for another member of the oppoaitiou to come out and chat in front of the honourable •mber. I think it ia ridiculous. It shows the low grade intellig•ce of the man. SOME HON. MEMBERS: (Inaudible). MR. SPEAKER: ?ill. WILSON: Order please! Mr. Speaker, it ia true that I am here to represent the Port-de-Grave District an.cl like all other diatricta, there are problems. I suppose, Mr.

Speaker, we are going to have them while we continue to occupy this piece of ~roperty, this earth, on wbidl we are living. There is no one in the position to .,say that everything is perfect and, the~efore, that is what makes WI human beings, I suppose. It is the district I represent, the problem  there as well a others. We have problems of water and sewerage; we have problema of walks and breakwaters; roads and pollution. etc. Mr.

Speaker, I think at this very present age in the day, that the biggest pollution that I am receiving in my diatrict and other districts in the Province of Nrifoundland today, is the pollution that is thrown out by a few of the honourable members, not all, 951

lebruary 18 1 1974 Tape 110. 284 Paae 4 8ut a few of tbe honourable membera on the other side of the Bouse. If they have programmea to put fonrard, they have not shown them in tbe put. Let them try ~d show them 952

February 18, 1974 Tape No. 285 NM - 1 at this present time. I am sure any honourable member would be interested to know they had some good programmes tp put forward. I am not asking a great lot for the District of Port de Grave, only just to be recognized, which we have in the past. I am only going to ask for about three miles of pavement this eo.I:ing summer and I have three communities that this pavement is supposed to be into. MR. WM. ROWE: Inaudible. MR. WILSON: He has his $108,000 yet. MR. NEARY: I got a breakwater for the honourable member so what else do you want? MR. WILSON: So what?

There are three ~oumunities, the one that the honourable member from Bell Island was tangled up into and greatly interested in and that was Juniper Stump. MR. NEARY: Inaudible. MR. WILSON: Another one we will say upon the Goulds Road and another one at Georgetown, I am looking for three miles of pavement, Mr. Speaker, and honourable members of this House of Assembly and not for all the one place either, not to have three miles of pavement put down in one place and the other party have none. There are three c011Dunities, a mile in each community. MR. NEARY: Inaudible. MR, WILSON: No, mushrooms. Mr.

Speaker, I think the people in Port de Grave District have put up over twenty-three years, received very little, so I can say if they get so much in the next two years as they have received in the two gone previous, they will receive aa much as they got in the twenty-three. Kr.

Speaker, members, I am. leaving to the people of Port de GraTe to decide when the time rolls around whether it is the honourable ~er for Rel.l Island they want to represent them and the trash he ' throws out in this honourable House or whethe~ it is going to be someone who is going to look for something for the people of Port de Grave District. AN .HON. MEMBER: Jim Hussey. 953

February 18, 1974 Tape lio. 285 NM - 2 MR WILSON: While I am on that, Mr. Speaker, if one may have little official status arising from position, the close qualities of character and spirit, this is a thing in those that recognize that they themselves are under authority in pledging their loyalty to the government and abide by the rules of this Bouse. Such as those have no need to protect their dignity, their dignity against themselves. Thank you! MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for St. Barbe North. MR. F. ROWE: Mr.

Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity as well to congratulate the honourable the Premier on his forty­ first birthday. It is one of the few achievements that I can attribute to the honourable the Premier for which I can congratulate him.over the past two years, Sir. Secandly, Sir, I would like to congratulate the member for the District of Hermitage upon his election to this honourable House and I am sure, Sir, that he will make a moat worthy representative for the citizens of that district and he will adq a great deal to this happy bank of opposition members on this particualar aide of the House.

Sir, just a few words on that particular election. Sir, it was a reasonably clean campaign although there were a few events that occurred that tempt me to ask this honourable Rouse, Sir, for a commission of enquiry. If honourable members on the other aide of the Houae insiat'on tryiag to discredit the present Liberal Opposition on this side by makiDR inuendoea and personality· attacks on Liberal members on this aide of the House and on the past Liberal Administration. Sir, the past Libe%al Administration made a contribution to Newfoundland t~.&t was phenomenal and unprecedented in Canadian political history.

Sir, that administration brought the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador four centuries ahead in less than one quarter of a century. I was not a part of that administration I am sorry to say but I was proud to work for it and to be associated with it. So, Sir, I ask honourable members on the government side of the House to get on with the job of 954

February _ 18, 1974 T.ape No. 285 NM - 3 administering this province and terminate once and for all their vicious campaign of trying to dig up dirt from the past and attacking the· present Liberal Opposition. Sir, these attacks over the past two years can only be interpreted as a political defence mechanism in order to camouflage the inaction of this present administration and their complete ineptitude. Mr.

Speaker, I find nothing more disgusting nor more hypocritical than a group of supposedly mature honourable members accusing the opposition of being critical and being negative, of using innuendo and personality attacks or being t disrespectful in this honourable House when they themselves resort to the same tactics. The only difference being, Sir, that honourable members on the government side of the House are ten times as guilty as those who they accuse and quite often, Sir, they accuse falsely. So, Mr. Speaker, I hope that this ends becauae I have not heard, Mr.

Speaker, one single member on the govermnent side who has spoken thWI far who has not criticized and made personality attacks on honourable members sitting on this side of the House, not one single person, Sir. AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible. MR. NEARY: Stop beating your g~~ - MR.. F. ROWE: So, Mr.

Speaker, I hope that this ends once and for all or Sir, I will bring into this honourable House the resolution calling for a commission of enquiry to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding the fact that a number of pieces of Liberai literature were bought from a twelve year old boy in the Hermitage election campaign and ended up with certain high ranking Progressive Conservative officials. There is a lot more to that, Mr. Speaker, than has _been brought to the surface so far. Mr. Speaker then we will see what side of the House represents Mr. Clean, Mr. Honesty and the defenders of Justice.

Sir, the Hermitage by-election reminded me of a small platoon 955

Fe~ruary 18, 1974 Tape No. 285 NM - /. armed with sling shots taking on an infantry anned with bazookas and bombers •. Roads were being paved over snow. There were announcements of parks, fish plants,of everything under the sun. There were cabinet ministers fluttering around in helicopters. There were two orchestras or bands for every one that the Liberal campaign had ' and Sir, we quietly brought our message to the people in boats, longliners and cars. MR. WM. ROWE: Inaudible. MR. F. ROWE: Correct. HR. NEARY: And the Minister of Justice - MR. F. ROWE: Sir, the result of that election now is history.

At the time when I was involved with the campaign and when we had won that particular election I wondered if we were just lucky, if it was not a fluke that we won against such odds but I am now firmly convinced, Sir, that this is the beginning of the end of the Progressive Conservative Administration. H~rmitage in 1973, Sir, was to the Tories what Gander in 1967 was to the Liberal • Now, Sir, why do I say that? That is not an irresponsible conclusion that I have drawn. I say that because of the deep analytical observations of the Premier himself following · that election.

