Mr. M. J. Coldwell (Roselown-Biggar):

Mr. Speaker, I would like to address a question to the Secretary of State for External Affairs. On Monday last, January 13, I addressed a question to either the Prime Minister or the Secretary of State for External Affairs inquiring if a communication had been received from our ambassador with regard to a statement issued by the supreme council of the Soviet union, made I believe on December 21.

May I ask if that report has now been received and, if so, what disposition has been made of it?

Mr. M. J. Coldwell (Rosetown-Biggar):

am very glad to have my impression corrected. I suppose it was because I was away in the summer that I was unaware that the post office had already been opened. May I say to the minister I am glad that has been done; but I did not receive an invitation to the opening of the building.

Mr. M. J. Coldwell (Roselown-Biggar):

May

I just say a word. In so far as rising at the right time is concerned, I point out to the minister, and I am sure Your Honour would understand this point, that when the right hon. member for Melville rose to speak I was under the impression, as I am sure every

member here was, that he was raising a question supplementary to the one that had been asked already of the Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources. As a result of that some confusion arose, but Your Honour had not yet called orders of the day; consequently the question was regarded as supplementary to the other questions that had been asked.

In view of the statement made by the Minister of Labour yesterday indicating that nearly 700,000 people were seeking work, or that over 700,000 people were seeking work, so far as the urgency of debate is concerned who is there who would deny that there is some urgency of discussion in this regard?

As for the third point made by my hon. friend the Minister of Finance, certainly I was quite unaware that any decision or any announcement had been made that there would be a supply motion next Monday. I had not heard about it. I do not think any member on this side of the house had been notified that such a debate was to arise on Monday next. Even if the announcement had been made-and I am quite sure it had not been made-there is no guarantee that such a debate would be held. Something else might intervene which would have set aside that debate or that opportunity.

Consequently I would say that on all counts the hon. member for Comox-Alberni raised this matter at the right time and in the right place, as far as we were able to gather from discussions which occurred; that there is urgency, and that we have no knowledge of a supply motion foreshadowed for next Monday or Tuesday.

Mr. Coldwell:

Well, that was the implication of the hon. gentleman's question. Some people may do that, but we do not.

Mr. Coldwell:

Does the minister not think that one of the means used for dumping is the reduced rates being charged by tankers transporting this oil?