Right Hon. L. S. St. Laurent (Prime Minister):

In accordance with the undertaking I gave the house yesterday, and with, I assume, unanimous consent, I should like to move, seconded by the Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Gardiner):

That when this house adjourns on Friday, the 7th instant, it stand adjourned until Tuesday, the 11th instant.

Hon. Stuart S. Garson (Minister of Justice) moved

that the house go into committee at the next sitting to consider the following resolution:

That it is expedient to amend The Judges Act, 1946, to increase the salaries of the judges of the Supreme Court of Canada and to provide salaries for an increased number of judges of the Supreme Court of Ontario: also to amend the present provision respecting travelling allowances to a judge of the Supreme Court of New Brunswick.

He said: His Excellency the Governor General, having been made acquainted with the subject matter of this resolution, recommends it to the consideration of the house.

Hon. Siuart S. Garson (Minister of Justice) moved

that the house go into committee at the next sitting to consider the following resolution:

That it is expedient to amend the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act by increasing the amount of refund payable to members of the force in respect to prior service in a provincial police force where they were retained in the force beyond the maximum period of service that may be counted for the purpose of computing a pension.

He said: His Excellency the Governor General, having been made acquainted with the subject matter of this resolution, recommends it to the consideration of the house.

Right Hon. L. S. St. Laurent (Prime Minister) moved:

Whereas the office of chief electoral officer has become vacant by resignation of Jules Castonguay;

And whereas subsection two of se'ction four of the Dominion Elections Act, 1938, provides that in the event of a vacancy in the office of chief electoral officer the vacancy shall be filled by resolution of the House of Commons;

Be it therefore resolved, that Nelson Jules Castonguay, executive assistant to the chief electoral officer, be and he is hereby appointed chief electoral officer.

He said: Mr. Speaker, in submitting this motion for consideration of the house I wish to say first of all how much we regret the illness which necessitates the resignation of Mr. Jules Castonguay from the office of chief electoral officer. For twenty-two years Mr. Castonguay has held that office, and I believe everyone will admit that during those years he has done a thoroughly good job. Through five general elections he has supervised our electoral machine, and at times this supervision has kept him and his small office staff working almost day and night. Even between elections he and his few associates have been kept busy with plenty of routine planning and revision work.

Mr. Castonguay's work as chief electoral officer has not been without its endless worries, inquiries and sometimes protests. But through it all he has displayed a remarkable impartiality. In my eight years of public service I have yet to hear a word of adverse criticism of Mr. Castonguay's handling of the many electoral problems with which he has been faced. To him we owe many of the laws which govern Canada's voting-laws which have been studied by other countries of the commonwealth, and copied in other countries of the commonwealth and elsewhere.

Canada is indeed fortunate in having been served so faithfully and so long by Mr. Castonguay. He has discharged his duties with distinction, and with credit not only to himself but also to the office which has been his, and to the public service at large. I am sure every member of the house would wish you, Mr. Speaker, in conveying to Mr. Castonguay this tribute of our appreciation of his public service, to extend to him also our best wishes for his speedy return to health so that he may enjoy many years of well-earned rest, freed from the cares of that office.

Chief Electoral Officer

Mr. Jules Castonguay's resignation, coming as it does just prior to the forthcoming by-elections, necessitates the immediate appointment of a successor. Since 1934 Mr. Nelson Jules Castonguay, his son, has been in his father's office, and for the last few years has been his father's righthand man. In 1941 his work was interrupted when he entered the navy. As a wartime naval officer, rising from the rank of probationary sublieutenant to that of lieutenant commander, he served on two destroyers and became captain of a frigate. Shortly after returning to Ottawa and to his father's office he was promoted to his present position of executive assistant to the chief electoral officer. It is my opinion, and one which I am sure many will share, that his promotion would probably have been more rapid had he not been Mr. Jules Castonguay's son.

As executive assistant to his father, Mr. Nelson Castonguay served in an advisory capacity in matters having to do with preparations for Newfoundland's recent provincial election, as well as for the federal election which followed; and I am told he was largely responsible for the setting up of the electoral machinery in that province prior to that provincial election. I am told, too, that it functioned, as we would expect it to function with the good will of our new Canadian fellow citizens in Newfoundland, in an admirable manner.

