Mr. POULIOT:
Now that the minister
has repeated my speech, I expect that he will answer my questions to-morrow.
Progress reported.
Mr. CRERAR moved the adjournment of the house. He said: To-morrow we shall continue with the estimates of the Department of Munitions and Supply, and when that is concluded, which I hope will be fairly early, it is proposed that other ministers having substantial amounts in this vote will make statements covering their particular part of it, and a discussion might follow those statements. I think that may expedite to some extent the work of the committee. There may be hon. members wTho are interested in certain features of the estimates which come in the department of other ministers, and I think this suggestion will probably expedite the consideration of the resolution.
Mr. GRAYDON:
Does this mean that now, for the short time we have, we are to have one minister's statement after another in the departments in the war appropriations?
Mr. CRERAR:
Well, yes. What it means is this, that probably after munitions and supply is through, the Minister of Labour will make his statement; then the Minister of Veterans Affairs, a department in which there is a good deal of interest in the house, can make a statement, possibly followed by.other ministers; and hon. members can note the questions they wish to ask in any of these departments and they can all be considered together. I understand that is the procedure which it is proposed we shall follow.
Mr. GRAYDON:
I hope the minister is not suggesting that this is to be a ministerial parade that we are to witness for the next day and a half. I wish to suggest that one
Privilege-Mr. Pouliot
of the important departments in which a great deal of interest is centred is that of veterans' affairs, and some membefs of our group are anxious to have an opportunity of analysing the statement which the Minister of Veterans Affairs will make to the house and then of directing some pertinent questions with respect to rehabilitation, because, without any reflection upon other departments, that is one of the most urgent problems we have at the present time. I should like some undertaking from the minister that the Minister of Veterans Affairs will make the statement and permit questioning when the Minister of Munitions and Supply and of Reconstruction has finished.
Mr. CRERAR:
That may be considered. I should think that when the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Veterans Affairs, I do not know in which order, have made their statements, that should be acceptable to the house; and if it is the desire of hon. members to discuss the statement of the Minister of Veterans Affairs, good and well; that can be done. I can assure my hon. friend that there may be worse things than a ministerial parade.
Mr. GRAYDON:
I just could not think at the moment what could be worse; but maybe there are.
Mr. ROWE:
The Prime Minister started one to-day with his political speech just before the election.
Mr. CRERAR:
The hon. member contributed something to that.
Mr. BLACKMORE:
I think the minister's suggestion is good and sound. There are those among us who would like to hear the statement of the Minister of Agriculture, too; and I do not see how we are to hear these ministers unless we have something resembling a ministerial parade. After all, we should have an opportunity to let various hon. members deal with the topics in which they are interested.
Motion agreed to and the house adjourned at 11.10 p.m.
Thursday, April 12, 1945