Arthur Graeme Slaght
Liberal
Mr. SLAGHT:
The hon. member suggested that he was construing what I was thinking, but let me assure him that I had no thought that any suggestion of his was intended in any way to indicate that there would be the slightest endeavour to have British industry harmed at all. I assumed his intense loyalty and desire to help, and only that. It occurs to me that when hon. gentlemen opposite, and perhaps some of us on this side, attempt to evoke from the ministry assurances that bill after bill, measure after measure brought down during this emergency shall operate only during the war and not thereafter, we are indicating a sensitiveness in that regard which is not being shown even by the people throughout the country. Surely by this time all hon. members have realized that most of the measures with which we have occupied ourselves this session are strictly war measures, and that no administration should be asked to say that they will become inoperative on the termination of the war. Surely we should not be so supersensitive as to require a declaration of the kind. Sufficient unto the day is the legislation thereof, when we are in a dilemma of this kind. I am sure the
hon. member who spoke a moment ago, with his studious mind, will at once recognize the analogy. I do not think we can assume that from now on most of the legislation brought down will be the result of present conditions; and leave it to the future, be it distant or near-we all hope it will be near-when all these measures may be reviewed by the parliament then entrusted with that task.