Mr. Knowles:
Also the committee stage on those bills.
Mr. St. Laurent:
The committee stage and third reading of the bills that have just been reported from the select standing committee. I would not imagine that would take very much time. It would not really relieve members of the necessity of coming back tomorrow because there has to be royal assent to these matters, and there will have to be consideration in another place of the bill based upon the resolution for interim supply, so that in any event we shall have to come back at eleven o'clock tomorrow. The suggestion made by the leader of the opposition (Mr. Drew) that his group would facilitate the voting of such supply as is required for the essential business of the country during the period necessary for an election, and to call parliament together, is welcomed by this side of the house, and I wish to extend to him a word of appreciation of that offer of co-operation. If there is objection to proceeding any longer tonight, perhaps the leader of the opposition will understand, and we can take up these mat-
ters when we meet at eleven o'clock. I would hope that the tentative arrangements that have been made to ask the deputy of His Excellency the Governor General to attend for royal assent at twelve o'clock noon can still be carried out.
Mr. Drew:
Mr. Speaker, I do not want to say more than that I think most of the members look reasonably fresh, and after all there will be certain advantages, I think, from the point of view of handling the business of the government itself if these bills are dealt with now. They can be disposed of very quickly and will then be ready for final disposition tomorrow. I suggest that we proceed in the committee stage.
Mr. Maclnnis:
I am a little bit tired of the attitude adopted by the leader of the opposition.
You are always tired of it.
Mr. Maclnnis:
You are not the only people who can talk here although you have been going about it quite aimlessly for the last three or four days.
Mr. Graydon:
You were tired before you came here.
Mr. Maclnnis:
I am not tired enough not to oppose the suggestion made now. I was the one who pointed out before the dinner recess that from the attitude of the official opposition it was quite apparent that they were going to oppose interim supply.
Mr. Drew:
Wrong.
Mr. Maclnnis:
Of course I was wrong. I was wrong until it was pointed out to the official opposition-
Business of the House
You are always wrong.
Mr. Maclnnis:
I was wrong until I pointed out to the official opposition that if they persisted in refusing to vote interim supply they could not stop the government going to the country, that the government would have to carry on the affairs of the country by the use of governor general's warrants, and that it was much better that parliament should vote supply in an orderly way, and thus enable the government to carry on the business of the country in an orderly way. I am glad that my friends have seen the light. It is just about time. After carrying on for the last three days as if the debate was a debate on the budget or some other such general debate it is sheer impudence to ask the house to sit after this hour tonight.
Mr. Drew:
I am not going to extend this debate except to dispose of the statement that it was sheer impudence. That, of course, is so ridiculous that it need not be discussed-
It is true.
Mr. Drew:
-except to point out that this house went into supply only yesterday, not three days ago, and that we have been discussing a matter of $600 million for a little over twenty-four hours. We are prepared to facilitate the course of the proceedings.
Mr. St. Laurent:
I think hon. members will agree that we can perhaps finish in less time tomorrow than if we try to do so tonight. I therefore move that the house adjourn, and that the business for tomorrow be, first of all, interim supply and then consideration of the bills reported by the standing committee.
Motion agreed to and the house adjourned at 11.40 p.m.
2801
Saturday, April 30, 1949