Hon. LIONEL CHEVRIER (Minister of Transport):

Mr. Speaker, I desire to lay on the table the budget of the Canadian National Railways and Canadian National (West Indies) Steamships Limited for the calendar year 1945 and to move:

That the budget of the Canadian National Railways and Canadian National (West Indies) Steamships Limited for the calendar year 1945 be referred to the sessional committee on railways and shipping owned, operated and controlled by the government, together with the annual report of Trans-Canada Air Lines for the year 1944, which was laid on the table of the house on April 11, 1945, and the following annual reports for the year 1944, which were laid on the table of the house on April 12, 1945:

Canadian National railway system;

Canadian National (West Indies) Steamships Limited;

Canadian National Railways Securities Trust;

Auditors' report to parliament;

together with the following items of estimates for 1945-46:

Vote 377. Maritime Freight Rates Act, Canadian National Railways;

Vote 378. Maritime Freight Rates Act, railways other than Canadian National;

Vote 421. Prince Edward Island car ferry and terminals deficit, 1945.

Privilege-Mr. Church

And that the resolution passed by the house on the 7th September, 1945, referring certain estimates to the committee of supply, be rescinded in so far as the said resolution'relates to votes Nos. 377, 378 and 421.

Mr. STIRLING:

Mr. Speaker, may I ask whether this motion does not require notice?

Mr. CHEVRIER:

This is the usual motion that follows the establishment of the committee on government-owned shipping. It is usually brought down a day or two after the committee has been set up.

Mr. STIRLING:

But does it not require notice?

Mr. SPEAKER:

Yes. * '

Mr. MACKENZIE:

It can be done only by consent.

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

Mr. Speaker, may I say just a word? I had no intention of reflecting upon what the hon. member for Broadview (Mr. Church) said, but I was most anxious to place before the house the point of view that we should refrain from allowing politics to enter into the operation of these government-owned organizations.

Mr. JOHN BRACKEN (Leader of the Opposition):

Mr. Speaker, before leaving

motions I would ask the indulgence of the house to direct a question to the acting Minister of Finance. It is a question that I might ask on the orders of the day, but we may not reach them to-day as this is private members' day. I think the question is important enough for me to raise it now. It has to do with the tabling of two reports that were referred to by the Minister of Finance (Mr. Usley) in his budget speech, as reported at page 1007 of Hansard, and also referred to by him in answer to a question by the hon. member for Queens (Mr. McLure). The reports are those of the royal commission, on the taxation of cooperatives and the royal commission on the taxation of annuities and family corporations. On September 27 the Minister of Finance, in reply to a question by the hon. member for Queens, indicated that the report of the royal commission on the taxation of cooperatives had been received by

Questions

the government on September 25 and would be .printed and distributed as soon as possible. In his budget speech the Minister of Finance also referred to both these reports. Someone near me says that one of the reports has already been tabled. If it has, I have not seen it. In view of the importance of these reports and the desirability of their being in the hands of members before the budget debate begins, will the acting minister table copies of the reports either at once, or say to-morrow?

Hon. L. S. ST. LAURENT (Acting Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, I received a few moments ago a note from the hon. member of the opposition dealing with the report of the royal commission on the taxation of cooperatives. I immediately communicated with the officers of the department and was informed that it had not yet been received from the printer, and that the printer would be immediately communicated with to expedite the printing. All I can say is that just as soon as it is possible to get it from the printer I will see that the report is tabled.

Mr. BRACKEN:

Would it not be possible for some of us on this side to see that report before we proceed with the budget debate? It may not be possible to make it available to every member of the house before the budget debate, but I think that before important speeches are made on the budget we should have the opportunity of seeing that report.

Mr. ST. LAURENT: I think that the request made by the hon. leader of the opposition is quite fair. I will communicate with the officers of the department and see if there are not copies that could be made available to the hon. member and to such other members as may wish to see it, unless of course, I am assured that the report will be available in print almost at once.

Mr. BRACKEN:

Perhaps copies could be

furnished to the leaders of the groups on this side at least.

Mr. COLDWELL:

Thank you.