June 22, 1948 (20th Parliament, 4th Session)

Mr. ABBOTT:

Allow me to make a speech, please. He used the words, "flouting of parliament", and asked whether it was true that these taxes might be removed by order in council. I have to paraphrase his words, because I have not Hansard before me; it is not yet available. But the hon. member used some such words. He said that if it were true that these taxes might be removed by order in council, it would be flouting parliament.
I want to call the attention of the house to the fact that when the tax bill was introduced I pointed out in clear and specific terms that the taxes were of a special temporary character and that they would be removed as soon as circumstances permitted their removal. I call the attention of the house to subsection 5 of section 1 of Bill No. 172, which reads in part as follows:
The governor in council may, when he deems it advisable either in order to avoid restricting production of goods for export from Canada or otherwise, by proclamation, declare that a section, or a part thereof, in schedule I of the
Inquiries of the Ministry

Excise Tax Act enacted by this act shall cease to have effect on and after a day fixed in the proclamation . . .
I stated repeatedly during the debate on the taxes that these taxes would be removed when circumstances justified their removal. I have had several delegations call on me, and I have reiterated that point to them. All I can say now is that the time when and the extent to which these taxes will be removed is a matter of government policy which will be announced in due course and not by any rumour in the newspapers.