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

Mr. Speaker, may I direct a question to the right hon. Prime Minister, who has just tabled the correspondence with the provincial premiers with regard to the proposed prices review board. In the light of this exchange of correspondence and the visits by officials of the federal government to the various provinces last week, I should like to ask whether the Prime Minister is now in a position to tell us anything about the terms of reference. Have they been drafted, and will they be made available to members of the house?

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

Mr. Speaker, we have received four or five replies from the provinces. There are not more than five. The officials who have been visiting the provinces have now visited all the provinces; I believe they visited the last one yesterday. We received an interim report

Inquiries of the Ministry from them last week and will be receiving the final report over the week end. I believe it should be possible to make progress with good speed and report to the house when it reconvenes on April 23.

Mr. Douglas:

Mr. Speaker, may I ask the Prime Minister whether any contacts are being established with organizations other than the provinces. Are any discussions going on with management, labour, farm organizations or consumers organizations regarding these terms of reference?

Mr. Pearson:

Mr. Speaker, we thought we should obtain the reaction from the provincial governments first, but steps are now being taken to invite to Ottawa representatives of the various organizations, including the trade union organizations, which would be particularly concerned with this matter. It is hoped that it will be possible to have meetings with them beginning next week.

Mr. Roland Godin (Porineuf):

Mr. Speaker, I wish to direct a question to the Prime Minister.

Could he tell us if the municipal authorities in Hull have informed the government of their financial difficulties and, if so, can the city hope for loans similar to those granted to Jamaica at an interest rate of J of 1 per cent?

Mr. Speaker:

Order. The hon. member for Okanagan-Revelstoke.

[Translation)

Mr. Godin:

Mr. Speaker, may I ask a supplementary question?

Mr. Speaker:

The hon. member might want to ask another question because the first one was out of order.

Mr. Ed. Schreyer (Springfield):

Mr. Speaker, I see that the Postmaster General is in the house. I should like to direct my question to him. Has he asked for a ruling from his officials to determine whether third class mail, or junk mail as it is popularly called, covers or includes the books and other paraphernalia being mailed out by Liberal leadership candidates?

March 27, 1968

Inquiries of the Ministry

Mr. Donald Maclnnis (Cape Breton South):

I hesitate to put my question to the Prime Minister in view of the way he has been fielding questions today, but now that the Minister of Trade and Commerce has made all possible mileage out of the wheat announcement may I ask whether it is the Prime Minister's intention to give him his release.

Hon. R. A. Bell (Carleton):

Mr. Speaker, may I ask the Prime Minister whether he could be persuaded today to grasp what probably will be his last opportunity to fulfil the hope he expressed last December 15, that before his retirement it would be possible to provide an increase in pensions for other retired public servants?

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

Mr. Speaker, I really should not even take notice of that question because I will have an interest in that matter after I retire.