Right Hon. J. G. Diefenbaker (Prime Minister):

Mr. Speaker, I rise for two purposes today. The first is to make reference in a general way to the services of my friend the right hon. member for Quebec East (Mr. St. Laurent) and to say to him that without regard to party considerations I speak for the membership of this house when I re-express what I said on a previous occasion, namely that all of us deeply regret that his physical condition made it impossible for him to carry on and discharge the difficult and onerous responsibilities of leader of Her Majesty's loyal opposition.

I speak as one who has known him for many years. On occasions such as this all of us who have been here for three or four parliaments, engaged in the service of our country, must be conscious of the advancing of the years. I knew him as president of the Canadian Bar Association; I knew him in his other capacities; when he came into the House of Commons in December, 1941, as minister of justice and attorney general, accepting the tremendous challenge of war as an incentive to entering into public life. I knew him as secretary of state for external affairs from September 4, 1946, and at the time he was chosen as leader of the Liberal party in August, 1948. I knew him at the beginning of his prime ministership on November 15, 1948, and I have also known him in the last few months in his capacity as leader of the opposition.

As was said on another occasion by one of my predecessors, Mr. King, when he was referring to Mr. Bennett, I am not here for the purpose of estimating the place to be given by posterity to the contribution he has made. I am here for the moment, however, to wipe aside those political controversies which separate us and to say this. We regret what has taken place. As I said before, whatever our political differences may be they have been exercised in the traditions of our citizenship and in the realization that each of us, from whatever part of the house

he may come, is making that contribution which according to his conscience represents the best for Canada.

Hear, hear.

Mr. Diefenbaker:

I say this as one who saw him in the courts as well as in the House of Commons; an outstanding lawyer and a representative recognized by the international councils, a prime minister who in his years of service made that kind of contribution which each of us, for ourselves, would be willing to have acknowledged at the conclusion of our public service.

It was said by Mr. King in a letter to Mr. Bennett at that time that the leadership of a great party taxes the health and strength and anyone who has held that position will recognize that statement as factually correct. But I can tell you one thing, I am back here better than ever.

Distinguished in his profession and an honoured parliamentarian, the right hon. gentleman has lived a rich and fruitful life. We are not here to evaluate his career. We are here simply to say to the right hon. gentleman that our hope is that the years ahead-and may they be many-will bring to him the happiness which comes from the realization that he has served his day and generation, because of no one could this be more truly said.

Next I wish to say to my hon. friend the hon. member for Algoma East (Mr. Pearson) that we on this side of the house extend to him our warmest congratulations on the achievement of his position as Leader of the Opposition, a position which is recognized under our system as an integral part of parliament. Indeed, in the work published by Lord Hailsham, as he now is, on parliament it is said:

Her Majesty's opposition is as definite and as formal a fact as Her Majesty's government.

I listened to the convention-

Hear, hear.

Mr. Diefenbaker:

I followed the proceedings with that interest which one might expect. The hon. gentleman joined the Department of External Affairs in 1928. I met him first in 1934, I think it was, when he was secretary to the royal commission on price spreads set up by the then prime minister, Mr. Bennett. I saw him as an ambassador. I saw him at the United Nations

Leader of the Opposition in 1945; and since 1948 he has been a member of this chamber, until only recently as secretary of state for external affairs.

May I say this, that his service has been distinguished. His opportunities for service are greatly increased as a result of the responsibility which has now come to him. Hon. members would not expect me to say more than this: that I wish him health and happiness; I wish for him the opportunity to make that contribution which he is now in a position to make in the days ahead. I congratulate him, and extend to him my best wishes in that regard.

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

Mr. Speaker, may I too rise for the twofold purpose the Prime Minister had in mind when he rose to speak a few moments ago: first, to pay tribute to the right hon. gentleman who led the government for so long and the opposition until today. I hope he will have health and strength to remain with us and to give the parliament of Canada the advice he can give for a good many years yet.

