1965-04-05

[Stage Direction]
House of Commons debates
[Stage Direction]
Speaker: The Honourable Alan A. Macnaughton
Monday, April 5, 1965

[Stage Direction]
The parliament which had been prorogued on the third day of April, 1965, met this day at Ottawa for the dispatch of business.

Mr. Speaker read a communication from the secretary to the Governor General, announcing that His Excellency the Governor General would proceed to the Senate chamber at three o'clock on this day, for the purpose of formally opening the session of the dominion parliament.
And while awaiting the summons to the Senate chamber:
Mr. Winch:: Mr. Speaker, out of curiosity may I ask whether, this being the first day of the third session of this parliament, the required notices have been published in the Canada Gazette and all members of the House of Commons and Senate have been so notified.


Mr. Speaker:: This obviously raises a very interesting and difficult point which I will have to take into consideration.
[DOT] (3:20 p.m.)
A message was delivered by Major C. R. Lamoureux, Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, as follows:
Mr. Speaker, it is the pleasure of His Excellency the Governor General that this honourable house attend him immediately in the chamber of the honourable the Senate.
Accordingly, Mr. Speaker with the house went up to the Senate chamber.
And the house being returned to the Commons chamber:
[DOT] (4:10 p.m.)



OATHS OF OFFICE

Right Hon. L. B. Pearson (Prime Minister) moved: for leave to introduce Bill No. C-l, respecting the administration of oaths of office.
Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.



SPEECH FROM THE THRONE

Mr. Speaker:: I have the honour to inform the house that when the house did attend His Excellency the Governor General this day in the Senate chamber, His Excellency was pleased to make a speech to both houses of parliament. To prevent mistakes I have obtained a copy, which is as follows: Honourable Members of the Senate:
Members of the House of Commons:
I welcome you to the third session of the twenty sixth Parliament of Canada.
We recall with pleasure the presence last October of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. The visit of Her Majesty to Charlottetown, Quebec and Ottawa helped us to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the interprovincial conferences that led to Confederation. It also reaffirmed in the hearts of Canadians the cherished place of the monarchy in our national development. The gracious presence and the wise words of the Queen of Canada helped to strengthen the unity of our country and to rededicate Canadians to the sense of purpose that joins us in the pursuit of our common goals as Canadians while leaving us free to develop to the full the facets of our life which reflect the duality of our foundation and the variety of our development.
The international situation gives ground for concern. The stability of South-east Asia is threatened by a deepening crisis in Viet Nam and continued pressures on Malaysia. The United Nations is beset by conflicting political pressures which have seriously impaired its capacity for executive action. The continuance of these situations, and of the policies that have given rise to them, would create serious risks of widening conflict.
My Government is resolved that Canada shall make the fullest contribution it can to the lessening of international tensions, including the pro-

April 5, 1965
Speech from the Throne vision of practical assistance to developing countries. In the forthcoming negotiations on the United Nations crisis, the objective of my Ministers will be to contribute to the work of repairing and strengthening the United Nations in order that it may play its proper role in the preservation of world peace and security. My Government will press forward its efforts to assure effective international action for peace keeping and to move toward general disarmament under effective international control. Canada will continue meantime to play its full part in the strengthening of collective defence and in the close collaboration of NATO members on both sides of the Atlantic.
My Government will continue to contribute to the development of the Commonwealth ties which are of major importance to the free world and to the improvement of relations between the continents. My Prime Minister will attend the forthcoming Conference of Commonwealth Prime Ministers which will discuss, among other things, the expansion of trade and the establishment of a Commonwealth Secretariat.
My Ministers attach great importance to Canada's neighbourly relationship with the United States and to the development of practical, mutually beneficial arrangements within that relationship. You will be asked to approve a resolution concerning the important agreement on the automobile industry recently concluded with the United States. Members of the House of Commons:
My Ministers believe that it is imperative to reform the procedures of the House of Commons in order that it may accomplish the large volume of work required to meet the needs of the Canadian people in modern times. My Ministers therefore will submit to you proposals for reform, based both on the valuable work of your committee on procedure and organization and on my Government's study of the procedures which, in the Parliaments at Westminster and elsewhere, have enabled effective debate and criticism to be combined with effective dispatch of public business.
Honourable Members of the Senate:
Members of the House of Commons:
My Ministers will continue their policy of promoting the strength and unity of the Canadian Confederation. This policy has made possible the achievement and reinforcement on a nation wide basis of programs, in pensions and in other fields, which would not have been attainable but for better procedures of consultation and concerted action with due regard for the federal character of our country. My Ministers will continue to improve the procedures and practices involved in the federal relationship so that all Canadians may feel equally served by Confederation.
After the appropriate provincial concurrence has been signified, you will be asked to approve an Address to the Queen to provide that the constitution of Canada may be amended in Canada by the procedures which have been agreed between my Government and the Governments of all the Provinces.
You will be asked to authorize my Government to provide that "O Canada" shall be the National Anthem of Canada and that "God Save the Queen" shall be recognized as the Royal Anthem in Canada.
Our country is achieving a high rate of economic growth. Trade is expanding. With growing industrialization, Canadians are enjoying rapidly increasing employment opportunities; incomes and living standards are rising; the number of people out

