May 15, 1952 (21st Parliament, 6th Session)

Mr. Fleming:

Under item 462 we have apparently a new division within this department, the international economic and technical co-operation division, with a director at a salary of $12,000, four administrative officers, a librarian, control process officers, three stenographers and a clerk. I wonder if we could have from the minister a statement as to the reason for establishing this new division? I hope we do not need to assure the minister or the house that there has been unanimous support for the provisions made by the Colombo plan, but does it inevitably follow that because Canada is providing needed technical assistance to the commonwealth countries in southeast Asia that there must be this new division set up within the department?