Mr. Wright:

On a question of privilege-

Mr. Wright:

Then let me get back to the need for this bill. This bill is-

Mr. Wright:

I think it has something to do directly with the bill before the house, because the bill before the house arises out of the action taken by the board of grain commissioners in their findings in the Kreutz-weiser case which, in our opinion, changes the meaning of section 112 of the act, and which we have again tried to introduce into the act in this Bill No. 362. So I think it has a direct bearing on the bill before the house.

I wish to say one word further on this. The Minister of Trade and Commerce and some of his officials apparently think that in Canada we are living in a corporate state. Thank goodness we are not. Thank goodness we still have democracy in this country, and parliament is still free. I think there is not only menace in some of the statements he has made, but some of the officials in the action they have taken have -indicated that they have not any too much respect for parliament, and that parliament is just something they have to put up with.

I do not think that is an attitude which any departmental head or any minister should have toward this House of Commons. And so long as I am a member of the House of Commons I am going to protest that sort of action either in the house or out of it. I think, considering everything that was said, the minister should do as I have suggested; he should either take the necessary action in the house if I have committed a criminal act and bring me before the bar of the house, or he should withdraw his statement. It was a threat; it was a definite threat. I do not think he had the right to come before the committee, and I do not think any minister of the crown has the right to threaten a member of the House of Commons either in or out of the house.

Mr. Wright:

'That is exactly what we were discussing in committee, and this incident occurred in committee. The minister came to the committee and stated that so far as taking the action which he suggested in committee-

Mr. Wright:

Read what I said. I said he was doing a good job.