of work has been reduced to lower levels than for many years.
All the great potentialities of our economy are not, however, being realized. The talents of some of our people are wasted because of poverty, illness, inadequate education and training, inequality in opportunities for work. To combat these problems, to improve the opportunities of people who are now at a disadvantage, is to put new power into economic expansion and to enhance the unity of our country.
My Government therefore is developing a program for the full utilisation of our human resources and the elimination of poverty among our people. It will include improved measures for regional development, the re-employment and training of workers, the redevelopment of rural areas, the assistance of needy people, the renewal of areas now blighted and congested in our cities, and the establishment of new opportunities for young Canadians. Besides strengthening and broadening measures within the federal sphere of responsibility, the plan will be designed to concert them more effectively with provincial programs. Because of the importance of this plan, my Prime Minister will take direct responsibility for its co-ordination, assisted by a special secretariat. My Government will propose the calling of a special federal-provincial conference to seek full co-operation and co-ordination with policies of the Provinces.
As one of the major elements in this plan, my Government's area development program, which has already been of substantial assistance to industrial expansion in areas of high unemployment, will be expanded, in consultation with the Provinces, to other areas where incomes are low. You will be asked to approve measures to aid industrial expansion in these areas and to help people to take full advantage of such improved employment opportunities.
My Government will also propose improved measures to assist the re-employment of workers displaced by automation or affected by other economic changes. These measures to develop our country's human resources will include grants and loans for workers moving to new jobs, improved training programs in industry, extended vocational services particularly for the longer term unemployed, and an expanded program for agricultural manpower. These measures will be taken in co-operation with management and labour and, where appropriate, in conjunction with the Provinces.
You will be asked to approve the creation of a fund for rural economic development and, in order to provide for fuller integration of action for rural development, amendments to the legislation regarding ARDA will be placed before you.
You will be asked to approve the establishment of a Company of Young Canadians, through which the energies and talents of youth can be enlisted in projects for economic and social development both in Canada and abroad.
After further discussions between my Government and the Provinces, you will also be asked to enact a measure to establish a Canada Assistance Plan, providing for federal sharing in the cost of comprehensive programs under which people can be assisted on the basis of their need.
My Government believes that public policy should be directed to improving the quality of health services and to ensuring that all Canadians can obtain needed health care, irrespective of their ability to pay. Accordingly my Government will at an early date meet with the Governments of the Provinces in order to discuss with them the way
April 5, 1965