The honourablt the Premier said on radio and television that; "It was no surprise that the Liberals won because Hennitage is basically a Liberal District." Well, Sir, no truer words could have been spoken. I Now, Sir, let us follow this to its logical conclusion. The Premier in making that analytical conclusion had in effect predicted the defeat of his own administration in the next general election because as his statement regarding Hermitage was true,based on atatistics over twenty-t~ years prior to 1972, so was it a fact that the majority of ' the districts in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrado~ 956

February 18, 1974, Tape 28i, Page 1 -- apb based on the facts and statistics of twenty-three years prior to 1972, the majority of these districts were Liberal, the honourable the Premier has in fact predicted his own defeat in the next election. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear! Hear! MR. F.B.ROWE: Sir, I would recommend stronzly that before the honourable member for Burgeo starts predicting the annihilation of the .Liberal Party in the upcoming election that he check with hi• own leader for an analytical assessment of the situation . which I no doubt, Sir, he will comprehend with no difficulty • .

Once that intellectual exercise has been achieved, Mr. Speaker, I have enough faith in the honourable member for Burgeo, that he will in hia next speech arrive at the undeniable conclusion that it is he and hia own colleagues who will face the distinct possibility of annihilation. Now, Mr. Speaker, I am going to confine most of my remarks in the Address and Reply to my own ~strict of St. Barbe North, the district that I have the honour ••• MB. •• MJRGAN: Stay off Saunders for awhile, huh! MR. F.B.ROWE: Mr. Speaker, I do not believe I have said one single word about Mr.

Saunders in this House,so what is the honoarahle member FOR Bonavista South _ MR. MORGAN: (Inaudible) MR. F.B.ROWE: The only thing that the honourable member for Bonavista South has indicated so far in this House, Sir, is that he is suffering from some sort of a medical problem that I cannot find a name for, but it is described by verbal dysentery and constipation of thought. Mr. Speaker, it was my understanding that the present administration was all for helping rural Newfoundland.

I sat in utter disbelief and amazement when honourable members on the opposite aide of the House stood and pontificated on the great things going on in their districts, in their rural districts in this province. I was amazed that certain honourable members would take one hundred per cent 957

February 18. 1974, Tape 28', Page 2 - apb of the cndit for progress in their districts many examples of which were the continuation of Liberal commitments, of previous Liberal commitment• or previous Liberal policies and of previous Liberal concepts. AN 8011. MEMBER: Promises. Ml.. F.B.BOWE: Promised Assistance to inshore fishermen, incentive programme• for large multi-purpose boats not a Liberal comit~ntl Development of resource-based industries; Bay D'Espoir prold.N1 Wabush and Labrador City a promise only?.

Offshore,. mineral exploration the same policies as the previous Liberal Government except that this adm:l.tdstration decided to use confrontation tactica with Ottawa instead of trying to negotiate over the tabla. Forest access roads; Fisheries Loan Board for the conatruction of longliners not a Liberal policy? Not a Liberal policy, Sir? The honourable mellher for Grand Falls, Sir, in bi peech took full credit for the first oil refinery and the second oil refinery that bas not even been started yet and for the llnerboard mill.

That is the type of thing, Sir, that honourable members on the other aide of the House are getting away with, taking credit for previoue Liberal commitments, policie• and concepts and in some cases promies. One example, for instance, in my own district the Liberals had collllllitted a fish plant to that district. There has been no fish plant put there nor even AD atteiapt to put it there over.the' put two years. MR. PECKFORD: (Inaudible) MR. F.B.ROWE: Mr. Speaker, the honourable member for Green Bay takes delight in reciting off names of communities throughout the province. MR.

PECKFORD: In Green Island Cove there is the frame of a vegetable torage shed that the Liberals were supposed - MR. F.B.ROWE: Even there, Sir, the honourable member is completely wrong. There is no frame of a vegetable storage shed in Green 958

lebruary 18, 1974, Tape 286, Page 3 - apb Island Cove MR. PECKFORD: That is the point. MR. F.B.ROWE: MR. W.N.ROWE: It is in PlUlll Point. Another point, Sir , t hat annoyed - Go back to snatching poultry. MR. F .B.ROWE: Sir, another point that annoyed me was honourable members on the other side of the House leaving the impression that all achievements and accomplishments in their districts over the past two years were the result of provincial imput or total . I provincial imput.

The fact is, Sir, that much progress vaa •chieved as a result of Liberal Federal Government imput into this province, ill s0111e cases one hundred per cent, in some cases seventy-five per cent. In my neighbouring district, the District of St. Barbe South, we have the Gros Morne National Park. We have three schools down . ill the District of Burin and in Grand Rank, and I believe - the honourable member for St. Barbe South - there is one in Hawke's Bay is there? A DREE school? MR. W.N.ROWE: Two OREE schools. MR. F .B.ROWE: Two DREE schools. Is the other on·• in Port Saunders?

Two DREE schools, Sir, land assembly projects in Port Saunders, water supply systems at Port au Choix, $304,000 federal grant and $160,000 provincial loan. The road from Deer Lake to Wiltondale and the road from Cow Head to Portland Creek (that is a provincial one) the road from Hawke's Bay through Port Saunders to Port au Chaix is the one I meant to refer to. Sir, these are examples of accomplishments in the district next to mine for which this administration should at least acknowledge some credit to the AN BON. MEMBER: (Inaudible) MR. F.B.ROWE: No Sir!

On a number of occasions, Sir, we have aaked honourable members what the federal government imput was in certain projects that they were taking credit for and they said; "What difference does it make?" What difference does it make? At the same time they turn around and they criticize the federal government - 959

February 18, 1974, Tape 286, Page 4 -- apb MR. BARRY: t would like to give the federal government credit for that now. Now, is the honourable member h~ppy? MR. F.B.ROWE: I agree with the goodness of the record and I am very pleased that t:.e honourable minister has seen fit to give the federal government - for at least something has been achieved i1l this province over the past two years • .AN HON. MEMBER: .AN BON. MEMBER: credit? Who cares so long as it is done? As long as the people get it,who cares who .takes MR. F.B.ROWE: I could not care less, Mr.

Speaker, but what I do care about is the fact that honourable members on the . other side of the Bouse stand up and try to take credit for these achievements and at every opportunity they turn around and attack the federal goverument. Now, Mr.

Speaker, when honourable members opposite are asked to indicate what the federal govarnment have put into these projects we get the same anogant·ahouts-;vith the unique exception of the honourable minister today - "Wbat difference does it make?" Sir, I would like to get back to my district and the so-ea~led emphasis on the development of rural Newfoundland which has been articulated,at least in words, during their various Throne Speeches and election campaigns and of course, again in the moat recent Throne Speech.

