June 6, 1950 (21st Parliament, 2nd Session)

Mr. Hansell:

The minister will have to tell me whether or not I am speaking under the correct item. If I should come in on a later item, I shall be glad to defer discussion until then. But I have a case which might be typical of several others. It is that of a war veteran who sought the benefits of the loans offered to veterans for machinery to run his farm. This particular veteran had only put in 259 days and his service was in the western hemisphere. Evidently he was not able to get the loan. In a letter to the minister I explained the situation and I received a reply from one of his officials who evidently answered the inquiry owing to the minister's

absence from his office. The answer I received was the report that was given on this young man's case. That was not the answer I wanted, because the young chap himself gave me the same report, which he had also received some little while before.
The regulations were quoted, and evidently the young veteran has to put in a certain length of time before he can qualify. I am wondering whether that is simply a hard and fast rule or whether the rule could not be made flexible enough to take in deserving cases. According to this young man's interview with me, he was not entirely responsible for his early discharge. He wanted to remain in the forces and he also wanted to go overseas. I must confess the young man feels that perhaps he has been discriminated against a little for some reason or other. I am wondering whether the minister would agree to look into this case further to see if something can be done for this young man. He does not want a grant; he wants a loan. It would appear that he is able to pay back a loan. At present he is residing on land that he is farming. It looks good, and there appears to me to be no risk on the part of the government to grant the loan to this young man under the regulations, if it is possible for him to get under the present regulations.
If there is no risk taken I do not see why he, as well as others who may have been in the army a week longer than he was, are not able to receive the benefit of the loan. I know that in all of these things you have to draw the line somewhere; but in a case like this of a young chap, who after all offered himself and was in the forces, it does seem to me that he should be able to get the benefit of this. As a matter of fact, it is not a benefit; it is simply an accommodation.
I am wondering whether the regulations could be made more flexible, or whether the minister will not look a little further into this case, with a view to trying to accommodate this particular individual.