Report of joint board of engineers, St. Lawrence waterways project, dated November 16, 1926-Mr. Mackenzie King. . Report on the selection of a terminal port for the Hudson Bay railway, October, 1927. -Mr. Dunning.
Mr. H. A. STEWART (Leeds) moved for leave to introduce Bill No. 2, to regulate the exportation of electric power.
Hon. ERNEST LAPOINTE (Minister of Justice):
Explain.
Mr. STEWART (Leeds):
Mr. Speaker,
the object of this bill is to amend the existing law having to do with the exportation of electric power from Canada. At present this is governed by the provisions of the Electricity and Fluid Exportation Act of 1907, and under that act the governor in council has authority to issue a license providing for the export of electric power from Canada. The effect of this bill is to provide that a license shall only issue by the authority of parliament, and on such terms as may be determined by parliament. The necessary amendments to the existing act are included in this bill, and there is an express provision that nothing contained in this bill shall be deemed in any way to affect the rights of the provinces in connection with electric power.
Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.
Mr. E. J. GARLAND (Bow River) moved for leave to introduce Bill No. 3, respecting the civil service.
Right Hon. W. L. MACKENZIE KING (Prime Minister):
Explain.
Mr. GARLAND (Bow River):
This bill
simply proposes to place under the operations of the Civil Service Act the employees of those departments of the government who have not been included up to the present.
Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.
The Address-Mr. Bennett
Civil. SERVICE COUNCILS
Mr. J. S. WOODSWORTH (Winnipeg North Centre) moved for leave to introduce Bill No. 4, to amend the Civil Service Act.
Hon. ERNEST LAPOINTE (Minister of Justice):
Explain.
Mr. WOODSWORTH:
Mr. Speaker, this bill was introduced last year. It provides for the setting up of machinery to permit of consultation between employees in the civil service and the officials of the government. It is designed to provide a means for the hearing of grievances and for promoting efficiency, and is in line with _ the expressed purpose of the Prime Minister, which he made clear some time ago when he said:
I think that in the relations of the civil service and the government, a council on which there would be representatives of the civil service to speak directly to members of the government or to take up with heads of the departments matters of interest to all government departments, could be of the utmost service to all concerned.
Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.
Mr. J. S. WOODSWORTH (Winnipeg North Centre) moved for leave to introduce Bill No. 5, to amend the criminal code.
Right Hon. W. L. MACKENZIE KING (Prime Minister):
Explain.
Mr. WOODSWORTH:
Mr. Speaker, this
bill is designed to repeal the clause of the criminal code dealing with blasphemous libel. This is an old piece of legislation, which is practically obsolete and which I believe has been used only once in the history of Canada.
Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.
The house resumed from Friday, January 27, consideration of the motion of Mr. Usley for an address to His Excellency the Governor General in reply to his speech at the opening *of the session.