In quoting from that Throne Speech as it pertains to rural Newfoundland, I quote, Sir, the Gracious Speech from the Throne says that my government c011D11its itself to continue not only its policy ... of resource development but also its policy of general development i1l every part (and I want to emphasize that) in every part and sector of Newfoundland and Labrador. (Underline that, Sir.) When my ministers assumed office many smaller communities of Newfoundland and Labrador had despaired of their very existence.

My government have from time to time affirmed its faith in the richness of rural life of our province and has demonstrated its confidence in the viability of •maller settlements by disbanding the 96-0

February 18, 1974, Tape 286, Page 5 -- apb former Department of Community and Social Develop•nt. Big deal! I will get to that later on in my speech when I relate to my district. In disbanding that particular department they also disbanded the various water service projects that were under the jurisdiction of that particular department. This department appeared to be dedicated to the relocation· of many of our people from the place of their birth to the larger urban areas and was seemingly oblivious of whether or not the persons concemed wished to relocate.

In its stead the DepaTtment of Rural Development has been established with the responsibility of fostering and developing our rural areas. The results of this programme clearly demonstrated success and the benefits are obvious in every nook and cranny of our province. (I want to emphasize "Every nook and cranny" and 961

February 18, 1974. Tape 287 RH - 1 policy of general development in every part and sector of Newfoundland and Labrador. How, Sir, I want to ask this administration if it considers St. Barbe North as one of these nooka and crannies, or does it not? Because what little progress there was in St. Barbe North stopped when this administration took over. Mr. Speaker, over the last two years, I have witnessed a change of attitude on the part of the people in St. Barbe North. It fluctuates between a feeling of helplessness and hopeless despair to a justifiable anger and an indication of what can only be classified as a separatist feeling on our very own Island

Section of our Province because, Sir, the people of St. Barbe North do not feel that they are sharing equ&l.ly with other parts of the Province what little progress is going on in other parts of the Province. Sir, I can honestly say that pro.gress in the areas of economic, industrial, social, educational or any aspect of social services stopped 'completely in March, 1972 in St. Barbe North. AN HONOURABLE MEMBER: Inaudible. MR. ROWE: Yes. That is certainly true, Sir. There is no doubt about that.

I have made representation to minister \ after minister after minister :after minister and deputy ~nister after deputy minister after deputy minister and officials of various departments of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Fisheries, Highways and the situation - AN HONOURABLE MEMBER: Prove it. MR. ROWE: Prove it. Of course I can prove it. Do not be so ridiculoua. AN HONOURABLE MEMBER: Inaudible. MR. ROWE: It ia not a matter of respect. Sir. It is not a matter of whether a minister respects the member. It is a matter of whether the miniater respects the people he represents.

If there is any dis­ respect it is shown for people in that district. 962

Pebruary 18. 1974. Tape 287 RR - 2 Sir. thing• in the district are as they vere two years ago and 1.11 some cases the natuTal deterioTation of the social aeni.ces ·. such u water eupply systems and electrical services and the condition of the bighw-.ys • . _ The only thing, Sir, that baa staved off a massive up- -d.aing, civil disobedience or marches on confederation Building are two things. Sir; the fact that St.

Barbe North i8 such a distance 'froa the confederation Building and the district is composed of thirty iNlated comunitiea still influenced by a long tradition of rivalry between these C01111l111lities and there is not much of a tendency for the coamu.Ciea to get together to fight for the need8 of the whole dis­ trict. Sir. I predict that during the coming year if things do not illpmve thu Province will be hearing some loud noises from St. Barb,_ llorth and 1 can only hope and pray that any action will be within the coafines of the law because. Sir, the people of St.

Barbe North are pr .. ently being driven to daaperation. I W'ill coae to tbe ••rlou•nae• of that in a minute when I refer to a ~rk ...Sa by the honounble Nlnillter of Finance a number of years ago. If you think that ii serious, if the honourable member thinka tbat is serioua. Sir, I can infom this Bouse that there is talk 1-q St. Barbe Borth of blockading the great Northern Peninsula Highwey in th• district. There ia talk. about 111&Ssive refuaal to pay el~ctric:al bills. There is talk. of massive refuaal to pay telephone bills. There is talk of refusal to purchase motor vehicle license plat!!&.

There is talk of refusing to prosecute the fisheries although, Sir, many of the f:lshenien still owe th• government money on loans that they have gotten for the purpoae of building longliners. Now, Sir, I agree with the honourable minister acrosa the way that thue are ser~ous rumblings and I can aaaure the honourable minister and 1 CG assure the Bouse that I have done nothing to encourage nor inflame such action but - AK HONOURABLE MEMBER.: Inaudible. 963

February 18, 1974. Tape 287 RH - ..> MR. ROWE: I do not think the raising of them does any such thing. I think that it is better that it is nipped in the bud. This administra­ tion has the opportunity to nip this situation in the bud. Sir, I do not condone civil disobedience but I have no hesitation in supporting these people becauae I have experienced and I have lived and I have seen their plight. The honourable Miniater of Finance. Mr. Speaker, advocated civil disobedience at one time for partisan political purposes.

Well, I stand here today, Sir, and say that if ever there vaa a case to justify civil disobedience it is the way St. Barbe Horth bas been treated over the last two years. AN BONOUIABLE MEMBER: You are recommending it, are you? Mll. ROWE: I am not recommending, I am talking about t~e jus~ifiability of the feelings of the people in the district and I also remind the hon­ ourable minister that hi.a own colleague, the honourable Minister of Finance, two or three years ago went on television and radio and advocated civil disobedience for partisan political reasons. Row, Kr.

Speaker, politics haa its anxiety-producing IDDINDts. Politicana, Sir, have to make public appearances and media appearances. They have to debate in the House and in soma casea there is financial sacrifice. Sometimes just general exposure.to the electorate is anxiety-producing. Sir, for me personally, I get extremely depressed and I get sick and it tears at the gut to see so many peo¥le in an isolated rural district with so many needs as we have in St.

Barbe Horth and witness absolutely no action on the part of this government to help in spite of repeated representation that I have made over the~ past tvo years to a great number of ministers. Now, Sir, these have been generalizations and I would like to point out a few examples of the problems that do exist in the district. The great Northern Peninsula Highway, Sir; St. Barbe North consists of thirty coaununities. many of which are situated on the great Northern Peninsula Highway for a distance of approximately ninety to one hundred 964

February 18, 1974. Tape 287 RB - 4 m.lee. Sir, the great ·Northern Peninsula Highway ia not confined to St. Barbe South. The highway in st·. Barbe North is the lifeline with­ in the district and to the outside world. Sir, honourable members on the other side speak of the paving in the district. Would you believe, Sir, that there is not one single inch of pavement in any part of the district of St. Barbe Horth. The highway which was at one time.

