Mr. LOCKHART:

May I ask a supplementary question?

Mr. SPEAKER:

I have refused the hon. member for Halifax permission to ask a question because the statement made by the minister is not debatable. It is the privilege of the hon. member to ask a question on the orders of the day or to place his question on the order paper.

Mr. LOCKHART:

I wish to ask the Minister of National Defence a question arising out of his statement in connection with the troopship Queen Elizabeth. A rumour has reached me this morning that this change would affect the transportation of Canadian troops. I could not believe that that would be so, and I would ask the minister to assure the house that the same proportions of Canadian troops will continue to come home.

Mr. ABBOTT:

There will be no change whatsoever in that regard. We shall have to handle them out of New York instead of Halifax, but they will be handled by Canadian personnel and on Canadian rolling stock. There will be no change in the number of troops brought back.

Mr. ISNOR:

I wish to ask the Minister of National Defence whether there has been a change of master of the Queen Elizabeth during the past month.

Mr. ABBOTT:

I am afraid I do not know. PRIVATE BILLS

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

Mr. Speaker, as hon. members are aware, the coordinating committee of the dominion-provincial conference began a series of meetings on Monday morning of this week, and 'concluded the series last evening. The coordinating committee is composed of the premiers of the several provinces and the Prime Minister of the dominion. At the meetings, the premiers of the several provinces were accompanied by one or more of their ministers or advisers, while the dominion government was also represented by the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Munitions and Supply and the Minister of Justice, and at certain of the meetings by other members of the government.

At these several meetings questions related to the dominion proposals and proposals that have been submitted by some of the provinces were veTy fully discussed, together with questions arising out of those proposals as well as questions quite apart from anything specifically set forth in the proposals but dealing with matters relating to other aspects of dominion-provincial relations. The conference proceedings throughout, riiay I say, were characterized by the utmost harmony. As I said to the press at the end of the first meeting, the meeting itself was interesting and profitable. As the proceedings continued from day to day, I think I added the word "most" before the words "interesting" and " profitable." I would say I could not imagine a better series of meetings than those of the coordinating committee.

At the conclusion of the meeting a statement which was agreed to by all present was approved by the committee. It would, I think, be advisable to have this statement placed on Hansard as part of the records of parliament. The statement is as follows:

The coordinating committee of the dominion-provincial conference (1945) has completed a four day session in which there was a detailed and frank exchange of the views of all participating governments^ While a number of issues were raised, the discussions were cooperative and constructive. It has been decided to establish immediately a dominion-provincial economic committee, the members of which will examine and report to their respective governments upon the economic factors affecting dominion and provincial proposals and relations. The economic committee will proceed forthwith and will hold its first formal meeting on Tuesday. December 4. The dominion and each of the provincial governments will have three members. The chairman of the economic com-

Supply-Transport

mittee will be the senior dominion member. The secretary of the coordinating committee. Mr. Alex Skelton, will also be secretary of the economic committee. The coordinating committee will meet again on January 28 to continue its deliberations.

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

Mr, Speaker, yesterday I asked a question which the acting leader of the house promised to bring to the attention of certain members of the treasury board who- are also members of the ministry. Has he done that?

Mr. R. W. MAYHEW (Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance):

I believe I have the answer the hon. member wishes. The minister, who has been detained on account of urgent government business, handed me this answer before I came to the house.

The hon. member for Rosetown-Biggar asked yesterday morning whether treasury board has at any time refused to pay the salary of Mr. R. J. Tallon, the employees' representative on the unemployment insurance commission. Mr. Tallon was appointed by the governor in council for a term of five years. This term of office expired on September 25, 1945. This matter is now under consideration.

Mr. MaeINNIS: In view of the answer

given by the parliamentary assistant, and the answer given yesterday to my question by the Minister of Labour (Mr. Mitchell), it is apparent that there is no unemployment insurance commission now, according to the act. How is the act administered?

Mr. COLDWELL:

What is the answer?

Mr. MITCHELL:

I have nothing to add to what I said very clearly yesterday.

. SUPPLY

The house in committee of supply, Mr. Macdonald (Brantford City) in the chair.