in which federal and provincial action can most effectively contribute to programs that will provide health services to Canadians on a comprehensive basis.
My Government will propose the re-establishment of a special committee of the House of Commons on food and drugs, and will facilitate its work with the aim of reducing the prices paid by the public for drugs.
My Government is developing new policies to enable farmers generally to achieve larger and more reliable incomes so that their living and working standards will be comparable to those enjoyed in other sectors of our economy. You will be asked to consider measures of special assistance to the family farm in both eastern and western Canada.
My Government's recent action to raise the incomes of dairy farmers will be followed by a comprehensive measure to make possible the development, in co-operation with the Provinces, of new national policies for major farm products, including the establishment of a Canadian Dairy Commission. Action will be taken to improve the movement and marketing of feed grain in eastern Canada and British Columbia.
In order to raise the level of income of Canadian fishermen, a measure will be placed before you to provide for an expanded national fisheries development program.
In order to improve the position of veterans, you will be asked to approve measures to amend the Veterans' Land Act, the Children of War Dead (Education Assistance) Act, the War Veterans' Allowance Act and the Army Benevolent Fund Act.
A measure will be placed before you to amend the Canadian Citizenship Act, particularly in order to ensure full equality of rights for all Canadian citizens wherever they were born.
You will be asked to approve a revision of the Immigration Act in the light of a white paper which will be placed before you, reviewing immigration policy and procedures.
You will be asked to enact legislation to establish an Indian Claims Commission.
A measure to establish an age of retirement from the Senate will be placed before you.
My Government will seek to provide more encouragement to the cultural development of our country. You will be asked to consider a measure to strengthen the position of Canadian publications, amendments to the legislation dealing with broadcasting, and a measure to help the development of a feature film industry in Canada.
In order to encourage the progress of scientific research in Canada you will be asked to enact legislation to establish a Science Council of Canada. You will also be asked to authorize a program for the advancement of industrial technology, designed to make our industry more competitive and efficient.
Arrangements will be made for you to decide the issue of capital punishment. My Government will appoint a special committee to study and make recommendations on a comprehensive policy for the correction and rehabilitation of prisoners.
My Government will appoint a Royal Commission to study the status, form and procedures of adjudicative and regulatory bodies and to investigate the desirability of instituting a parliamentary commissioner or Ombudsman for Canada.
My Government intends to make proposals regarding the limitation and payment of election
Speech from the Throne expenses when it has received and considered the findings of the committee of inquiry.
You will be asked to consider revisions of the Bank Act, the Quebec Savings Banks Act and the Bank of Canada Act; legislation will be proposed to establish a Canada Development Corporation to assist in financing major new industrial developments and in increasing Canadian ownership of business corporations.
My Government will propose a revision of legislation on unemployment insurance; legislation to provide for safety in employment under federal jurisdiction; amendment of the Fair Wages and Hours of Labour Act to achieve consistency with the labour standards code; legislation to make collective bargaining and arbitration available to the Public Service; and legislation revising federal superannuation and pension plans to integrate them with the Canada Pension Plan.
You will be asked to consider comprehensive legislation to reform public regulation of the railways and to facilitate the adaptation of the railway system to present and future needs; a measure to provide for the recapitalization of the Canadian National Railways; and amendments to the Aeronautics Act.
Other legislative proposals which you will be asked to consider will include: amendments to the Financial Administration Act to establish the Treasury Board under the presidency of a Minister to be named the president of the Treasury Board; legislation regarding Term 29 of the Union with Newfoundland; a measure regarding conservation of oil and gas under federal jurisdiction; amendments to the Post Office Act, the National Housing Act, the Atlantic Development Board Act, the Northwest Territories Act, the Bankruptcy Act and other legislation.
Members of the House of Commons:
You will be asked to appropriate the funds required for the services and payments authorized by Parliament.
Honourable Members of the Senate:
Members of the House of Commons:
May Divine Providence guide you in your deliberations.


Lester Bowles Pearson: That the speech of His Excellency, delivered this day from the throne to both houses of parliament, be taken into consideration later this day.


[Stage Direction]
Motion agreed to.

[Stage Direction]
Right Hon. L. B. Pearson (Prime Minister)
presented the following message from His Excellency the Governor General:
The Governor General transmits to the House of Commons a certified copy of an order in council appointing the Hon. George James Mcllraith, the Hon. John Robert Nicholson, the Hon. Maurice Sauve and the Hon. Edgar John Benson, to act with the Speaker of the House of Commons as commissioners for the purposes and under the provisions of the one hundred and forty third chapter of the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1952, intituled: an act respecting the House of Commons
April 5, 1965
[Stage Direction]
The Address-Mr. Cashin STANDING COMMITTEES
Lester Bowles Pearson: That a special committee be appointed to prepare and report, with all convenient speed, lists of members to compose the standing committees of this house; the said committee to be composed of Messrs. Churchill, Gregoire, Knowles, Mcllraith, Patterson, Walker and Winkler, and that the provisions of standing order 65(1) be suspended in relation to the number of members thereon.


[Stage Direction]
Motion agreed to.

Lester Bowles Pearson: That Herman Maxwell Batten, Esq., member for the electoral district of Humber-St. George's, be appointed deputy chairman of committees of the whole house.


