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

Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to move:

That William Alfred Robinson, Esquire, member for the electoral district of Simcoe East, Ontario, be appointed deputy chairman of committees of the whole house.

I am confident that members of the house, especially those who have been members of committees presided over by the hon. gentleman, will feel, as I do, that he will carry out the duties of deputy chairman of the committees of the whole house in the same able and impartial way as he has presided over some of the standing or select committees of the house.

Hon. Robert H. Winters (Minister of Resources and Development):

Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to table copies of the trans-Canada highway agreement as signed between the government of Canada and the government of the province of Nova Scotia.

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

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

That it is expedient to introduce a measure to amend the Canada Elections Act to provide that the chief electoral officer may be paid a salary of not less than eight nor more than twelve thousand dollars per annum to be fixed by order of the governor in council.

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.

Mr. Howard C. Green (Vancouver-Quadra):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to direct a question to the Prime Minister. Have there been any discussions between the Canadian and United States governments concerning the present flood threat on the great lakes? If so, will the Prime Minister make a statement thereon?

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

Mr. Speaker, I understand that the question is a timely one and is based upon an item in the XJ.S. News and World Report of recent date which contains the assertion that the state department last week got Canada to agree to a review of the problem.

The United States government has requested the Canadian government to make a joint reference on the question of the high water level of lake Ontario to the international joint commission for study and for recommendation of appropriate remedial measures. The Canadian government has agreed in principle to this reference on the understanding that it will be drafted in such a manner that the international joint commission will not delay consideration of the St. Lawrence project, which it has also been agreed to refer to the commission immediately. Our purpose is that the St. Lawrence project be not delayed by the consideration of the reference on the matter of the high water level. Officials concerned are now drafting a reference on this subject to the international joint commission, to be submitted to the governments for approval.

Mr. A. C. Stewart (Yorkton):

Mr. Speaker, I wish to direct a question to the Minister of National Health and Welfare. Can the minister state what the position is with respect to the status of Indians under the Old Age Assistance Act and the Blind Persons Act in the various provinces?

Inquiries of the Ministry Hon. Paul Marlin (Minister of National Health and Welfare): Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman was kind enough to give me notice of this question. The position is that in eight of the ten provinces applications are being accepted from Indians for old age assistance and blindness allowances on exactly the same basis as from other provinces. There is no discrimination of any kind. In Alberta and Saskatchewan the provincial legislation and the agreements between the province and the federal government contain no provision for the exclusion of Indian applicants.

I understand, however, that some question has been raised in these two provinces as to the admissibility of Indians to the benefits of their legislation, and that up to the present time no action has been taken by these two provincial authorities to deal with requests for old age assistance or blindness allowances from Indian applicants. I have already written to one of the provinces and I am today writing to the second province with regard to this matter. The position of the federal government is of course that, in the absence of any provision in the provincial law to exclude Indians, they are entitled to the benefits of this legislation on the same basis as any other residents of the province.

With regard to the second part of my hon. friend's question, of course, in the light of custom, I would have to consult with the provinces concerned before tabling any correspondence between the two jurisdictions of government. I will seek their concurrence or their wishes in the matter.