The right hon. gentleman came here, I remember, in 1942 at a time of very great difficulty during the war, and gave freely of himself, having relinquished the practice of a profession in which he not only shone but, indeed, gloried. That was a great sacrifice on his part, and I think the country appreciated it, just as the country appreciates the services he has rendered to this nation as minister of justice, as minister of external affairs and as prime minister. And I am quite sure the right hon. gentleman knows that, whatever the fortunes of his party on June 10 of last year, that was no reflection upon the former prime minister himself.

We join the Prime Minister in expressing our regret that he has felt it necessary to lay down the reins of the leadership in which he was so distinguished and in wishing him well in the future.

I want to join the Prime Minister, too, in congratulating the hon. member for Algoma East (Mr. Pearson). I have known him now for a number of years and have been closely associated with him from time to time at international conferences. I have the highest regard and the greatest respect for him, and his only misfortune is that he is associated with the Liberal party. I could wish otherwise, because I have sometimes found my own mind running along the same channels as the hon. gentleman's mind in international affairs at least.

Mr. Sinclair:

You are in the wrong party, really.

Mr. Coldwell:

I have always thought I was in the right party, and as long as I think so I shall remain in what I consider to be the right party.

I join, too, in wishing him health and strength so that he may carry on in the high office to which he has been called by the party; now, of course, occupying as he does -what shall I say-the third highest position in this House of Commons; first the Speaker, then the Prime Minister and then the leader of Her Majesty's loyal opposition. In that capacity we wish him well, and it is a capacity I hope he will fill in this house for at least some time.

I am not going to express a further opinion on this occasion; but, Mr. Speaker, we wish to join the Prime Minister in what he has said regarding the hon. member for Quebec East and the hon. member for Algoma East. We hope both will find happiness in the days to come.

Mr. Solon E. Low (Peace River):

Mr. Speaker, I am sure the Prime Minister has expressed sentiments which we in this group sincerely feel toward the retiring leader of the Liberal party, the hon. member for Quebec East. On this occasion when he is relinquishing his duties as leader of the official opposition and of his party we want him to know that we have toward him nothing but good will, and we wish him many years of happy and abundant living. We hope he will be around the House of Commons for quite a while to come, because I am sure that his experience and wise counsel will be very much needed and freely called upon.

I want also to join with those who have preceded me in expressing sincere congratulations to the new leader of the official opposition. It is not often that a man wins in so short a space of time two such great honours as those won by the hon. member for Algoma East. Of the two, of course, the one carrying with it the greatest responsibility and demanding the hardest and most unremitting effort is that of the leadership of his party and of the official opposition in this house.

I am sure the new Leader of the Opposition knows he will be expected to restore Liberal fortunes, to use his own word, "soon". He will be expected to keep his promises and all the promises made by his party. The people of Canada will remind him with embarrassing frequency, I am sure, of those parts of his nomination speech in which he said, "Liberalism must everlastingly insist on the freedom of the individual against the state".

Hear, hear.

Mr. Low:

And again those words, "the price of security and fair share of income to which the farmer is entitled". Canadians will keep throwing his words back in his face until every jot and tittle of their implications have been fulfilled.

The leadership of any one of the Canadian political parties is a tough job. Especially is this so of the Liberal party at this time, a party which has had many years in office and comparatively few years in opposition. On behalf of the group I am leading in this house I want to extend to the new Leader of the Opposition our sincerest good wishes, and to assure him we do hope that in the years ahead his health and strength will be always somewhat greater than the demands that will be made upon them by his heavy duties in this house and as the leader of his party.

Right Hon. L. S. St. Laurent (Quebec East):

Mr. Speaker, there have been many deeply moving occasions in the course of the years I have been a member of this house, but none more than that of this afternoon. All I can say is to express to the Prime Minister, to the hon. member for Rosetown-Biggar and to the hon. member for Peace River my very deep thanks for the kind words they have said about me on this occasion. Not only will those words be recorded in the reports of the debates of this house, but they will always be engraved in my memory, and will give me an additional reason to try and achieve everything implied in the good wishes that have been expressed on my behalf this afternoon.