[Stage Direction]
Motion agreed to.
[DOT] (4:20 p.m )


[Stage Direction]
The house proceeded to the consideration of the speech delivered by His Excellency the Governor General at the opening of the session.
Mr. Richard Cashin (St. John's West):: Mr. Speaker, first of all I should like to thank hon. members for their applause and to express my deep gratitude to the Prime Minister (Mr. Pearson) for the honour he has bestowed upon my constituency and my province in asking me to move the address in reply to the speech from the throne. I should like also to express the hope that all hon. members are truly rested after their unique recess. It is no doubt a tribute to the onerous task that is ours that so many of us were unable, during this recess, to visit our constituencies.
I could say, in passing, that in 1962 I had the opportunity of taking part in the throne speech debate. Not too many weeks passed before I was informed that I was not only no longer a member of parliament but that, indeed, technically I had never been one in the first place. I know that you will all understand, Mr. Speaker, when I say I hope history will not repeat itself. In view of the circumstances, there has been something of a departure from custom in that all hon. members

will not have a 24 hour period to contemplate the speech from the throne prior to the opening of the debate. It seems to me, Mr. Speaker, that this occasion gives me the opportunity to reflect on some of the ideas, the impressions that have occurred to me as a young and new member of parliament about the institutions, about the direction of our country, not only in the immediate future but in the long term, in fulfilment of the destiny of our nation. But first of all I would like to make reference to my constituency and my province.
This old and historic part of North America became part of Canada some 16 years ago. This union has brought benefit to both Canada and Newfoundland. However, as hon. members can appreciate, Newfoundland had some very special problems in 1949 and today, despite the remarkable progress and growth of the past 16 years, some of these problems remain.
While they are of special importance to my province they are, nevertheless, in many respects problems which Newfoundland and Newfoundlanders share with many other regions and other peoples in Canada. Naturally, Mr. Speaker, I am thinking of unemployment, underemployment, and generally the struggle to participate to the maximum in the achievements of our age.
We are living in an era of unprecedented prosperity, productivity, and of scientific and technological progress of vast and often imponderable magnitude. There are, I would respectfully submit, two overriding challenges which are directly related to this type of society and which we share with a few other fortunate nations of the world. These are becoming increasingly the preoccupation of governments and people. Our response as a people to these challenges will determine the quality and the permanency of our society.
First of all, despite our great achievements and the great abundance of wealth that is Canada's and America's, there are today large numbers of people who seem unable to participate in the advantages of our time. They are the unemployed, the underemployed, those with low standards of education, poor physical or mental health. Some of these people live on farms which can no longer support them. Some of these people are fishing by virtually the same methods used in the sea of Galilee at the time of our Lord. Others, Mr. Speaker, are crowded into congested and blighted areas of our cities. Many are young people who have been unable to get a start and fit into our society. All over Canada there
April 5, 1965

are these people who are better off than their fathers, but nevertheless they are pretty much unaffected by the ever increasing gross national productivity and rising standards of living.
Fifteen or so years ago, in the period just after the second world war, it was felt that each year the standard of living would rise, that more and more people would participate in this growth, and that eventually we would eradicate poverty and want from our society.
Thirty years have passed since the theories of Adam Smith were finally and reluctantly buried-the theories if not the attitudes- and the theories of Lord Keynes became operative, and the basis of our present prosperity introduced. The struggle against poverty and privation is as old as man himself, but in this restricted sense it dates back to the thirties, the new deal, Lord Keynes, the King administration and the second world war. The measures brought about as a result of these changes in approach have guaranteed minimum subsistence as a matter of right to the aged, the unemployed, the dependant and the helpless.
The new problems of poverty in the sixties are not so much problems of dire need, but rather problems of opportunity and dignity. The first challenge, I would submit, to the society of the sixties, is to offer to all the opportunity to live in dignity and to participate in the achievements of our time.
We must recognize the causes of this challenge, and approach them with the determination that we would approach an enemy in mortal conflict. We must recognize that there are certain areas of slow economic growth, and consequently in these areas there are more people on the subsistence level. We must recognize too, Mr. Speaker, that increasing productivity may widen this gap, particularly as a result of automation. I think that we know the labour market for unskilled workers is shrinking and that an abnormally high number of our unemployed are young people.
In the past few years, and certainly in the past two, legislation has been introduced which does form the basis for an all-out attack on this problem but I would respectfully submit, Mr. Speaker, that our traditional attitudes and approaches will not of themselves solve this problem. What is really needed is the same kind of drastic action that motivated our effort in the second world war. In addition to employing the fiscal policies which have been used these past few decades, we must also support them by a vastly ex-22620-2
The Address-Mr. Cashin panded program of public improvements and by a much greater educational effort. I would also point out that not only has the public sector of the economy a responsibility, but so, too, has the private sector. What is needed is a form of communal action that will establish certain priorities and goals for our society.
It is not my intention here this afternoon to analyse specific proposals about the format for communal action, nor is it my intention to comment on the many suggestions which have been forthcoming to cope with the serious problems of unemployment and underemployment. However, as I remarked earlier, we are all aware we do now guarantee if a man is unemployed that he will have some form of assistance. But having done this much, is it much further beyond that to decide that there are certain public funds which can be made available to undertake certain worthy public projects such as urban renewal, and conservation, which could employ the unemployed and the underemployed? Perhaps the employment opportunities which would be made available by undertaking these projects could also be related to a program of training. Such a program would hopefully equip these people to cope with society and become useful and productive citizens. In passing I might say that this afternoon we heard a reference to the problem of area development, and I would hope this is a matter which the government can act upon as soon as possible.
Mr. Speaker, this first challenge of the equalization of opportunities for all is very closely related to the second challenge which, in my opinion, faces not only Canada but in varying degrees all of the so-called "have nations." It concerns the use which we will make of all the magnificent advances in science and technology. It is essential, Mr. Speaker, that we recognize the extraordinary scope of the scientific revolution now taking place in the world. The knowledge we are going to use, and in fact the knowledge we are already using, will increasingly be employed to alter the world in which we live. On this continent, Mr. Speaker, we are going to be able to produce more goods than ever before, and we will have the ability to provide a standard of living comparable with the maintenance of human dignity for all our citizens.
Our concern then in this second challenge becomes the use which we will make of mankind's sum total of knowledge. Ex-

