Mr. JOHN BRACKEN (Leader of the Opposition):

I have a question that I had

wished to direct to the Minister of Finance. In

Crown Corporations

his absence probably the Minster of Veterans Affairs would take note of it, and it might be answered later in the day. A few days ago, I think on Tuesday last, it was revealed that one crown corporation was entirely free of control by the civil service commission or the treasury board in the employment and appointment of its officials. May I ask the minister if this situation applies as well to other crown corporations or agencies, and if so, what ones?

Hon. IAN A. MACKENZIE (Minister of Veterans Affairs): I shall be glad to direct

the question to the attention of my colleague, and it will be answered at eight o'clock this evening.

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

I understand that a question was asked, either to-day or yesterday, and: an intimation was given that I might answer it later to-day. By consent of the house I shall give the answer now. The leader of the opposition (Mr. Bracken) said:

A few days ago, I think on Tuesday last, it was revealed that one crown corporation was entirely free of control by the civil service commission or the treasury board in the employment and appointment of its officials. May I ask the minister if this situation applies as well to other orown corporations or agencies, and if so, what ones?

The rule is fairly general, if not entirely so, that appointments of employees of what are called crown corporations are not made by the civil service commission nor is their remuneration fixed by the treasury board. An example would be the Canadian National Railways and another would be the Bank of Canada. However, I have here a list, which I believe is complete, of the crown corporations and agencies to which this rule applies. They are:

Allied War Supplies Corporation.

Bank of Canada.

Canadian Arsenals Limited.

Canadian Broadcasting -Corporation.

Canadian National Railways. . .

Canadian National (West Indies) Steamships.

Canadian Wheat Board.

Canadian Wool Board Limited. .

Canadian Prices Stabilization Corporation Limited.

Custodian of Enemy Property.

Eldorado Mining and Refining.

Export Credits Insurance Corporation.

Federal Aircraft Limited.

Federal District Commission.

Fisheries Research Board of Canada.

National Battlefields Commission.

National Harbours Board.

National Railways Munitions Limited.

Park Steamship Company Limited.

Polymer Corporation Limited.

Research Enterprises Limited.

Small Arms Limited.

Turbo Research Limited. . .

Veterans Housing Project (Ottawa) Limited.

Veterans Housing Project (Toronto) Limited.

Wartime Food Corporation Limited.

Wartime Housing Limited.

Wartime Shipbuilding Limited.

War Supplies Limited.

Hon. HUMPHREY MITCHELL (Minister of Labour):

I think I can answer that question, but my hon. friend did not give me notice of it. As he has indicated, there are at the moment two vacancies on the unemployment insurance commission. The matter of filling those vacancies is under advisement. Let me go a step further. As hon. members of this house know, we had the tremendous job of mobilizing man-power during the war years. To carry that out, the direction was given to the Minister of Labour, and I can assure this house that that big organization will function just as efficiently as it did during the war years. Make no mistake about that, commissioners or no commissioners.

Mr. COLDWELL:

May I ask the minister a supplementary question?

Order.

Mr. COLDWELL:

Has the treasury board at any time refused to pay the salary of Mr. Tallon, the employees' representative on -the board?

Mr. MITCHELL:

My hon. friend will have to ask the treasury board that question; I cannot answer for it.

Mr. COLDWELL:

How is the commission functioning? Is the minister doing the work of the commission now, if the commission is not in existence?

Mr. MITCHELL:

That, Mr. Speaker, is not altogether correct; I am cooperating with the commission.

Mr. GILLIS:

There is no commission..

Mr. MITCHELL:

Yes, there is.

Mr. COLDWELL:

Does the minister not know whether the treasury board has refused to pay Mr. Tallon? Su-rely he can answer that question.

Unemployment Insurance

Order.

Mr. SPEAKER:

Order.

Mr. MITCHELL:

I should like to say this to my hon. friend: I have a big enough job of my own without running the treasury board.

Mr. COLDWELL:

This is a question on the orders of the day, and it should be answered. May I just ask this supplementary question? Will the Minister of Veterans Affairs take note of the question I asked with reference to the treasury board, and have the question answered later to-day?

Mr. MACKENZIE:

I shall be glad' to take notice of my hon. friend's question, and an answer will probably be given to-morrow.