December 8, 1949

PRIVILEGE

REFERENCE TO EDITORIAL IN TORONTO "SATURDAY NIGHT" OF DECEMBER 6


Mr. Jean Fran$ois Poulioi (Temiscouata): For a long time, Mr. Speaker, I have not risen to a question of privilege. I will do so now. My attention has been drawn to an article which appeared in the stalest of all weeklies, edited by the most self-complacent of all idiots; I refer to Toronto Saturday Night. The article is probably from the pen of a bureaucrat-minded, bigoted, besotted nonentity, the Canadian pocket edition of Harry Hopkins. It is on the word "blokes", which I have used in the past and which I will use again. I want to give my own definition of the word and what I mean by it when I utter it. It is quite different from the dictionary meaning. Whenever I use that word in the future everybody will understand what I mean. Here is the article: The word "blokes," which is not very familiar to English-speaking Canadians, has come into popularity with certain French Canadians as an uncomplimentary designation for Englishmen-probably in much the same way as "Boches" came to be applied to the Germans. That is false. The article continues, speaking of the member for Temiscouata: He is entitled to that view, but we do not think he is entitled to express it in the House of Commons in language of carefully calculated insult. This is untrue. I do not call a "bloke" a man who is necessarily born anywhere outside of Canada. The word "bloke" applies to everyone, born anywhere, who is stupid enough to consider Canada a lemon to squeeze.


ATOMIC ENERGY


First and final report of special committee on the operations of the atomic energy control board.-Mr. Mcllraith.


BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT

AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

LIB

Louis Stephen St-Laurent (Prime Minister; President of the Privy Council)

Liberal

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

I should like to lay on the table copies in English and French of the letter

addressed yesterday to the premiers of the provinces with respect to the proposed conference on the procedure for amendments to the British North America Act. As was done on previous occasions, I imagine that hon. members would wish to have this letter printed as an appendix to Hansard.

Hon. members will note that in addition to this conference for the purpose of advising on a method of making in Canada amendments to the constitution, the government of Canada is proposing to the premiers of the provinces that there be another dominion-provincial conference after the next session, and that the preparatory work on such a conference be undertaken as soon as possible.

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
Sub-subtopic:   CON- SULTATION WITH PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS TABLING OF FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE
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LIB

Elie Beauregard (Speaker of the Senate)

Liberal

Mr. Speaker:

Is it the pleasure of the house that the letter appear as an appendix to Hansard?

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
Sub-subtopic:   CON- SULTATION WITH PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS TABLING OF FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE
Permalink
?

Some hon. Members:

Agreed.

(For text of further correspondence, see appendix, page 2976.)

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
Sub-subtopic:   CON- SULTATION WITH PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS TABLING OF FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE
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EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

LIB

Lester Bowles Pearson (Secretary of State for External Affairs)

Liberal

Hon. L. B. Pearson (Secretary of State for External Affairs):

Mr. Speaker, during the debate on external affairs on November 17, I said that Canada would be represented by a minister at the important forthcoming meeting of commonwealth ministers of external affairs to take place in Colombo, Ceylon, beginning January 9. I am now in a position to state that the government has decided that the Secretary of State for External Affairs should head the Canadian delegation to this conference.

The Minister of Fisheries, who will be representing Canada at the meeting of the governing body of the international labour organization at Mysore, India, at the beginning of January, will also, I hope, be available to attend the Colombo conference if the labour conference finishes in time.

The advisers to the Canadian delegation to the Colombo conference will consist of the deputy under-secretary, Mr. Reid; the head of the Far Eastern division of the department, Mr. Menzies; and Mr. Lepan, of the economic division of the department.

It has been arranged that the newly appointed Canadian high commissioner to Pakistan, Mr. Johnson, will travel with the

Questions

delegation to Colombo en route to his post, and will also act as an adviser. A senior official of the Department of Trade and Commerce will accompany the delegation, because we hope to take advantage of our presence in Karachi, New Delhi and Colombo to explore the possibilities of increased trade between Canada and Pakistan, India and Ceylon.

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Sub-subtopic:   MEETING OF COMMONWEALTH MINISTERS AT COLOMBO, CEYLON
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QUESTIONS


(Questions answered orally are indicated by an asterisk.) ^REPORTS ON PERSONS RESIDENT IN CANADA


CCF

Major James William Coldwell

Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (C.C.F.)

Mr. Coldwell:

Are any reports on persons resident in Canada given confidentially, or otherwise, by the R.C.M.P. to private citizens, companies or corporations?

Topic:   QUESTIONS
Permalink
LIB

Stuart Sinclair Garson (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada)

Liberal

Mr. Garson:

Mr. Speaker, this question is rather wide in its scope. I conferred with the hon. member who asked it, and he has agreed to substitute for the question on the order paper the following:

Does the Royal Canadian Mounted Police make a practice of providing reports upon the request of employers as to the character of persons seeking employment with such employers?

The answer is no.

Topic:   QUESTIONS
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NATIONAL FILM BOARD

PC

Mr. Diefenbaker:

Progressive Conservative

1. What is the total number of employees of the national film board who have ceased to be employed by, or under, the national film board, since the first of January, 1949?

2. Of these, how many have been transferred to, or have secured employment in, other departments or agencies of government?

Topic:   QUESTIONS
Subtopic:   NATIONAL FILM BOARD
Sub-subtopic:   EMPLOYEES
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LIB

Robert Henry Winters (Minister of Reconstruction and Supply)

Liberal

Mr. Winters:

In answering a similar question orally yesterday, and from memory, when my estimates were under consideration, I said, as to employees who left the board this year, that the number was 61. Actually the number is 67.

The answer to the question of the hon. member for Lake Centre follows:

1. Sixty-six appointed under authority of the National Film Act; one appointed under authority of the Civil Service Act.

2. Eight have been employed by other departments or agencies of government.

Topic:   QUESTIONS
Subtopic:   NATIONAL FILM BOARD
Sub-subtopic:   EMPLOYEES
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December 8, 1949