April 5, 1965
The Address-Mr. Cashin pressed in very simple terms, this issue is the quality of life in Canada.
We look about us and we see our forests and our streams, our cities and our villages, and we cannot help but have a feeling of pride. But as we read about unemployment, about juvenile delinquency, about crime, about the lack of beauty in the things we build, about the pollution of our air and our waters, we cannot help but have some doubt about the use we are making of the vast energies of our people and the wealth of our economy. We have, and we will increasingly have in the years to come, the opportunity to use our energies and our assets for the creation of a high civilization, one dedicated to the fulfilment of the individual and the pursuit of human excellence. But, Mr. Speaker, we will have to take stock of our sense of values and the direction in which our society is going, and we will have to establish priorities in our national life. That is to say, we will have to decide the things we want to accomplish in our society.
[DOT] (4:30 p.m.)
There is one priority which is fundamentally related to most of the problems which confront us. More and more, Mr. Speaker, education is beginning to replace the welfare state as the basic concern and commitment of our people. The sole criterion for education for all Canadians can only be the ability to learn. And as we resolve the quantitative problem in this field, we will become increasingly concerned with the quality of our learning.
Therefore it seems to me that in the next few years this is going to become a matter of great urgency in Canada. Already in the United States of America there is considerable debate in this field. In both our countries for a long period of time we have had, in a limited sense, federal aid in this area. But if we are to use the full resources of our great nation to cope with this problem, much greater financial commitment will be required and this, to me, inevitably suggests federal aid. Thus we shall need to be concerned about national standards of education. Before we determine the question of national policies we shall have to resolve the issue of national commitment to educational values and purposes, bearing in mind at all times the priority and the interests of the provinces. The improvements which will result are long term in their nature, but surely there are immediate steps which will have to be taken in determining the priority

which Canada as a nation should give to this commitment.
This is a major issue in Canadian life and it is of itself complex and difficult to resolve. However, this particular subject is further complicated by the introduction of other issues and other factors, and the resulting complexities and controversies are likely to lead to general paralysis and failure. As a young man I might be expected to be naturally optimistic, and I say that, now we are on the threshold of putting a man on the moon, we can surely resolve this dilemma. To be sure, it will be a major test of our ingenuity, our understanding and our goodwill. It will be necessary for us to resolve this dilemma and to produce an acceptable formula. What are parliaments and politicians all about, if it is not to seek solutions to human problems?
While these past two sessions of parliament have been hectic and turbulent they have nevertheless been among the most productive in the legislative history of our country. I would hope, as I am sure do all hon. members, that the coming session will be even more productive in the legislative sense, if somewhat less turbulent and hectic. I feel certain that when we have had an opportunity to study the address we have just heard we shall conclude that it contains much hope and promise for the future.
In the past two years the Prime Minister (Mr. Pearson) has shown a rare and perceptive talent in dealing with the particular and urgent problems of this nation. Perhaps more than any other man he understands the nature of our country. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, when I think of the challenges which face Canada today I am confident that he is acutely aware of the situation and magnificently equipped to deal with them.
I am very much aware, too, that there may be among Canadians great division of thought as to how we should approach the challenges of the so-called affluent society. The decisions to be made will be complex and awesome in their magnitude. However, all the wealth of technology and scientific information which is at our fingertips surely opens to us new vistas and new horizons, making us dream dreams which can become realities. My concern-and I am sure it is the concern of all hon. members-is that we should utilize these opportunities to the maximum in order to bring a better life to our people, a life of quality and purpose.
Mr. Speaker, we ought not to be unduly concerned about the prospects of great
April 5, 1965

