Right Hon. W. L. MACKENZIE KING (Secretary of State for External Affairs):

I beg leave to table the text of the Great lakes fisheries convention between Canada and the

Privilege-Mr. Gray don

United States of America, signed at Washington on April 2, 1946. The convention was signed by the Minister of Fisheries (Mr. Bridges) and the Canadian Ambassador, Mr. Pearson, on behalf of Canada, and by the Acting Secretary of State, Mr. Dean Acheson, on behalf of the United States of America. The convention will come into force when ratifications have been exchanged.

Mr. BRACKEN:

Could the Prime Minister or the Minister of Fisheries indicate briefly the substance of the convention which has just been tabled?

Mr. BRIDGES:

I think there will be an opportunity later to make a statement concerning this matter; therefore I should prefer not to say anything at the present time.

Mr. BRACKEN:

We shall have copies of the document?

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

Yes, copies will go to my hon. friend.

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

The speech from the throne opening the present session of parliament forecast action to bring all matters relating to the construction of housing, as largely as possible under the administration of one minister of the crown. By order in council P.C. 1513 of April 16, 1946, the responsibility for housing has been vested in the Minister of Reconstruction and Supply. Hitherto, the Minister of Reconstruction and Supply has been responsible for the operations of Wartime Housing Limited, but other aspects of housing responsibility have been vested in the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Veterans Affairs. Under the new arrangement, the responsibility for the Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation, which was established early this year under the Minister of Finance and which has responsibility for the administration of the National Housing Act and of the emergency shelter regulations, in addition to the financing of housing construction, will be transferred to the Minister of Reconstruction and Supply. Arrangements have also been made to coordinate the operations carried on under the Veterans Land Act in relation to non-farm housing with the activities which will now centre in the Department of Reconstruction and Supply.

I wish to table a copy of order in council P.C. 1513 of April 16, in relation to housing.

Mr. GORDON GRAYDON (Peel):

Mr. Speaker, I rise to a question of privilege. An editorial entitled "Classifying Canadians" appears in the current issue of Saturday Night. The first paragraph thereof reads as follows:

We should be sorry if parliament were to adopt Mr. Gordon Graydon's proposal and refuse to employ naturalised Canadians in the civil service. The further suggestion that even born Canadians be barred from the service if their parents were naturalized was. probably not intended very seriously.

The remainder of the editorial is devoted to a critical analysis of the position I am supposed to have taken. My purpose in rising is to say that at no time have I taken such a position or made such a proposal, and I fancy every hon. .member of the house will agree with me on that. I know that Saturday Night, whose columns are always characterized by fairness and reason, would want me to put the record straight at the first opportunity. This I am doing. Were the statement ito go unchallenged, a grave injustice unwittingly might easily be done to scores of thousands of loyal naturalized citizens of Canada, many of whom have served with high distinction in the last war and this. Personally, Mr. Speaker, I think it must have been a case of mistaken identity, but I have not been able to run it down yet. >

Explain.

Mr. BEAUDOIN:

It is suggested by this bill, Mr. Speaker, that each year a day be set aside as citizenship day, a public occasion for the recognition of all who in consequence of the adoption of the Canadian citizenship act will have attained the status of Canadian citizens; a public occasion for all Canadians to develop mutual understanding and promote national unity.

I know the Secretary of State (Mr. Martin) will endeavour to provide effective and impressive ceremonies for the admission of new

Canadian Citizenship

Canadians into the Canadian family. The house agreed with him when he said, as reported at page 504 of Hansard:

One thing wTe hope to do, following the passage of this measure-

That is, the Canadian citizenship bill.

-is to provide a more effective and impressive ceremony for admission ipto the Canadian family.

Also when he said:

We are convinced of the desirability of emulating the form of ceremony which characterizes the admisssion of persons into United States citizenship. ,

Canada may want to emulate the form of celebration, which does not interfere with admission ceremonies, instituted by the United States on May 3, 1940, which takes place on the third Sunday in May of each year, and is designated as "I am an American" day. This bill proposes to create "I am a Canadian" day. Service clubs, social organizations and other institutions in Canada have shown their willingness to do the spade-work to bring this sort of celebration into being. For instance, at one of their annual conventions the junior chambers of commerce of Canada adopted a resolution in which they suggested a special citizenship week each year, which would be called Canada week, and I am informed that such a move is now being organized, with the period fixed as June 2 to June 8 next. Let us give these patriotic organizations our encouragement; and a debate on this bill, should it take place, I am sure will bring out most valuable suggestions. Incidentally I would hope that the proclamation of our official flag might coincide with the proclamation of our citizenship bill.

The purpose of this bill is to help Canadians, old and new, especially the older Canadians who are supposed to set the good examples and lead the way for the new, not only to realize and take pride in the achievements and the greatness of Canada but to promote national unity by reminding all of us of our present status and future aspirations as a nation. According to this bill, each year throughout Canada the anniversary of the day fixed by proclamation of the governor in council as the date of coming into force of the Canadian citizenship act, which it has been said "symbolizes our aspirations as a nation" shall be a legal holiday, kept and observed as such under the name of "Canadian citizenship day".

Let me close my explanations with these words of the Secretary of State when intro-

ducing the Canadian citizenship bill on October 1, 1945, and again on the motion for second reading of the bill on April 2, 1946:

For the national unity of Canada and for the future and greatness of this country it is felt to be of the utmost importance that all of us, new Canadians or old, have a consciousness of a common purpose and common interests as Canadians; that all of us be able to say with pride and say with meaning-

And may I add, to proclaim at least once a year, in some sort of official and solemn way: "I am a Canadian citizen."

Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.