Hon. Donald S. Macdonald (Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to lay on the table of the House notice of a ways and means motion with regard to taxation of petroleum and petroleum products for the coming month of May.

Mr. Frank Howard (Skeena):

Mr. Speaker, I rise pursuant to Standing Order 43 to seek the consent of the House to move a motion of urgent and pressing necessity concerning the catastrophic decline of halibut stocks off the Pacific coast and in the Bering Sea and the need for the government to make some public statement of its intentions. I would not intend to debate the motion if it is accepted and take up the time of the House. I therefore move, seconded by the hon. member for Comox-Alberni (Mr. Barnett):

That at eight o'clock this day the House revert to motions to provide an opportunity for the Secretary of State for External Affairs or another member of the government to make a statement regarding the government's position with respect to the halibut resource of the Pacific coast and the Bering Sea.

Mr. Speaker:

The motion proposed by the hon. member for Skeena under the terms of Standing Order 43 requires unanimous consent. Is there such consent?

Agreed.

No.

Mr. Speaker:

There is not consent. The motion cannot be put.

Mr. Eudore Allard (Rimouski):

Mr. Speaker, under Standing Order 43, I ask the unanimous consent of the House to discuss a very urgent question.

To control the frightening rise in the cost of living and the exorbitant interest rates, I move, seconded by the member for Bellechasse (Mr. Lambert):

That this House unanimously recognize the necessity of amending without delay the Bank of Canada Act, so that the latter be authorized to provide loans to provinces and municipalities at an interest rate equivalent to administration costs.

Mr. Speaker:

The House has heard the hon. member's motion. Under Standing Order 43, this motion requires the unanimous consent of the House. Is there unanimous consent?

Agreed.

No.

Mr. Speaker:

There is not unanimity; the motion cannot therefore be put.

Mr. Randolph Harding (Kootenay West):

Mr. Speaker, I ask for the unanimous consent of the House under Standing Order 43 to present a motion of urgent and pressing necessity. In view of the recent announcement by the British Columbia's Minister of Lands, Forests and Water Resources that the province of British Columbia will be making application to the International Joint Commission for a further order regarding the Skagit Valley, requesting that the commission should revoke its 1942 order in view of the irreparable damage to the province of British Columbia which will occur if the natural level of the Skagit River at and above the international boundary is allowed to be raised above its present level, I move, seconded by the hon. member for Burnaby-Seymour (Mr. Nelson):

April 30, 1974

Prisons and Reformatories Act

That this House endorse in principle the application of the British Columbia government to the International Joint Commission in an endeavour to stop the flooding of Canadian territory by the proposed raising of the Ross dam.

Mr. Speaker:

Again, the hon. member's motion requires the unanimous consent of the House. Is there unanimous consent?