Just this summer Mr. Nelson Castonguay travelled to Colombia, at the request of the government of that South American republic, to explain our electoral system to officials of their electoral court. As a result of these and other experiences in close association with his father, Nelson Jules Castonguay has become an expert in electoral matters under the kind of system we have in this country. It is my opinion that no one else has in the same degree the experience and knowledge necessary for the proper discharge of the duties of this responsible position.

It is particularly fortunate that we should find these qualifications in one who had such an excellent war record, and, if the house sees fit to adopt this resolution, not only shall we be expressing confidence in a competent public servant, but we shall be honouring the body of veterans of which he is a distinguished member.

Because of the large number of by-elections now in progress, as I have already intimated, the appointment of a successor to Mr. Jules Castonguay is urgent. Accordingly I move the resolution which you, Mr. Speaker, have read to the house.

Mr. George A. Drew (Leader of ihe Opposition):

Mr. Speaker, I wish to associate myself with the remarks of the Prime Minister (Mr.

St. Laurent) in regard to Mr. Jules Castonguay, and to express regret, which I am sure everyone will share, at his having found it necessary, because of ill health, to resign. Mr. Jules Castonguay has established a reputation not only for himself, but for our electoral system, in which all of us may share some measure of pride. I know all hon. members will join not only in extending best wishes to him for speedy recovery from his present illness, but also in expressing the hope that he may long be spared to enjoy the many associations he has made in all parts of the House of Commons, and in every section of Canada, by reason of the important responsibilities he assumed.

It does present a unique opportunity when we find that Mr. Castonguay's son, who has been associated with him, should have had the experience of executive assistant to his father in this very important work. I feel sure there will be general approval of the promotion to this office of one who, having acquired this background of experience, has demonstrated that he possesses high qualifications for the extremely responsible public position which carries with it the duty of making the electoral system of this great democracy work to the satisfaction of all our people.

Mr. Nelson Castonguay has shown himself a gallant Canadian in the service of his country in war, and has demonstrated his knowledge of the work in which he is about to engage. I trust that in the years ahead he will continue to uphold the high standards which have been established in the conduct of the business of that office.

Mr. Angus Maclnnis (Vancouver East):

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation group in the house I wish to concur in what has been said about Mr. Jules Castonguay, who for many years has been our chief electoral officer.

It was my good fortune to know Mr. Jules Castonguay fairly well because of my serving on nearly all the committees of the house on the Dominion Elections Act. I have also known him in connection with the conduct of elections. I am glad to associate this group with what has been said by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, and to add that no one could possibly have been fairer than Mr. Jules Castonguay in all his dealings with the public. I regret that ill health, and perhaps advancing years, have compelled him to relinquish the duties of chief electoral officer, and I wish him many years of good health in which to enjoy his retirement.

Although I have met Mr. Nelson Castonguay in connection with the sittings of com-

mittees of the house, I do not know him quite as well. Since he was subordinate to the chief electoral officer, one did not have the same opportunity to judge of his qualities. But training under his illustrious father should be a good beginning for filling the responsible position to which he is to be appointed, and I wish him long life and much success in that office.

Mr. Robert Fair (Battle River):

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Social Credit group I should like to associate myself with the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the hon. member for Vancouver East in what they have said in appreciation of the services of Mr. Jules Castonguay. Having been the representative of this group on the privileges and elections committee since 1936, I can truthfully say that we could not have had a better administrator of our election law than Mr. Castonguay. I found him to be very fair and helpful, and on many occasions he invited suggestions for the improvement of our election law.

During the past two years I have become acquainted with Mr. Nelson Castonguay, and I feel that he. will give service similar to that which was rendered by his father. On behalf of this group I wish to express the hope that Mr. Jules Castonguay may soon be restored to health and able to enjoy the years to come. I should like also to express the hope that his son will continue to serve Canada as chief electoral officer for a considerable number of years.