Sir, a first class gravel highway has deterioated in abaolute and in relative teru; in absolute tex., in the sense that the road is now old and aubjected to a higher density of traffic flow and in relative terms in tbe sense that there has been vast improvement on major trunk roads ad highways in other parts of the Province. Sir, the people depend on the highway to get to the hospital in St. Anthony, a distance of one hundred and thirty or one hundred and forty 1l1lea away.

They ciepend on the highway to get their fo_od, their oil, other material gooda, to get products of the sea to procusiag plants. to llua buadreda of children to schools located in Plum Point, Flowers Cove or St. AnthonyAru invol,ring great dilltcx:ea, to get to aocW eventa, Sir. which 1D this day and age 1a not auch to uk.,alld to get to employment sit .. on the wat caut - Sir, whatever the reuon for the use of the highway it involves an endurance teat and an obstacle course. Ten .Un seem like fifty miles and it 1• aipific:ant when a seriously 111 patient is trying to get to St.

Anthony or young children have to go thirty or forty or fifty miles to school in sub-zero temperatures aboard ·s;chool buses. , Sir the life expectancy of a vehicle ie one-quarter to that of vehicles in many parts of the Province. Tranaportation coats of passeng­ ers and goods are excessively h~gh u a ruult of the condition of the highway. The highway. while relatively good yeau ago, 1a a disgrace and an insult in this day and age. Sir, a first class-highway wauld condense an otherwise scattered and long district.It would make medical service more safely accessible.

It would cut down on school bus trans­ portation costs. It would cut down on transportation costs of food, oil I 965

February 18, 1914. Tape 287 ltli - .5 and other uteriah. It would cut dOlftl ou the co•t of living, particular­ ly with n•pect to •ehicle repair and unneceaaary high f~cy of new vehicle purcbase and it would att.ract mre tourists. ln abort, Sir, it would 1ll8ke life bearable for the people in the district of St. Barbe North. With this in ind, Sir, a •pet1tiQ1l dgued by over uine thousand people on the great Northern PeuiD1tula was pre­ seated to the Hoau of Assembly last: year. S"i.r, wh.1at did the petition request? It requested that there be 1-ediate upgrading and paving of tlu! great Hort~ P ... 1-ula .. .._, _ 966

Pebru.ary 18, 1974 Tape 288 PK - l Jlighway in egments equally distributed throughout the Districts of St. Barbe South, St. Barbe North and White Bay North in order that all of the people in these districts would benefit equally with respect to employment opportunities and the services of an improved highway. Sir, that is a fair and sinq,le request coming fro,r. three different districts on the Great Northern Peninsula. Sir, when this petition wu presented not a word of encouragement from the Minister of Highways at the time, not a word, Sir. Worse still,not a sign of action.

Still we have a continuation of road work in St. Barbe South as a result of a DREE agreement signed by the previous administration, not a sign of upgrading or paving in St. Barbe North and to add insult to injury.a provincial contract was let last year for the road from Norris Point to l.ocky Barbour and Go4 Bless the people of that area for getting that but this administration should have seen fit.since no federal expenditures ware going . into St. Barbe North.to put some federal capital expenditures for the purposes of upgrading and paving the Great Northern Peninsula Highway in that particular district.

Sir, this government have known since it took office that the Great Northern Peninsula Highway is the last great highway to be pav~d in the island part of our province. Sir, has this administration · submitted specific proposals·to DREE for the paving of the Great Northern Peninsula Highway or has it not? We have been asking questions of this administration for years concerning specfic proposals on Highways Agreements.

Sir, I do not appreciate for one minute the attitude of this government when it comes to the answers given respecting highways or the upgrading and paving of highways in this province. specific proposals and plans have been made to Ottawa? ~. We have asked if We have been answered with contemptible silence. I have sent a telegram to the Minister of Transportation and Co1111Dunications asking for fair and equitable consideration during the preparation of his budget for capital construction regarding road work.

Sir, not even the courtesy of acknowledgement of receipt of the telegram from the honourable minister, let alone a favourable response. Sir when I presented a petition to have a dangerous hill 967

February 18, 1974 Tape 288 PK - 2 removed fron in front of the Plum Point High School,the minister's only reponse, the Hon. Minister of Transportation and Communications. was that he wanted to know the name of his official who said that the school was built in the wrong place to begin with. Well, Sir, hell will freeze over before I will supply the minister with such relevant information. Why does the minister want to know the name of the official? That does not solve the problem. Sir, about the only reason I can offer for the government's lack of action on improving road conditions in St.

Barbe North are; either they have no plans or no specifications to present to Ottawa to use DREE money for such purposes or, Sir, if they have they are practicing brazen and arrogant discrimination against the people of St. Barbe North and for that matter the people of White Bay North. Sir, fish handling facilities: St. Barbe North is primarily a fishing district. The fishery consists of inshore small boat fisheries and the longliner fishery. Under the previous administration, Sir, and in co~peration with the federal government.a number of comaamity stages and wharves were constructed in the district.

Under the previous administration, Sir, the Fisheries Loan Board was set up and a great many longliners were built1 I am glad to say continue to be built under this progr mme with this present administration. Sir, the number of longliners now number somewhere between forty and fifty longliners in the district. The previous administration before they left office had committed themselves to build a fish plant for the district. A feasibility study for that now sits sOlllewhere in the files of the Department of,Ptsheriea. Sir, what has this government's emphasis on rural development done for the fisheries of St.

Barbe North? The answer, Sir, is a big goose egg, nothing. Outside of a few repairs and improvements to some community stages,the major problems relating,to the fisheries at St. Barbe North have not even been touched upon. With respect to a fish plant oi some form of fish handling facility.I have had numerous delegations in to meet 968

!ebnary 18, 1974 Tape 288 PK - 3 with the foraier Minister of Fisheries and I have made repeated repre­ aentation to the present Minister of Fiaheriea and hia officials and to the Premier when he occupied that particular portfolio on two occasions. Sir, atill no action has been taken, the people of St. Barbe Jloru bad to send pratically all of their fish products outside of the d.:letrlct for processing. Meanwhile unemployment on the shore ia ataggering and many people have to leave for other parts of the province for employment,leaving their families at home.

Last year, Sir, during the consideration of the Fisheries Eatmates I reminded the Premier,who was Acting Minister of Fisheries at that time, of hia comitment to a certain individual in St. Barbe North during the election campaign,to put a fish plant in St. Barbe North. To quota the Premier, Sir, in that conversation the Premier said ''It will not be a aini-fish plant either." Sir, during the consideration of the estimates last year I asked the Premier - I brought this to his attention and I asked him what he was planning to do about it?

