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June 12, 1952

PC

Donald Methuen Fleming

Progressive Conservative
Member File Biography @ PARLINFO

Mr. Fleming:

I say, Mr. Speaker, that that situation will be confronted if it should arise. It may not arise. But that does not entitle the government to ignore its responsibility to consult these provinces. If the Minister of Justice (Mr. Garson) is looking for a sound exposition of the constitutional position in this matter I commend to him the words of Laurier, Lapointe, and Cardin who were not interested in hair-splitting, but who laid down in categorical, plain and emphatic terms that there is no right to obtain amendments to this constitution without consultation with the provinces. What did they mean?

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENT TO READJUST REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
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LIB

John Sylvester Aloysius Sinnott

Liberal
Member File Biography @ PARLINFO

Mr. Sinnott:

That is not answering the question.

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENT TO READJUST REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
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LIB

Gladstone Mansfield Ferrie

Liberal
Member File Biography @ PARLINFO

Mr. Ferrie:

That was 50 years ago.

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENT TO READJUST REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
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PC

Donald Methuen Fleming

Progressive Conservative
Member File Biography @ PARLINFO

Mr. Fleming:

Oh, the hon. member

apparently thinks that is too long ago; there is a new doctrine in the Liberal party. That is precisely what I have been saying, Mr. Speaker. The Liberal party today has thrown overboard the sound constitutional position taken by Laurier, Lapointe and Cardin.

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENT TO READJUST REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
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LIB

Paul Joseph James Martin (Minister of National Health and Welfare)

Liberal
Member File Biography @ PARLINFO

Mr. Martin:

Nonsense; sheer nonsense.

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENT TO READJUST REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
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PC

Donald Methuen Fleming

Progressive Conservative
Member File Biography @ PARLINFO

Mr. Fleming:

There is no greater authority on the subject of nonsense in this house than the minister who has just spoken.

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENT TO READJUST REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
Permalink
LIB

Paul Joseph James Martin (Minister of National Health and Welfare)

Liberal
Member File Biography @ PARLINFO

Mr. Martin:

Nonsense.

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENT TO READJUST REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
Permalink
PC

Donald Methuen Fleming

Progressive Conservative
Member File Biography @ PARLINFO

Mr. Fleming:

He has plastered the pages of Hansard with more of that particular commodity than has any other member in this house.

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENT TO READJUST REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
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LIB

Paul Joseph James Martin (Minister of National Health and Welfare)

Liberal
Member File Biography @ PARLINFO

Mr. Martin:

Nonsense.

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENT TO READJUST REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
Permalink
PC

Donald Methuen Fleming

Progressive Conservative
Member File Biography @ PARLINFO

Mr. Fleming:

I think he is still a little bit troubled in his mind. He had better put himself to work polishing up the teeth on that totem pole that appeared in his cartoon last week.

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENT TO READJUST REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
Permalink
LIB

Paul Joseph James Martin (Minister of National Health and Welfare)

Liberal
Member File Biography @ PARLINFO

Mr. Martin:

Sheer nonsense.

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENT TO READJUST REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
Permalink
LIB

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

Liberal
Member File Biography @ PARLINFO

Mr. Garson:

Will my hon. friend permit another question? If upon such consultation with the provinces two of them refused to consent, where would my hon. friend suggest this parliament should go from there?

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENT TO READJUST REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
Permalink
PC

Donald Methuen Fleming

Progressive Conservative
Member File Biography @ PARLINFO

Mr. Fleming:

I would say that situation would have to be considered in the light of the objections taken by the two provinces at that time. What would Laurier have said?

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENT TO READJUST REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
Permalink
LIB

Walter Edward Harris (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration)

Liberal
Member File Biography @ PARLINFO

Mr. Harris (Grey-Bruce):

What did he do?

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENT TO READJUST REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
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PC

Donald Methuen Fleming

Progressive Conservative
Member File Biography @ PARLINFO

Mr. Fleming:

What would Lapointe have said? Laurier said we had no right to change

British North America Act this constitution without consulting with the provinces. He said it repeatedly. Lapointe said the same thing. What did Mr. Cardin say? They all said the same thing.

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENT TO READJUST REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
Permalink
LIB

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

Liberal
Member File Biography @ PARLINFO

Mr. Garson:

What does the hon. member say?

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENT TO READJUST REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
Permalink
PC

Donald Methuen Fleming

Progressive Conservative
Member File Biography @ PARLINFO

Mr. Fleming:

The same thing.

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENT TO READJUST REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
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LIB

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

Liberal
Member File Biography @ PARLINFO

Mr. St. Laurent:

For the Progressive Conservative party?

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENT TO READJUST REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
Permalink
PC

Donald Methuen Fleming

Progressive Conservative
Member File Biography @ PARLINFO

Mr. Fleming:

I have no doubt that in what I am saying now I am in accord with the views of the Progressive Conservative party, of which I am very happy to be a member.

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENT TO READJUST REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
Permalink
LIB

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

Liberal
Member File Biography @ PARLINFO

Mr. St. Laurent:

And which we are now very glad to have on the record for the first time.

Topic:   BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT
Subtopic:   AMENDMENT TO READJUST REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
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June 12, 1952