Mr. A. C. Stewart (Yorkton):

On a question of privilege, Mr. Speaker, I wish to point out that in the March 15, 1951, issue of Maclean's magazine, which has only now come to my attention, in an article written by Mr. George Hillyard Robertson, he said the following:

Political arguments are one thing in which Reginans still maintain their old-time spirit. Once, James Gardiner, then leader of the Saskatchewan Liberal opposition, peeled off his coat and charged across the legislative chamber toward Carl Stewart, a Conservative M.L.A. The two were separated before any blows were exchanged but it took the house a day to get back to normal.

The hon. gentleman who is now Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Gardiner) did not at any time peel off his coat, nor charge across the legislative chamber towards me, nor was I-*

Order.

Mr. Gibson:

It is a question of privilege.

Mr. Speaker:

Order.

Mr. Stewart (Yorkton):

-nor was I a

Conservative M.L.A. in such legislature. I was the leader of an independent group, chosen as such leader by them, and served as minister of highways in a government known as the Co-operative government. Nor were the two of us separated at any time before any blows were exchanged, nor did it take the house a day to get back to normal. Such foolish articles as this one written by Mr. G. H. Robertson are not calculated to improve the knowledge of the Canadian public with regard to political affairs. The incident that did occur thirty years ago, of which this is an exaggerated report, was amicably settled by the participants in my room two days later.

The statement is further incorrect in that I never at any time ran as a Conservative candidate, as the election records in the archives of the governments, both provincial and federal, will show; and I was opposed in three federal elections by Conservative candidates who incidentally all lost their deposits.

I also wish to speak on a matter of privilege concerning an article appearing in the Leader-Post of May 31. Premier T. C. Douglas, the C.C.F. leader in the Saskatchewan government, makes a personal attack on me; he says that I have belonged to almost every political party in existence, and therefore no one was likely to give the statement I made in this house relating to the Saskatchewan civil service much credit.

The statements of Mr. Douglas, both as to patronage as practised by his government and as to myself personally, are absolutely untrue. I have never been a member of any political party except the original Progressive party, and in the last federal election the Liberal party.

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

I should like to lay on the table copies, in English and in French, of an order in council of June 4 amending the regulations respecting great lakes seamen's security. Those regulations are now in force. It has been found that with respect to the men on some small craft, such as small fishing vessels, or barges used as auxiliaries in dredging operations in the lakes, no useful purpose would be served by applying these regulations. The order in council authorizes the Minister of Labour to make orders exempting them from the application of the general regulations.

Mr. Stanley Knowles (Winnipeg North Centre):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to ask the Secretary of State if he is now in a position to answer a question I asked on the orders of the day on May 15 with regard to the request of the Ontario federation of printing trades unions that the employees of the federal printing bureau be accorded the right of collective bargaining.

Hon. F. G. Bradley (Secretary of State):

Mr. Speaker, I have made inquiries and find that the Times-Gazette, published in Oshawa, reported that the federation of printing

Inquiries of the Ministry trades unions had passed a resolution demanding that the federal government accord to the civil servants the right to belong to a union of their choice and to bargain collectively.

I have no knowledge of any regulation or order of any kind which prevents any civil servant from joining the union of his choice.

The matter of collective bargaining raises a question of principle. Employees of the public service are recruited by the civil service commission, through competitive examinations advertised across the country, and a choice is made on the basis of merit, irrespective of union affiliations. The same principle of technical qualification is applied in connection with promotions, and there is no discrimination between employees, whether they belong to unions or not.

It is not considered that it would be in the interests of the service to exclude non-union citizens from free access to government employment.

Mr. L. D. Tremblay (Dorchester) moved:

That the name of Mr. George be substituted for that of Mr. McLean (Huron-Perth) on the special committee on veterans affairs.