Sir, the Premier answered by saying that a fish plant will be built in the District of St. Barbe North this year. He said tbat, Sir, the Hon. the Premier,laat year. A year has past and still no fish plant. Sir, I stand here as I did two years ago and I asked the Bon. the Premier to tell us the way it is. When and where will the fish handling facilities be put in the District of St, Barbe North, a district that is almost completely dependent upon the fisheries?

Baulups: Sir, _in spite of the fact that there are forty longliners in the district,hundreds of small boats,there is not one single slipway~ or haulup in any of the communities of St. Barbe North. Sir, I wish I could describe the hardships the fishermen have to endure to try and get ·their longliners hauled up in the fall of the year. They have to wait for tractors to become available from the Department of Highways,from far distances. They have to try and get a private tractor to come in and haul up these huge longliners over great ragged jutting rocks and these longliners often susta~n dacage in the process.

While some of these longliners are waiting to be hauled up the autumn windstorm,hit 969

February 18, 1974 Tape 288 PK - 4 and s0111e of them are damaged while they are still in the water and in a number of cases, if you visited the district now, Mr. Speaker, you will see longliners frozen solid in the ice where they undoubtedly will sustain damage. Sir, it would save the govemment money to put haulups or slipways in the District of St. Barbe North since those forty or fifty longliners are being financed by government loans through the Fisheries Loans Board. Sir, marine service stations: The. longliners used in the fisheries at St. Barbe North are very complex pieces of equipment.

Many thousands of dollars are lost by the fishermen each year because of damage to electronic equipment, because of damages to scallop ri.ga, to.engines, propellers and the hulls. Sir, a marine service station would ave hundreds of thousands of dollars and would save hundreds of hours lost to the shrimp and scallop fishery in this district. Sir, I note that the Premier has already made a commitment for one marine service station,I believe over the weekend. I stand to be cotTacted, t believe in Bonavista.

Well, Sir, I am quite convinced that if the Hon. the Minister of Fisheries and the Premier looked at the stati~tics regarding the fishery, the number of boats, the number of fishermen, the number of longliners and gear in the District of St. Barbe North,they ~111 come to the conclusion that a marine service station -.;, 970

February 18, 1974 Tape NO. 289 NM - 1 is an absolute must in the District of St. Barbe North along with these hallups and slipways and I certainly hope that the minister will see fit - ilt is going into the third year now of me• myself, having made representation to see one single thing being Jone with regard to the fisheries in St. Barbe North. AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible. MR. F. ROWE: What is that? AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible. MR. F. ROWE: That is right. That is right.

If the honourable members on the other side of the House would like for honourable members on this side of the House to do their jobs for them, I can assure them that the nine of us can do more than an adequate job compared to what is being done by the present administration. AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible, MR. F. ROWE : Why is the honourable minister so concerned? I was in my district three weeks ago. 111l. PECKFORD: Before that. MB.. P. BOWE: Before that? Why do I have to answer these questions? Mr. Speaker, I was up there about a month or two ago. Put it on th~ Order Paper. Mr.

Speaker, I am going to ram every word that the poster snatcher from Green Bay spoke, later on in my speech, because I am going to make some observations on the effectiveness of M.H.A.'s in this province. I am aoing to make some concrete reco!llllendations that I sincerely hope that this administration will see fit to carry out. If honourable members on the other side of the House were not so blind and partisan they would consider some of the material that I am presenting to them at the present time to be constructive recommendations for things that should be carried out in the District of St. Barbe North.

The fact that very little has been done can only be interpreted as di~criminatory action on the part of this administration. Mr. Speaker, medical facilities - MR. ROBERTS: Is there a quorum call? 971

February 18, 1974 Taq>e No. 289 NM - 2 MR. F~ ROWE: Yes, ~r. Speaker, a quorum call - is there a quorum in the House, Mr. Speaker? MR. SPEAKER: Would the Clerk count the House please? There is a quorum. MR. F. ROWE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could you give me, Mr. Speaker, some indication of when my time to speak ends, please? MR. SPEAKER: The member collDllenced to speak • at 4:10 P.H. so he has fifteen minutes left. MR. F. ROWE: Until 5:40 P.H. Thank you Mr. Speaker. AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible. MR. F. ROWE: Mr. Speaker, I have not uttered a partisan statement.

I am. just objectively bringing the problems of my district to the attention of honourable lllinisters across the way. MR.NEARY: No personalities. MR. F. ROWE: Even that, Sir, they are so jittery these days, they cannot even listen to problems of a rural, isolated district, the type of a district that they promised to do so much for, rural Newfoundland. MR. NEARY: I th~ught that was the crowd who did everythiq for rural Newfoundland. MR. F. ROWE: Sir, there is an' outdated nursing station located in Flowers Cove in the District of St. Barbe North.

If there were a good highway, Sir, and an adequate ambulance service, getting to the hospital in St. Anthony would not be too much of a problem but, Sir, the highway is an obstacle course and consequently the hospital is re1110te indeed to the people of St. Barbe North, It is my understanding that the International Grenfell Association will supply a doctor if the government is willing to supply the building, a medical clinic. There is not a doctor nor a dentist in the whole of the District of St. Barbe North.

Sir, the Minister of Health in response to earlier representations I made said that he was awaiting the result and influence of a medical clinic, I believe, that was established in Port Saunders before 972

February 18, 1974 Tape No. 289 making a decision respecting a medical clinic for St. Barbe Borth. Sir, I think the time has now come for action. I recommend two things - the complete renovation of a nursing NM - 3 station in Flowers Cove in order to convert it into an adequate edical clinic and make use of the frame that was i ntended to be ued as a vegetable storage unit in Plum Point and convert that into a medical clinic staffed with a doctor, a dentist and other medical technicians so that they can carry out the various diagnostic services in the district.

As well, Sir, such clinics could take care of emergency cases and enact some preventative medical procedures and carTy out routine medic~: examinations of the students in the schools of the district. So, Sir, I sincerely hope that the Minister of Health will see fit this year to honour a request that has been made now for two years running to put some sort of a medical clinic in the District of St. Barbe North,because it is badly needed.

Sir, with respect to water services, it is sad indeed to see hundreds of people chopping holes in the ice in the middle of the winter and bringing pails of water to the back of pickup trucks and pouring them into barrels to be brought miles back to their home. But Sir, this is the situation that exists in most of the communities of St. Barbe North. I find it hard to stomache when I hear honourable members on the other side of the House - MR. MORGAN: Still existing now? MR.. F. ROWE: Still existing now. MR. MORGAN: Twenty years of MR. F. ROWE: That is right. I will explain that, Mr.