national debate on the direction this country should take in the fulfilment of its destiny. We ought to remember that there are many ways by which to go forward but only one way to stand still.
I move, seconded by my hon. friend from St. Maurice-Lafleche (Mr. Chretien):
That the following address be presented to His Excellency the Governor General of Canada:
To His Excellency General the Right Honourable Georges P. Vanier, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, upon whom has been conferred the Military Cross and the Canadian Forces' Decoration, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada.
May it please Your Excellency:
We. Her Majesty's most loyal and dutiful subjects, the House of Commons of Canada, in parliament assembled, beg leave to offer our humble thanks to Your Excellency for the gracious speech which Your Excellency has addressed to both Houses of Parliament.


Mr. Jean Chretien (St. Maurice-Lafleche):: Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank sincerely the members on both sides of the house for the very warm welcome I was given this afternoon. His Excellency the Governor General apprised us this afternoon of the contents of the speech from the throne for the third session of Canada's twenty sixth parliament, and I am sure that all members join with me in expressing, through you, Mr. Speaker, our great pleasure in seeing that he is in better health than ever, and the French speaking members in particular would like to let him know how proud they are to see this compatriot fulfil with so much nobility the duties of governor general.

I hope you will permit me, Mr. Speaker, on behalf of every member of this house to express my sincere congratulations to my hon. friend from St. John's West (Mr. Cashin) on the very good speech he has just delivered. He showed a real interest in the affairs of this country and great hope for its future. The constituents of his great riding can be proud of him. When we have the opportunity to work with men of his capacity coming from Newfoundland we begin to think it was perhaps not such a bad piece of work when Mr. St. Laurent brought this great province into confederation.
[DOT] (4:40 p.m.)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank the Prime Minister (Mr. Pearson) for extending to the constituency of St. Maurice-Lafleche the honour of asking its representative to second 22620-21
The Address-Mr. Chretien the address in reply to the speech from the throne.
The riding of St. Maurice-Lafleche is almost completely urban. It comprises three main cities, including Shawinigan, a greatly industrialized town with its aluminum plant, its manufacturers of chemical products and its pulp mill. Grand'Mere is another industrial centre, with a pulp mill and textile and footwear manufacturers. Eighty miles north is the town of La Tuque with its huge paper mill.
I do not have to dwell upon the beauties of the landscape, because my riding extends for a hundred miles on each side of the important St. Maurice river, which carves its way through the most beautiful of the Laurentian mountains. The journey from Grand'Mere to La Tuque on an October day is surely one of the most magnificent one could make.
Even though the situation has improved in the last 18 months, my riding is still up against the current problems facing the country: some degree of unemployment, automation and insufficient economic development.
Fifteen years ago, Shawinigan, in particular, was a city in the province of Quebec with an extensive labour market for fairly well trained manpower. Industry offered great opportunities and the workers were alert and highly syndicated. However, industrialists were ill prepared for and unaware of labour problems and the workers themselves were sincere but impatient. A series of major labour troubles took place which brought about great changes in the industries and the lay-off of workers; labour was replaced by automation, and with the economic situation of the country deteriorating very rapidly after 1958, our area experienced severe unemployment in 1961-62, and was unable to provide work for even the most skilled new workers. The exodus of our young graduate technicians, well prepared for a technical career, was a tragic thing. May I point out, Mr. Speaker, that in 1961, while I was teaching graduates at the Technological Institute of Shawinigan, 10 students only out of 100 intended to remain on the local labour market.
And this brings me to the heart of the matter, that is, the role of the state in the economy of the country if we wish to remedy situations such as these.
Canada is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. We boast about the resources of our society. It is true that Canadians generally enjoy a high standard of living, but it is also true that 25 per cent of our people do not live yet according to our wealth, but under
April 5, 1965

The Address-Mr. Chretien conditions which should not be tolerated in a modern, honest and generous society.
The days are past when the individual, entirely on his own, without any help and trusting in God alone, had to fight his way to the top. The golden days of the Rockefellers, the Vanderbilts and the Fords is practically over.
Today the situation is quite different and no one should hope for the return of that individualistic society. In the last 50 years our country has turned more and more toward collectivism, and what MacKenzie King advocated in 1918 has become a reality with the passing recently of social security measures such as the labour code and the pension plan, and with the forthcoming medicare plan. All those projects have been translated into legislation, thanks to the party which sits on this side of the house.
It is obvious that the Liberal party, more than any other, has understood the great currents of history, has seen the changes happening throughout the country and has found solutions which have brought about the collectivist society we know today. In its philosophy, its leadership and its policies, the Liberal party has kept in touch with the traditional trends of thought and action, but it has always understood the evolution of our society. That is why today it is advocating the two attitudes necessary to our country's development, namely economic planning within the administration and the establishment of a new way of life for the two groups which constitute our great nation.
Last December the Economic Council of Canada submitted its first report setting out the objectives Canada should try to attain for 1970.
This report did not receive all the publicity it deserved on account of difficulties experienced by parliament at that time, in December last; however, I believe that it was a turning point in our economic and political history. Now, of necessity, the political parties will have to reckon with the report the Economic Council of Canada will submit every year. The annual report will become the basic document for the Canadian electorate inasmuch as it will reflect the economic situation of the nation.
If Canada is to have full employment and achieve the standard of living set by the council, the government will have to tackle resolutely the most serious problem facing this country: the standard of living in rural areas of the east and unemployment in small urban centres far from the big cities.

The designated area program has surely been helpful to many regions close to the great economic centres of Canada but it has not been successful everywhere. For instance, it did nothing for the town of Shawinigan, even after it was designated but it was beneficial to other communities in the same district.
I am glad to see that the speech from the throne mentions that the government intends to revise its program to improve it and provide assistance for areas where the standard of living is too low and unemployment too widespread. That is most welcome because we have to rid Canada of any form of pauperism. Every corner of this land must provide for its inhabitants a decent standard of living, one which befits our wealth.
Inasmuch as the standard of living depends directly on productivity, the necessary agencies must be established to enable people who lose their jobs to re-establish themselves as an asset in the economy by finding a job as soon as possible. To do that the government will have to set up also a more dynamic program for the re-training of those workers displaced by automation, and a more modern policy as far as the mobility of workers is concerned.
Why not set up a financial assistance program for people who must move to another city in order to take a new job because of automation?
I am convinced that the Liberal party, which was always in the van in the field of social policy in Canada for the past 50 years will tackle with vision and determination, within the scope of the economic objectives set up by the economic council, the retraining of displaced workers, the mobility of manpower, as well as productivity and industrial decentralization so that every area in Canada might become a comfortable oasis for every citizen. I am happy to see that the speech from the throne provides for the study of new programs in this respect.
However, the most prosperous nation would not be happy without the flame of ideals burning in the heart of its youth. We see that young people, especially in the province of Quebec, are not interested in federal politics, and that the climate of tension which prevailed in this house where it took weeks and weeks to settle ordinary problems has simply aroused their indignation.
This is why it is urgent to establish for the young people imaginative programs of action which will stimulate their spirit of dedication and service and their ideals. I am
April 5. 1965

particularly happy to see in the speech from the throne that the Prime Minister, who has always loved and trusted young people, intends to submit to parliament a program designed to fill the vacuum in this field.
Would it not be marvellous if very shortly French and English young men and women who wish to devote a few years of their lives to check poverty, disease and illiteracy, could together, here and abroad, undertake this task, while getting to know one another better? What an asset it would be for our country to see hundreds of members of the future elite spend a few years working toward a common goal and learn to know one another better.
Now, Mr. Speaker, will Canada survive as a country? Will we be able, in the years to come, to establish in Canada a way of life where the two founding language groups of our country will work in harmony toward the establishment of an exceptional society? Being interviewed by the writer Terence Robertson, the Prime Minister stated: "Canada is a federation in which the two founding language groups must be partners. It is only by admitting this fact that Canada will be able to remain united". The Quebeckers are eager to stay within the Canadian confederation. The French fact was established on the shores of the St. Lawrence more than 430 years ago. Until now we have encountered very serious difficulties, but we have made it clear that we are on the American soil to stay and that we shall stay and shall keep on speaking French. We fought too hard a battle to retreat now. There is not a single French Canadian who would disown his past. The last two centuries have been particularly difficult, but now, in 1965, French Canada has regained confidence and would like its partner, English Canada, to recognize its existence and its strength.
It is not because the province of Quebec is now going through a sort of quiet revolution that English speaking Canada should be concerned. On the contrary, they should be delighted about that and try to understand what is going on in the St. Lawrence valley. Those who have been observing the economic, social and political development in the province of Quebec during the last five years have often said that the province is making a tremendous effort to keep abreast of the twentieth century. There is a great deal of truth in that. Most Quebeckers are fully aware of being involved in a genuine and enormous social movement to make up for lost time, make good past mistakes and adapt
The Address-Mr. Chretien to the progress which we rejected or ignored for too long.
However, Quebec is not only striving to achieve the average standard of living in Canada. It is striving today to establish itself in the van of social progress throughout the world-it wants to show the way to modern and progressive societies.
To us French Canadians, there is a double challenge involved in such a desire. First, to establish beyond any question the vitality and boldness of the French reality in North America and our capacity to make a positive and unique contribution to Canadian life, to the development of the whole Canada and, second, to justify through our ability and work our claims for a full participation in all major activities in Canada-government, business, arts, science, professions, and that in view to strengthen and make more dynamic the Canadian nation.
In that sense we are trying to make a place for ourselves within confederation. We realize that for too many years we did not play any part in many aspects of our Canadian life-a part which it was our responsibility and our right to play-but for various and complex reasons including surrender on our part of some of our responsibilities and a certain measure of resistance on the part of English speaking Canada.
From now on, things will change. Today we intend to become an equal and responsible partner in this common enterprise. As a matter of fact, a full partnership is the only sound alternative to separation. Only when we are full-fledged members of the Canadian family with all the rights and responsibilities that follow shall we feel really at home in Canada. Only when we have invested our normal share in Canadian life and take upon ourselves the rights and privileges, shall we consider ourselves the true partners in confederation.
With his broad-mindedness and his sense of history the present Prime Minister has recognized, as no one had done before, that Canada will only survive provided that the two founding ethnic groups can live as truly equal partners. History will do him justice in this regard, while French Canadians will be deeply grateful to him.
[DOT] (4:50 p.m.)

You can well imagine, Mr. Speaker, that this atmosphere of building a new society in Quebec is tremendously exciting and challenging. It makes Quebec the most
April 5, 1965

The Address-Mr. Chretien dynamic and invigorating part of Canada to live in today. People in the midst of this movement are totally committed to it, and it is very stimulating to work with them.
As you can see, we are in the middle of a revolution, a quiet one, and it is a terrific experience. Consequently Quebeckers are perhaps too much preoccupied with and interested in that business and are not enough interested in the federal government. A small part even look at Ottawa with contempt. But if we in Canada now decide, as I am sure this government will, that it is time to introduce the same fascinating challenge into federal politics, we must devote all our interests to building a country totally different from the United States, totally different from the point of view of mentality, culture, education and social security, a country with much more equality between the rich and the poor, with equal opportunity for the son of a farmer and the son of an executive, for the English speaking Canadian and the Canadian who speaks French, for both white and black. If we work seriously toward these goals you can be sure that the Canadians who speak French will put into federal
affairs the same spirit that we find in the quiet revolution, and we will witness in Canada a good and revitalizing experience.

If, during this third session of the twenty sixth parliament each member felt a little less Liberal, Conservative, N.D.P. or Creditiste, and a little more Canadian, we would make large strides toward a united Canada, where the two founding nations could benefit from a higher standard of living. Let us study with composure the magnificent legislative program introduced in the speech from the throne that His Excellency the Governor General of Canada has just delivered.
For these reasons I have the honour of seconding the motion of my hon. friend, the hon. member for St. John's West (Mr. Cashin), for an address in reply to the speech from the throne.

On motion of Mr. Diefenbaker the debate was adjourned.
On motion of Mr. Mcllraith the house adjourned at 5.02 p.m.

Tuesday, April 6, 1965