I am not taking leave of the house at this moment. I enjoy the fellowship which it has been my privilege to enjoy over the years, and I wish to echo the words of the Prime Minister. Though we do differ on many occasions in this house, we do not differ upon his assumption that each one is endeavouring to do that which he thinks is in the best interests of his fellow citizens, and that is our only justification for occupying places in this house. Oh, of course we do all make mistakes, but I hope the mistakes can always be overlooked, if not forgotten, as generously as they have been this afternoon in the remarks of the Prime Minister, the hon. member for Rosetown-Biggar and the hon. member for Peace River.

That being so, I can say to those who are much younger than I that there is a great satisfaction, in spite of our human frailties, in the feeling that as members of this house we have the opportunity to be of some service to this great country.

Hon. L. B. Pearson (Leader of ihe Opposition):

Mr. Speaker, this is for me an occasion on which it is impossible not to be moved

Leader of the Opposition to the point where it is difficult for me to speak. I thank the Prime Minister for his friendly and gracious observations. Perhaps I might add that we were both away from the house last week, and I am delighted to see him back better than ever.

May I also thank my old friend the hon. member for Rosetown-Biggar for what he was good enough to say, and my friend the hon. member for Peace River, though I confess that he did make me even more conscious of the responsibilities and difficulties of my new position than I was even before.

I do appreciate more than I can say the friendly reception I have been given by the house, at least on this occasion. On my transition with almost bewildering rapidity from my commons seat of Saturday to that of today, I had no opportunity to enjoy and profit by that period of post-convention rest and reflection which my predecessors were,

I understand, able to enjoy. It was not, of course, a case of out of the frying pan into the fire, but it certainly was one of out of the convention and into the commons, which is a good place to be.

I have known the Prime Minister and the other two hon. members of the house who were good enough to speak for some years now. Their words today, Mr. Speaker, are one more evidence of the friendly feelings I have always encountered from members on both sides of the house since I first took my seat here nearly 10 years ago; feelings which are able to transcend party differences and which do reflect not only personal regard, I hope, but reflect the fact that we are all working together here as believers in responsible and stable democratic government, and that in our different ways we are all doing our best to serve the public interest.

Perhaps there is no more dramatic indication of the difference between our system of free parliamentary government and that of communist totalitarian rule than the position I now hold as leader of Her Majesty's loyal opposition. I have, for instance, this afternoon been the recipient of the good wishes of those to whose removal from office I am dedicated. I am even now the recipient of a salary from the crown to encourage me in that laudable and practicable endeavour. If as Leader of the Opposition-and this is another happy contrast with communist traditions and practices-I lose my head, it will only be in a political and temperamental, not in a physical sense.

On January 26, 1949, when the right hon. member for Quebec East (Mr. St. Laurent)- and it is difficult for me to refer to him in that capacity-spoke about the new leader of

Canadian National Railways the opposition, Mr. Drew, who was being introduced in the house that day, he said:

The position of Leader of the Opposition is a very high and honourable one. It requires a rare combination of qualities, a knowledge of public affairs and the ability to criticize firmly and boldly on proper occasions, but also the ability to discriminate between proper occasions and times when mere wordy outpourings would be anything but constructive.

I shall do my best to live up to that high conception of my office. I shall also, as leader of my party, try to be worthy in some degree at least of the example set by my predecessor. Canadian public life has had no greater gentleman or worthier or more respected servant than he was and is.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I shall also try my very best to emulate my right hon. friend the Prime Minister in at least one respect as Leader of the Opposition; namely, to stay in this position for as short a time as he was successful in doing.

Mr. Speaker:

I have the honour to inform the house that the Clerk of the house has received from the chief electoral officer certificate of the election and return of Erik Nielsen, Esquire, member for the electoral district of Yukon.