Sp~aker, .I will explain that to the honourable member AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible. MR. F. ROWE: I will explain that to the honourble member if the noise 973

February 18, 1974 Tape No. 289 NM - 4 boxes from the other side would cease, I will explain to him what we can thank this administration for with respect to water services after twenty-five years. Sir, the previous administration had brought in a Department of Community and Social Developaent. It was that department which was in the process of providing water supply systems to many of the unincorporated co11111unitiea in St. Barbe North. That department, Sir, provided hundreds of thousands of dol~rs for such purposes. AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible. MR. F.

ROWE: Slush fund for a simple little thing like water and I might add, Mr. Speaker, if honourable members will allow me to speak without being interrupted, I might add that anything that went wrong with the implementation of that programme can be blamed directly on the Tory candidate in that election campaign, because he was the field representative for the Department of Community and Social Development. AN HON. MEMBER: . $190,000 slush fund. MR. F. ROWE: Sir, that department provided hundreds of thousands of dollars to supply water supply systellJ for the communities of St. Barbe North.

The present administration wiped out that department and in doing so wiped out the programmes for the provision of water supply systems to theae communities. So, Sir, what do we have left? We have numerous water systems partially completed, open ditches in the ground and many homes with toilets, wash basins and bath tubs that serve only as ornaments because there is no water going to these homes. MR. EVANS: Liberal promises broken again. MR. F. ROWE: Liberal action, Sir, that was slashed out when this administration took over. This government - MR. MORGAN: Inaudible. MR. F. ROWE: Mr.

Speaker, do I have the right to be heard without being interrupted or not? MR. SPEAKER: I am sure honourable members are aware that when a member 974

February 18, 1974 Tape No. 289 NM - 5 is speaking he does have the right to be heard in silence. I will ask honourable members to respect that right. MR. F. ROWE: ,Mr. Speaker, I would like honourable members to go up to St. Barbe North and explain ,,. 975

February 18, 1974 Tape no. 290 Page 1 - MW to rationalize the reason for the t~rmination of those water service projects. Sir, this government have the gall to criticize the concept of the Department of Community and Social Development and the reaettlement programme of tha previoua Liberal Aclm1niatration.

If this adad.niatrat1on are ao proud of having wiped out reaettl~ment, lat them now provide, Sir, the common amenitiu such as a drop of water to these quaint little communities that they supposedly have so -.sch respect for; these niall rural communities, Sir~ that they promised ao 111.1ch for in the last election. Sir, if this government do not intend to provide water to these cOlllllllmities, I invite the Boo. the Premier and the deposed Minister of Comnunity and Social Development and the Minister of Munid.pal Affairs and Bouaing to coae to St.

Barbe North and draw their water from these ice holes and cart out their alop buckets or have t)ieir posterior extremities ezpoaed to the northwesterly winds dr191ng acroea the Straits of Belle Isle ad feel what it 1• like to have ice crystals penetrate that moat delicate part of their aatcnay. Sir, it is not funny whatsoever. · Sir, this situation ia another outstanding a,nuaent to this gavsrmaent'a achievement in the area of satisfying the needs of rural l!lewfcnmdl.and. Sir, electrical aern.cu in the district leave a lot to be desired.

The previous admini.stration took great pride 1n 1 providing electricity to every single coaiu.nity in St •. Barbe North except to communities that had les.11 than four houses.or six houses. These collllllWlities I am talking about happen to have less than six homes. The Labrador Power COlllllliaaion,_ Sir, operates tvo generating station•, oae at Cook'• Harbour and~ at llawer'a Cove. Sir, the Cook's Harbour Generating Statioo ia operating satisfactorily. However.

Sir, the Flower's Cove station which aerves the COIIIIIIUDities fr0111 Eddies Coast East to the nortb to Castor River in the south, presents some difficulty. There are frequent and long period• of outages in this area and there are 976

Pebruary JS, 1974 Tape no. 290 Page 2 fluctuations in the voltages, causing the burning out of electrlcal appliances in the homes and in the buaine  establi bments in the co11111UDities affected. Sir, twenty-four bour outage  in below zero temperatures are not a pleasant matte1;. lurnances go out, the oil lines freeze, people almost freeze to death, water pL:;,.ps stop and the water liJ?,es consequently freeze up for the duration of the winter, water heating systems in-school  and in homes sometimes I are damaged.

Sir, from what I understand from my constituents, and from' official• of the power Commiaaion, the outage problem hu increased in recent years. Now, Sir, I am not blaming that on the Progressive Conservative Administration. . The proltlem, Sir, is caused by salting on the viree because of the high winds blowing across the Straits and because of windfalls caused by the exposure of. lines in the · S.t. Barbe Bay Area, which is sometimes ma~e inaccessible because of blockages of the road by snow in that partic:ulir area.

Sir, the pTOblem has been made more critical in recent year• because of the &~eat increase in electrical appliances and the greater reliance on electrl.city in general in the district. Now, Sir, all these problems have been brought to the attention of the Newfoundland and Labr~or Power Commision in somewhat greater det.ail than I have explained. I have made two rec0111Dendations. Since the trouble spot on the electrical , lines is in the St. BaTbe Bay Area, I recommend that a mobile generating station be placed in the Plum Point Area for the duration of the winter. I ask the Hon.

Minister of Mines and Energy to use his good office to see that this is done as quickly as possible. I provided the Newfoundland and Labrador Power Commission with the information that I have had. Io l!1Y knowledge nothing haa been done.about it up to this point. Sir, I also recommend that a permanent and an additional generating station be located in the Plum Point Area to serve the 977

February 18, 1974 Tape DO. 290 ~age 3 comwu.ties between St. Barba and Bard Harbour. Sir, thia tation hould be started aa aoon a weather pemite. Sir, thia,vould el~te the supply of electricity then on both ide of the trouble pot in distribution linu. Telephone service, Sir, is eomething unbelievable. If the honourable.member'  probleaa in the Dietrict of St. Barbe South are one-quarter of that which e:d.ata ill-, ditrict, I vould gladly join hand vith him anytime to try and rectify tbe problem. But, Sir, seventy-five per cent of tbe time you camu,t get the operator ill St. Anthony.

When you do get the operator 1D St. Anthony, aeventy-five per cent of the time there are DO circuita available in the dietrict. If you are in the ditrict trying to uke a phone call out - I have bad to wait for the phone to ring owr fifty timu before raising the operator. On maroua occuiom :,ou canDOt hear the other party on the line. On nUIUlfoue occuioaa J011 ara cut off. There are multi-purpose liuu, ten lines, ten pbonae on the same line.Exchanges or parts of a:cbagas are frequmatl::, out of ervice. People cannot get private lines. ID may CGallUlli.ta there are only two or three or four phones.

I bring thue aattera to the attention of the Hon. Minister of TruaportatioD ad Communications. I know that it involves Canadian 11ational 7elecoammications but through bis provincial officu, I hope that be can press the Canadian National telecommunications to improve the telephone situation as it exists in the district. Now, Sir, building permits iu the District of St. Barbe North: In order for an individual to build a home in St.

