Right Hon. W. L. MACKENZIE KING (Prime Minister):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to read to the house a telegram which I sent this morning to President Truman, at the White House, Washington:

My colleagues in the government of Canada join with me in expressing to you and to the government and people of the United States our heartfelt sympathy and that of the people of Canada in the loss which the United States has sustained in the death of President Roosevelt -a loss which will be felt throughout the whole of the freedom-loving world.

As you assume the great responsibilities of your high office at this critical period in world affairs, we wish to assure you of the firm resolve of all Canada to maintain and strengthen the ever-deepening friendship and ever-widening cooperation of our two countries in matters of common interest and in the cause of world security and peace.

W. L. Mackenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada.

Right Hon. W. L. MACKENZIE KING (Prime Minister):

I should like to make a statement on the winding up of the business of the present session, a matter which we have discussed two or three times in the course of the present week.

This week, on Wednesday, April 11, I reminded the house that if the business of parliament were not concluded before midnight on Monday of next week, this parliament would be automatically dissolved. I stated that at no time had I any thought or intention of recommending dissolution with a view to shutting off discussion in the house. I added that, as hon. members well knew, the sole reason the government had waited up to the last or almost the last day of the term of parliament before going to the people had been our desire to avoid a general election while the war in Europe was still in progress. I have stated, over and over again, that the intention of the government was not to dissolve parliament if that could be avoided before the decisive battles were fought in Europe. That position was subject only to the limitation that the people should not be denied the right guaranteed to them by the constitution of electing a new parliament at least every five years.

In a nation-wide broadcast on March 2, I said:

Once the war in Europe is over, we feel there should be a general election as soon as possible.

On Monday, April 9, I gave to the house an outline of the minimum time which would be required for a general election, and placed on Hansard an official memorandum on that subject which had been given me by the chief electoral officer. That statement made it apparent that the earliest date at which a general election could be held, following upon the expiration of the parliamentary term, would be June 11. As to the completion of the business of the present session, it rests with hon. members on the opposition benches *-and here I am not referring to any particular party or group but to all hon. members opposed to the government-whether the war appropriations and supply bills will be ready for royal assent on Monday next. My hon. friend the leader of the opposition (Mr. 840 COMMONS

Business of the Home-General Election

Graydon) has said that so far as members of the Progressive Conservative party are concerned, they are prepared to conclude the debates in this chamber at six o'clock this afternoon. Intimations have also been given by the leaders of the C.C.F. and the Social Credit groups that they and their followers are prepared to assist the government in speedily completing the business for which this session had been specially called.

Were it possible to have the bills reach the other house this evening, that would permit of prorogation being arranged for Monday afternoon, April 16, at three o'clock. If that cannot be carried out, then the house will of course resume its sitting at three o'clock on Monday afternoon, to be continued, if need be, until eleven o'clock at night. Were this to happen, without the business being concluded and royal assent given to the bills before midnight, the government would be obliged to resort to governor general's warrants to meet expenditures both for the conduct of the war and for civil government over the period of the general election and the opening of the new parliament.

As hon. members are aware, I stated some time ago that a general election would be called before April 17. It may assist hon. members in deciding upon the course it is advisable in the public interest for them to pursue if I inform the house at once, on my responsibility as Prime Minister, that His Excellency the Governor General has authorized me to say that he is willing to approve a recommendation to have parliament dissolved just as soon after the conclusion of its business as may be possible. His Excellency has also authorized me to say that he is willing, at the same time, to approve the immediate issue of a proclamation for the holding of a general election on June 11.

Mr. GORDON GRAYDON (Leader of the Opposition):

Well, Mr. Speaker, at last they have been forced to go to the country. May I say to you, Mr. Speaker, and to the Prime Minister, that as a party we have been desirous of having the business of the house concluded and the various readings given the necessary bills by to-night, if at all possible. That has been our general policy with respect to this matter, and I was about to rise to indicate our desire to be cooperative in that respect. In doing so, however, I should like to point out that there is a tremendous amount of work still to be accomplished as far as this chamber is concerned. I take it that work which otherwise would take weeks and weeks will not be attended to because of the shortness of the session. The responsibility for that situation, as I pointed out the other

day, does not rest with us but with the government. We are making a great sacrifice in order that the civil supply and war appropriation bills may be duly assented to before the expiration of this parliament, but, as I said in my address to the house the day before yesterday, we are anxious that the government shall not take it upon itself to adjourn, prorogue or dissolve before these bills are properly passed and the order paper cleared.

At this stage I should like to say to the Prime Minister that for quite a long time we have been hoping that he and his government would finally summon up enough courage to face the people. It is no wonder that we received with a great deal of interest and delight the announcement which has just been made. While we realize that it takes courage and fortitude on the part of the members of any political party who aspire to carry on government in these difficult days, nevertheless I want to tell the Prime Minister that no party or group in this house welcomes the announcement that the government is going to the country more than the Progressive Conservative party does, for the very good reason that after the appeal to the people we shall be ready and willing and prepared to form the next government of Canada.

Oh, oh.

Mr. GRAYDON:

I have heard more forced laughs and hollow laughs from the government side in the last little while than I have for a long time.

