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

That the subject of a pension plan for members of parliament after long service based on contributions by all members be referred to the standing committee on banking and commerce.

Mr. E. D. Fulton (Kamloops):

Mr. Speaker, before the motion is adopted I want to say just a word. I have indicated to my colleagues in my own party and to all others with whom I have had an opportunity to discuss this matter since it was first mooted at this session that I could not agree with the pension plan

at least so far as it has been disclosed to us up to the present.

My feeling is that if it is desired that members of parliament should have pensions for long service, and the members are prepared to finance that plan on the basis of their own contributions, then there would be no objection to it. But as the plan has so far been outlined-and I must say that we have not any real specific details of it and therefore my remarks this morning will be short-in so far as we do have knowledge of it, I understand it is to be financed on the basis of an equal contribution from the treasury, that is from the taxpayers of Canada. On the basis that I now understand it, it will be of a nature far more generous and available at times far shorter than is usually the case with pension plans. It seems to me wrong in principle for members of parliament in this way to vote themselves a pension on a basis more generous than the usual plan, by means of a contribution from the treasury.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I understand this matter is to be referred to the standing committee on banking and commerce, and it may be that particulars will be given there which minimize the objections which I have to it. But on the basis of my understanding of the scheme presently under consideration, I have felt and still feel that it is wrong in principle, and I wish to indicate at this stage that I have that feeling and am opposed to it.

Hon. Douglas Abbott (Minister of Finance) moved

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

That it is expedient to introduce a measure intituled, "An Act respecting Currency, the Royal Canadian Mint and the Exchange Fund," providing therein for certain administrative changes, and repealing the Currency Act, part II of the Department of Finance and Treasury Board Act, sections twenty-eight, twenty-nine and thirty of the Bank of Canada Act and the Foreign Exchange Control Act.

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. S. R. Balcom (Halifax):

May I ask the

Postmaster General if his department has made arrangements with the Royal Canadian Air Force to drop mail to the residents of Sable island during the course of training flights?

Hon. Alcide Cote (Postmaster General):

want to thank the hon. member for having given me notice of his question. I might inform him that at the present time there are standing instructions to the effect that mail is to be dispatched on every available flight going to Sable island. I may add that I shall be glad to inquire into the possibility of using Royal Canadian Air Force training flights to drop mail on the island.