Barbe North, they sometimes have to wait up to two years to get their applications to build processed by the Development Control Division of the Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Sir, 1n order to proc:aaa a building permit, the Development Control Division has to get reports from such . ' organizations or uch agencies in the de~artments of govermnent u: 978

February 18, 1974 Tape no. 290 11age 4 Departaent of Health; The Clean Air, Soil and Water Authority; the Departaent of Highways; local governments that may exist in . the district; the Crown Landa Division and others. Sir, the people have to get surveys .done, plots planned and descriptions prepared, which is very expensive for the people on the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula. They have to submit blueprints of the h0111t1s that they CQuld build with their eyes closed- t'hey hava been doing it all their lives. Sir, the staff of the Development Control Division ie horribly inadequate.

All this result• in long details in the proce -ing of building permit applications. It resulcs in extreme hardship and frustration OD the part of people who can afford to build their h01118s and who have the skill to build their homes. Sir, St. Barbe North does not represent a rapid growth area. There are thirty small C0111111UDities spread along the Great Northern Peninsula Highway. Sir, there ia evidence that the regulations of the Develop1111nt Control Division are not been applied equally and fairly throughout the district.

Thie i  probably a function of inadequate staff more than an intational act on the part of any person  .. Sir, I would like to recomiend to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing that his department iiraft up a aedes of simple guidelines pointing out to the peO}lle the disadvantages of locating houses in certain areas and the advantages of locating them in others and get more field staff down there and drop completely the regulations of the Development Control Division u they pertain to the co111111UDitiea of St. Barbe North.

Sir. they are nothing but a curse and an obstacle and a hardship to the people u they are presently administered. Sir, I submit that what the government achieves in the control of build~ng in the district ia negligible compared 979

leb~ 18, 1974 Tape. no. 290 Page :, to the apeaH that th• clepartant goe• through ill gettillg iDdivid•l  from tb• DevelopMnt Control Division to go into the area to Un up the aituation. Now, I think the bouourable iu.niater, Hr. Speaka~, wderataada the problea. I have had a a.uaber of couversatiou vi.th him. Be hu _!>een very helpful to • OD a 11.ll&ber of occu:lom. Although overall 980

February 18. 1974. Tape 291, Page 1 -- apb th09e problems still exist and 1 would .. k the minister if ha would atrongly consider the possibility of wiping out these rules as they erlat.

These rules ara really made for rapid arowth area• aud for large towna and larger colllllnlllities in the province. 1 cf?Ul,d mention many other problems - the woods operation•• , snow clearing operations, lack of local government I gui_danc:e in running local or regional governments in the district-, the isolation, high cost of living, the lack of government official• stationed 111 the district to a-ist and guide the pe.ople. 8rmcb roads to h011es is a problem in the district, school bus operations. inadequate school facilities but, Sir, ti• doe• not permit ma to go Oil with this becauae there is another point that I vould like to llake.

I would like to close on the district by saying that the people do ahov extreme frustration. despair, distress, disappointment, anxiety, desperation and duguat over the lack of action over the put two years. I say; ''Ho action in that particular district." 1 will be the first to admit that I would hava liked to ha-ve seen more action in the district prior to the tiM that this administration took over. The 'people are ready to erupt aud to take matters 'into their own hands.

In spite of what the honourable Minister pf Mi.nee and Energy tries to trap !118 into, or misrepresent the words that I am speaking, this ia an extremely serious matter. MR. BABltY: The bonoUTable member is making it worse - KR. F.B.ROWE: It would not be half as serious. Mr. Speaker, if the governmaat took action to nip this problem. in the bud instead of waiting for it to blosaom out into something that we would all be sorry for. Kr. Speaker. progress in the district has basically stopped since March 1972. In a sense. the clock has been wound back as well aa in s0111e other parts of the province.

This is a sad and pathetic ' commentary on the performance of this government. This government was elected on the basis of what it was going to do for rural 981

February 18, 1974, Tape 291, Page 2 -- apb Newfoundland. The iHues and the problems in St. Barbe North are still the bread and butter i suaa. If what has been done in St. Barbe North is any indication of what has been done in other rural districts then this government has failed miserably and members on the opposite side of the House have possibly painted a rosier picture than that which-in fact exists in their own districts. If things are in fact. as rosy in the districts served by members opposite, then this government stands to be condemned for outright political discrimination of the moat blatant kind.

I would like to turn my attention to the status of an M.B.A. and the ability of an M.H.A. to function in thia province. It Ddght do the Minister of Finance's aars good, Sir, ta come in and listen to some positive recoanendations that I have to lllllke, based on some experiences that I have had since becoming an M.B.A. Instead of the minister asking• how many time  I hava visiud my district, it might do him well to provide all M.B.A'e. on both sides of the Bouse with facilitiea and finances to enal,le thea to do the job for which they were elected.

In recent or contempory hitory, at least as far as I can remember, people in general view politician  with so• uspicioia, with ome skepticism and in some c;ases with downright cynicism. You will hear expressions like; "We are all a bunch of crook • You are getting into politics for what you can get out of it. Jou got it made now that you are elected. Jou are in there to fleece the people and fill your own pockets." There have been examples of a few rotten apples in the political barrel over the years; in Newfoundland, in other provinces and in other countries of the world.

I submit that the percentage is no greater in politics, if indeed as great, as in other worthy professions auch as the medical profession, the legal profession or the teaching profession or in the business couanunity or in the varioua labour fields. I aay there may be even less in politics because the public eye and the •dia, as is their right, are always keeping their eye on public 982

February 18, 1974, Tape 291, Page 3 -- apb eervants. There is not very much that an elected public servant can get away vith in this province or any other province. 'Die aajority of members in this honourable House are a1ace're, c-,. are dedicated, they are concerned and they are honest iDdividuals who simply want to do something for this p-.rovince. They want to make a contribution. I suppose ve enjoy it or we would not be doing it .and they like myself are prepared to put up vith some cynicism, some skepticism shown by certain p~ople in our society. Mr.

Speaker, I would like to indicate to the people of this province that politici8118 do not have it made, that ia, if they are full-time politicians. Many politicians become politicians at atreme financial. and family sacrifice and many politicians perfona under working conditions that make it imposible to do the job for which they are elected. I submit that the whole system is desperately wrong and it baa been wrong for years· throughout the W..tern Democratic World,including Newfoundland.

I vill uae a few exampl.es and before ·! get catcalls from the other aide, Sir, I would like for honourable members to hear me out. first, Sir, is the matter of salaries for M.H.A's. The aalaries are such that for the most part only two categories of people even consider entering politics, namely; those who are financially wealthy or independent.and God bless them for making the contribution, There is nothing wrong with that. The other category, Sir, is that category of people for whom a salary looks extremely attractive.