I think it was the day before yesterday the Prime Minister had something to say about our leader, John Bracken. From the best information I can get, the problem of the Prime Minister now will not be to try to get John Bracken into the house but rather how to keep him out and get himself in. So while I sympathize with the government and its supporters in this rather serious hour, as far as they are concerned, still we hope that when we are the government we will receive the sort of treatment we have tried to accord them since we have been in opposition. We will understand their position. As the Prime Minister sits over here we will be watching him; but I am afraid the difficulty will be that he will not be able to sit over here after one election but that it will take one or two by-elections to get him here. In the days that lie ahead I will not forget the remarks of the Prime Minister during the last couple oft years, when he did not quite sympathize with me but rather was somewhat critical from time to time because of the fact that my leader had not. a seat in the house. When the appeal to the people is over the tables will be turned.

Business oj the House-General Election

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

There is an old saying, Mr. Speaker, that actions speak louder than words. We have heard the words of my hon. friend, a great many there were, but I just wish he could have been on this side of the house, to have a glimpse of himself and his followers when I made the announcement that the election was to be held on June 11. While there was great applause from all other parts of the house I noticed that not a single member of the Progressive Conservative party rapped his desk-not until after I had spoken to my colleague the Minister of Mines and Resources (Mr. Crerar) on my right and my colleague the Minister of Justice (Mr. St. Laurent) on my left, and suggested to them that they take a look at hon. members immediately opposite. I did that because not one of them was receiving the announcement with any degree of satisfaction at all.

In conclusion may I say that one has only to be on this side of the house-

Mr. CARDIFF:

On a question of privilege, I would ask the Prime Minister to retract his statement that he did not see anyone on this side of the house rap his desk.

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

May I repeat I did not see anyone of his party. My hon. friend may have been patting his desk, but not much more. I watched and I did not see anyone applauding in real fashion on the other side of the house. But what I did see at that time-and what I still see1-was the gloomiest lot of countenances I have ever seen in my life.

Mr. GRAYDON:

One word, after what the Prime Minister has said: I wondered why he had that rear-view mirror in front of him. Now I know.

Mr. M. J. COLDWELL (Rosetown-Biggar):

Mr. Speaker, from the general feeling of the house I do not think much more business will be done at this session. May I say, however, that I think everyone would welcome the Prime Minister's announcement that the election is to be held soon in order that the people may make a choice. I do not think this is the time to indulge in idle boasting or anything of the kind. The government which will be formed after the next election must be prepared to face grave problems, in some respects graver than those the government now in office has faced.

I rose really to say this, that there is a tremendous amount of unfinished business. The Prime Minister has appealed to all hon. members of the house to facilitate the passage of the bills, in order that parliament may vote an appropriation, and that the government 32283-54

may be authorized in a democratic and proper manner to finance war and civil activities in the next five months. As I have said several times this week, we are prepared to facilitate the granting of the appropriations. But I should like to point out that there are very important departments of government which have not been questioned. For instance, there is the Department of Labour, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture, and other departments, none of which has been questioned, and about which a number of inquiries should have been made, and an opportunity for comment should have been given. In my opinion, parliament should have been called earlier. There has been time, however, to do the business of the country, had we stuck to business instead of spending several hours this week in political discussion in preparation for the election which has now been announced, the business of the country would have been much more expeditiously and efficiently done than has been the case.

I would say further that the rules of this parliament need revision. In the mother of parliaments, which is democratic to the core, the kind of discussion we have had in the last two weeks could not have been as prolonged as it has been here. With the tremendous amount of business facing the country, and the tremendous amount which will face the country in the future, I suggest one of the first things the House of Commons should do when parliament meets after the election, is to revise its rules to the end that the business of the house may not be held up by all kinds of often inconsequental or repetitious discussion.

I say the business of the country should have been done by calling parliament earlier. Under our present rules we knew that this situation might face us. We are now within a few hours of dissolution, and I join with the leader of the opposition, with the Prime Minister and with other hon. members of the house in urging that the business be wound up as efficiently as possible under the circumstances now prevailing in parliament. Then we can all go to the country with clearer consciences, and with the feeling that the job has been done, trusting to the wisdom of the Canadian people to choose the government they consider will give them the greatest and best service in the next several years.

Mr. J. H. BLACKMORE (Lethbridge):

Mr. Speaker, it is a matter for deep regret that when the house was called in November to discuss the question of conscription the government did not see fit to continue the session of parliament from that time to the present. I see no sufficient reason why that

Housing Loans

could not have been done. I dislike very much to think of leaving in the air some of the all-important matters which should have been considered with the greatest care by this parliament. I have in mind the document tabled yesterday by the Minister of Reconstruction (Mr. Howe), respecting employment and income. That is a document which should have occupied the time of the house, and should have been given the greatest possible care and attention for three or four weeks, in order that hon. members might fully understand what is really in the minds of those connected with the department. Yet we shall scarcely have time to refer to it.

As to the time of the election, our group and our movement are ready. They will be happy to meet the Prime Minister and the representatives of the other parties on the hustings or anywhere else.

There is one further matter, and that has to do with expediting the business. During this session our group has done everything within its power to expedite business, and we are prepared to continue to do so. We are not very well satisfied with the amount of time taken by some hon. members in the discussion of matters which in my view might well have waited until the next parliament.

Mr. A. H. BENCE (Saskatoon City):

Mr. Speaker, would the Minister of Finance (Mr. Usley) make his promised statement in connection with question No. 3 on the order paper respecting the matter of the application of the housing act to Saskatchewan?

Hon. J. L. ILSLEY (Minister of Finance):

Yes. The questions are: