Mr. J. G. DIEFENBAKER (Lake Centre):

I should like to direct a question to the Secretary of State for External Affairs. It arises out of a press report that His Excellency the Argentine ambassador has asked the Canadian government, as additional to an apology, to institute proceedings against two humane society inspectors who in performing their meritorious duties allegedly invaded protocol. The question I wish to ask the minister is this: Is the minister in a position to report as to the attitude of the government towards this unusual request?

Right Hon. L. S. ST. LAURENT (Secretary of State for External Affairs): Mr. Speaker, I must say I learned with regret of this incident

Inquiries of the Ministry

and of the inconvenience to which the Argentine ambassador may have been put. Then I carefully considered the legal aspects of the matter and came to the conclusion that the Department of External Affairs could not under the circumstances initiate proceedings of any kind. Now my understanding is that when the president of the humane society was apprised of this incident he immediately proceeded to the residence of the ambassador and expressed regrets, and followed that up with a letter, and to these regrets and those expressed by the chief of protocol of the Department of External Affairs I have added my own.

Mr. COLDWELL:

As a supplementary

question, may I ask to what extent, in the view of the Department of External Affairs, diplomatic immunity overrides municipal legislation, bylaws and so on. The question is interesting to municipalities as well as to diplomats.

Mr. ST. LAURENT: I do not think I should at this time attempt a dissertation-

Mr. COLDWELL:

We should like to know some time.

Mr. ST. LAURENT: -on the extent to which diplomatic immunities override municipal legislation. I think that in practice the good sense of all those concerned enables them to find solutions which dispose of any of the incidents that may arise.

Mr. A. M. NICHOLSON (Mackenzie):

I wish to direct a question to the Minister of Reconstruction and Supply. Has the minister received a communication from the Canadian association of women voters, Montreal, of which Madame Casgrain is president, in connection with subsidized low rental housing? Could he indicate whether or not Mr. Mansur was expressing government policy when he stated: "The present is a bad time to start subsidized rental housing"?

Right Hon. C. D. HOWE:

(Minister of

Reconstruction and Supply): I did receive a copy of the letter referred to, sent to me from the Prime Minister's office. In reply to the second part, I may say that government policy has been and will be announced by members of the government.

Mr. STANLEY KNOWLES (Winnipeg North Centre):

I should like to direct a question to the Prime Minister. In view of continuing reports in the Winnipeg Citizen and other newspapers, and in view also of the fact that it was in the Liberal party's platform of 1919,-

Order.

Mr. KNOWLES:

-may I ask the Prime Minister whether the government is yet in a position to say whether health insurance legislation will be submitted at this session of parliament.

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

In view of the extent of the preliminaries to the hon. member's question, I shall have to read it over before I can give an answer.

Mr. KNOWLES:

You have had only twenty-nine years.