Mr. T. C. Douglas (Burnaby-Coquiilam):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to direct two questions to the Prime Minister. First of all, may I ask the right hon. gentleman whether he will find it possible today to table a copy of the letter I referred to yesterday, his letter to the premier of Alberta in reply to that gentleman's correspondence concerning medical services for Indians.

Second, I should like to ask the Prime Minister, in view of the fact that the government has apparently determinedly set its face not to bring down Bill No. C-190 before the

March 26, 1968

Inquiries of the Ministry recess, whether he can give the house an assurance on behalf of his colleagues-

Mr. Speaker:

Order, please. I suggest to the hon. member that he cannot ask two questions. There is a convention in this house that we allow the official opposition one question and then allow other parties one question. I suggest to the hon. gentleman that it would be more in order to ask the first question or the second one, the choice being that of the hon. member.

Mr. Douglas:

Mr. Speaker, may I leave the first question and ask the second?

Oh, oh.

Right Hon. L. B. Pearson (Prime Minister):

So far as the first question is concerned-

Mr. Starr:

Order.

Mr. Pearson:

So far as the question of the hon. gentleman is concerned, Mr. Speaker, dealing with the correspondence between myself and the premier of Alberta, the correspondence in question which he referred to yesterday deals with medicare legislation and not particularly with medical services for Indians. I am very glad indeed to table that correspondence. In the same tabling I might include a communication with the premier of Manitoba, to which reference was made last week.

I think my hon. friend was referring to a telegram I received from the premier of Alberta dealing with health services for Indians, to which I gave an interim reply by telegram on the day it was received saying I should be communicating with him soon, and there would be a statement in the house on this matter shortly.

Mr. Douglas:

A supplementary question, Mr. Speaker. Can the Prime Minister tell the house what his reply was to the telegram he received from the premier of Alberta with respect to medical care for Indians?

Mr. Pearson:

I do not have it before me, but I have no objection to asking the premier whether we can table the exchange. It was a telegram saying that I hoped to reply to him in substance shortly, but in the meantime a statement would be made here which I believed would help to remove misunderstandings that have been created, or words to that effect. I think I indicated, because I think my hon. friend has some suspicions

about this, that we were having some difficulty in reaching the estimates of the Department of National Health and Welfare.

Mr. Douglas:

A further supplementary

question. May I ask the Prime Minister if he informed the premier of Alberta that the item in the supplementary estimates dealing with national health and welfare could be called by the government at any time, since those estimates were before the house?

Mr. Speaker:

Order, please.

Hon. W. G. Dinsdale (Brandon-Souris):

supplementary question to the Prime Minister, Mr. Speaker. Did the Prime Minister reply to the telegram he received from the premier of Manitoba? If so, would it be possible to have that tabled?

Mr. Pearson:

It was a letter, Mr. Speaker, dealing with medicare, and I shall be glad to table that along with the reply to the premier of Alberta. I could table it now, with your permission.

Mr. Speaker:

Is that agreed?

Agreed.

Mr. G. W. Baldwin (Peace River):

A supplementary question, Mr. Speaker. I wish to ask the Minister of National Health and Welfare whether, having regard to the misunderstanding referred to by the Prime Minister, he was able to clear up the misunderstanding in the minds of the Indian delegation which he met in Calgary in this connection.

Hon. Allan J. MacEachen (Minister of National Health and Welfare):

Yes. I found them more reasonable than the hon. gentleman.