Mr. Stanfield:

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that we are not making much progress.

Mr. Guay (St. Boniface):

You are not.

Hear, hear!

Oh, oh!

Mr. Stanfield:

I wonder whether it would be satisfactory to the Prime Minister if I returned to the subject tomorrow after he has had a chance to have himself briefed. I took it for granted he knew what he was talking about.

Mr. Trudeau:

Mr. Speaker, I take it that the Leader of the Opposition knows what he is talking about.

Right.

Mr. Trudeau:

I am glad he has the support of his colleagues-

Hear, hear!

May 1, 1974

Oral Questions

Mr. Trudeau:

-when he says they are not making much progress.

Mr. Muir:

That's not funny, Pierre.

Mr. Speaker:

Order, please.

Mr. Frank Howard (Skeena):

Mr. Speaker, I am tempted to say that that sort of exchange proves figures do not lie. I wish to direct a question to the Secretary of State for External Affairs regarding the position of Canada in its negotiations with the United States with respect to salmon stocks in each country. Has the government already reviewed or is it contemplating a review of the position Canada is taking in those negotiations? If so, can the minister tell the House what that new position is?

Hon. Mitchell Sharp (Secretary of State for External Affairs):

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. gentleman knows, and I am sure the House is aware, these negotiations have been going on for quite some time and they are extremely complex. Our general purpose is to try to ensure that we have control over the salmon that spawn in our streams. That is our over-all objective. We are engaged in extremely tough bargaining and we do not intend to hurry this bargaining at the expense of the Canadian position.

Mr. Howard:

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased with part of the response. Am I to take it from that remark of the minister that the government is now going to withdraw the sell-out proposals it has made to the Americans and revert to the position of June 17 and 18, 1971, when we, as Canadians, agreed with the Americans that the fish of each nation belonged to the people of that nation? Is that going to be the position we will put forward?

Mr. Sharp:

Mr. Speaker, the position the government of Canada has always maintained is to get to a situation where we have complete control over the fish spawned in our respective streams. We have never sold out, we do not intend to sell out, and I hope my hon. friend will not encourage us to sell out.

Mr. Speaker:

The Chair will recognize the hon. member for Skeena for a further supplementary and then the hon. member for Temiscamingue.

Mr. Howard:

Mr. Speaker, may I put the question more directly to the minister. Will the record of agreement reached between the United States and Canada in Seattle, Washington, on June 17 and 18, 1971, on salmon problems of mutual concern, which enunciated the principle of ownership of the salmon stocks by each country, be the basis of the position which the Canadian government now intends to present in these negptiations?

Mr. Sharp:

Mr. Speaker, this has always been our position. As the hon. gentleman knows, the United States has certain rights that have been acquired over the years. The

endeavour on our part to get those rights withdrawn remains the centre of our policy.