Consequently. and as a generalization, two extreme and opposite sectors of society are attracted to politics in this province and other provinces. The largest and vast sector of society, the middle". or slightly above average income part of citizenry, the typical citizen,has a tendency to steer away from politics although they may have a real urge to make a contribution and represent the opinions and needs of what amounts to the majority of our society. There is a big gap. People for whom salaries look good are attracted to politica and the ~udependently wealthy get in to make their contribution. 983

February 18, 1974, Tape 291, Page 4 - apb The big gap of society is missing and not attracted. I submit that the salaries of M.H.A's. should be such that people repre enting all sectors of society 984

February 18, 1974. Tape 292 RH - 1 would be attracted to the profession and that all politiclUUI should aaslcleT their jobs as a full time occupation and that it would ba ft]egaJ for a politican to practise law~ medicine, busu,ess or any other form of emp!oyment while he is serving his term of office. Sir, under these circumstances I would suggest thQt the legislature would be composed of a better cross

section of society, that legislation itself would be better debated,resulting in auperior legislation and that constituents themselves would be better served. Sir, under the present system, all sorts of abuse& are possible. The Premier, the present Premier or the past Pre111ier, can appoint ~.;~~iu of his backbenchers a,special assistance, personal aaf.a~e, parliamentary assistance, aa chairman o'r directors of certain ccaaiaaions and some other members may independently go out and be placed on tbe payrolls of . some vested interests or lobby groups. In which case, llr.

Speaker, the member in this Hov,ae is owing to somebody. His freedom of opuaiou is. inhibited. His expression of thought in this honourable Bouse is possibly controlled by some other person or some outside or vested intere~t. He is controlled, Sir, by those fTOm whom he receivu his bread. This, Sir 1 is contrary to the very int•t of democ:-racy and it ahould not be tolerated any longer. Now, Mr. Speaker, I realize that I am opening myself to all sorts of ridicule and criticism.I hope that I will not eee members on either •ide of this House who are comfortably tucked away, they look at the aember for St.

Barbe North; he has only been here for two years and be is looking for a salary increase because that.Sir 1 is not the point of my argument at all and I sincerely mean that and I think such a reaction to what I am saying would be beneath contem~t and it would mean that the individual would have missed the point completely. Sir, I am calling it as I see it and I am speaking as a private ••ber and I say in spite of possible criticism and misrepresentation 985

February 18, 1974. Tape 292 RH - 2 and I must emphasize, Sir, that they are my own personal remarks and they do not necessarily represent the policy or opinions of my colleagues OD this side of the Houae. I have not even talked to any of them about · it. Also, Sir, on the topic of the status and functioning ability of an M.H.A., I would like to make a few more observations. Sir, what are the functions of an M.H.A. anyway? Very briefly, Sir, I see it, Mr. Speaker, I will give it to you from my own personal point of view.

I feel that I have to represent the overall needs of my district in tenis of the problems that I outlined . earlier, thirty small communities. no local government. Since I represe~t these thirty small communities, I am 1n fact the ombudsman for every individual in the district of St. Barbe North. Rural communities such as St. Barbe North depend on their member for everything, fort'Ul'lately or unfortunately, but they do depend OD theb member for practically everything. I should travel to my dis­ trict more often than I am able to.

I wish the honourable the Minister of Finance were here to listen to the recOJlllllendations. I would like to go to my district more often than I do.

Since I am in Opposition I have tha responsibility of hadowing a number of govel:'llllll!nt apartments and hopefully give some constructive criticism and some conatructiv~ suggestions during the consideration of the Throne Speech, the Budget Speech, the Estimates and any legislation pertaining to the Department of Education, Municipal Affairs and Recreation and Rehabilitation.in my case.and I assume the honourable back benchers on the Government side have some input into legislation and policies of their own government. .... Sir, I have to research the areas that I have mentioned.

Sir, there are many functions of members of the House of Assembly that I have not lllentioned that they have to perform. Sir, as a public servant in this · Province,what I had to work with 986

February 1s. 1974. Tape 292 KB - 3 ill order to perfom the duties for which .I vaa elected is something . uabelievuble. There are nine members ca this aide of the HouH, Sir. We have to fight over four desks in the Oppoeition'·• office, two of which are located in the common room with absolutely no privacy and at times resemble the Black Hole of Calcutta. We have to share three stenographers. Letters that I have answered on tape a month ago are still waiting to be typed up and some this correspondaace Sir, is of an urgent matter.

There 1s, quite often, no place to talk OD a personal basis with conatiuents by phone or in person. Sir, I cannot afford to hire a girl or rent an office. My salary happened to be slashed in balf or my income was slashed in half when I got into politics. The member for Labrador South, for White Bay North, for St. Barbe South, ayself for St. Barbe North receive exactly the same travelling ~lowance aa the honourable member for St. John's East. Sir, it does not aake sense.

Jlav, Sir, I have been using my own experience as an ample and I• aot suggesting for one sillgle minute that I am the oaly one that u aafferillg from this. There are other people in exactly the same boat. Sir, the aituad:on is ludicrous and worse still, Sir, it discriminates against certain districts, certain citizans of our Province in terms of how well a member is capable of serving his district because hia functioning ability is determined by the conditions under whieh he must work. It la discriminatory .and archaic and most people in the Province would find it difficult to believe, Sit.

Good government, Sir, is the function of a good opposition. AN HONOURABLE MEMBER: · Inaudible. MR. F. ROWE: I wish the honourable member, Sir; could take something seriously for just one single moment. AN HONOURABLE MEMBER: Inaudible. MR. F. RQWE: Go away, you meathead. 987

February 18, 1974. Tape 292 RH - 4 Good government, Sir, is a function of a good opposition, • Good legislation, Sir, results after good debate following adequate re~earch. Therefore, Sir, adequate office space,facilities and secretarial staff must be provided to all M.H.A.'s in this honourable House including the members of the Opposition, AN HONOURABLE MEMBER: Inaudible. MR. SPEAKER: Order, please! Order, please! AN HONOURABLE MEMBER: Ignore the yaffi .. - the crackie, MR. ROWE: That ia 1IIY answer to honourable members, Mr. Speaker. Mr.

Speaker, how can M.H.A.s be respected by other professions if those other professions are aware of the conditions under which we have to work.? The simplest operation, Mr. Speaker, the simplest busi­ nua operation has an office, a phone and a secretary. M.H.A.s auppoaedly looked up to by the electorate of this Province, a number of M.H.A.s are stuffed into a room, nine,sharing three girls, secretaries. Mr, Speaker, I am sure this situation just does not exist on that honour­ able side of the House, Sir, MR. SPEAKER: Order, please! MR. ROWE: So, Mr.

Speaker, I would like and I sincerely hope that the Ron. the Premier was in hearing distance of some of the earlie~ re­ ma