April 29, 1949 (20th Parliament, 5th Session)

Mr. Howard C. Green (Vancouver South):

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a question of privilege. Late yesterday afternoon I received a petition, for presentation to the house, from the British Columbia Old Age Pensioners Organization Inc., signed by some 1,500 persons, many of whom signed as officers of responsible organized bodies of various kinds. I believe this petition to be in proper form for presentation, and I am prepared to present it, but in view of the expected dissolution of parliament later today I am drawing to your attention, Mr. Speaker, and to the attention
of the house, the fact that it sets out the great difficulties of these Canadians in receipt of old age pensions, and suggests that the minimum basic pension should be $50 per month at age sixty-five without a means test.
The prayer of the petition is only three lines long, and reads as follows:
Wherefore your petitioners humbly pray that your honourable house may be pleased to give its fullest consideration at the present session to the grievous sufferings of these pioneer citizens.