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

Mr. Speaker, in accordance with the oral notice given by the Minister of Public Works (Mr. Fournier) last Thursday at the close of the sitting, and as published in Votes and Proceedings for Friday, I move:

That on Monday, April 28. 1952, and every Monday thereafter to the end of the session, government notices of motions and government orders shall have precedence over all business except the introduction of bills, questions by members and notices of motions for the production of papers.

I would hope, however, that it might be understood that there would be allotted today as much time to private members' business as was taken last Monday to deal with the motion to set up the committee on the readjustment of representation.

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

Mr. Speaker, if there were any reason before us why the motion should be adopted at this time, I would be prepared to support it, as I think many other members would. On other occasions in the past similar motions have received assent from members at a time when it was clearly demonstrated that urgent matters required consideration. But no urgency-and I submit this to hon. members-has been demonstrated, and no such case has been presented to us. On the contrary there are many reasons why the rights of private members should be preserved, in this as in other sessions.

This session has followed a pattern which surely calls for the attention of all members. Tomorrow we will be into the third calendar month of the session. Outside of the strictly formal bills which were called for following the approval of the supplementary estimates,

the only measure placed before the house for consideration by way of legislation is a bill that was introduced at the very outset to deal with an emergent situation which had arisen because of the outbreak of the foot-and-mouth disease.

It is not necessary to say that there was an extended debate on the speech from the throne, or that there has been already a debate for some days on the budget. Those debates of necessity were more extended, and doubtless the discussion was more discursive, because no direction has been given to the business of this house since the session began on February 28. There has been no pattern, there has been no lead, there has been no indication to hon. members of the things they would really be called upon to discuss except for those private measures, either by way of bill or by way of motion, brought forward by private members.

It is true that we had a discussion on external affairs and national defence. It is true that after repeated requests the Prime Minister (Mr. St. Laurent) indicated the concurrence of the government in the suggestion that had been made that there should be separate debates on external affairs and national defence. But the effectiveness of those debates was to a great extent stultified by the fact that, for whatever reasons may have been put forward, the Secretary of State for External Affairs (Mr. Pearson) saw fit to address a club in New York just a few days before that debate when every subject that could be brought forward was brought forward there. Then a few days later he went on the radio over a national network and devoted his attention largely to one party in this house in a manner which introduced a spirited debate on what the motives of that party really were.

Order.

Mr. Drew:

It is interesting to notice the measure of impatience that is displayed by members of this house the moment any suggestion is made that they should follow the rules which have been established for some time.

Mr. Cleaver:

Speak to the motion.

Mr. Mutch:

Right now you are out of order.

Mr. Howe:

What motion are we speaking to?

1636 HOUSE OF

Business of the House

Mr. Drew:

I propose to follow the course of my remarks until such time as Your Honour indicates that in your opinion they are not in accordance with the motion before us. There is only one Speaker in this house, and I do not intend to accept direction from cabinet ministers or other members as to the subjects I shall debate in this house.

Usually out of order anyway.

Blue Monday.

Blue for you fellows, all right.

Carry on.

Mr. Drew:

Fortunately I am in no hurry, and I intend to wait until Your Honour at any rate has the opportunity to hear what I am saying.

This house then heard a discussion of external affairs and later it heard a discussion of national defence. The minister for external affairs showed scant regard for the members of the house in the course he followed; moreover, when defence was being discussed the Minister of National Defence (Mr. Claxton) showed even less courtesy toward the house when he absented himself during a substantial part of that debate.

So were you.

Mr. Drew:

The chairman of the committee on defence expenditures is obviously under the impression that he is sitting as chairman of this house. We shall await with considerable interest his decisions tomorrow as chairman of that committee.