Mr. Speaker:

I do not consider that particular incident relevant to this question of what shall constitute a quorum.

Mr. Browne (Vancouver-Kingsway):

Surely I have the same right as the hon. member for Bonavista-Twillingate to refer to that committee and to the specific case with which I am dealing at the present time.

Mr. Speaker:

I am sorry if the hon. member feels I have discriminated but there must be a line drawn, as I intimated before the hon. member rose. This debate is not a broad one, and I do not think we can discuss all the arrangements of the house.

Question.

Mr. H. O. White (Middlesex East):

Mr. Speaker, I wish to say a word on this motion. The meeting of the external affairs committee is scheduled for one o'clock this afternoon. In the years that I have been chairman I have attempted to meet the requests of the opposition not to sit while the house is sitting, and to try as far as possible to avoid meeting while other committees are meeting. At the inaugural meeting of the committee this year this matter was again mentioned. When I asked for consent of the house to sit while the house was in session the matter was not brought to a vote, but nearly so. When we met a discussion of the hours ensued, and one of the members of the committee suggested that we meet at one o'clock. This is an hour when the house is not in session and when no other committees are meeting with the exception of the restaurant committee.

Today the hon. member for Essex East left the impression that members of the government side were in a sense boycotting the committee.

[Mr. Browne (Vancouver-Kinsgway).l

Mr. Pickersgill:

He did not say that at all.

Mr. White:

As I say, we tried our very best to arrange hours that did not conflict with other committees and with the house. I am sorry to say the opposition by their absence from the committee at the last two meetings have abdicated their responsibility as far as external affairs are concerned. I want to make it perfectly clear that the members of the government were present-they constituted more than a quorum-and took care of the business very well. If opposition members want to abdicate their responsibilities on a very important committee dealing with the external affairs of this country then that is their responsibility and not mine, and I hope no further reference will be made to the boycotting of the committee. The committee meets at one o'clock this afternoon.

Mr. Martin (Essex East):

I rise on a question of privilege.

Order.

Mr. Speaker:

Order. The hon. member is not rising to take part in the debate. He indicates that he is rising on a question of privilege.

Mr. Starr:

No; this is just a dodge.

Mr. Martin (Essex East):

The hon. member said those who do not attend the meeting of the external affairs committee at one o'clock will not be discharging their responsibilities as members of this house. This is a reflection on any member of that committee who does not attend, and I happen to be one of those.

Mr. Speaker:

The hon. member has properly said that there is some reflection on members in general who are accused of not attending committee meetings. When he says that, he is simply continuing the debate and not raising a matter of privilege, because I think similar accusations have already been made from the other side of the house. I would not think that the accusation is serious enough on which to found a question of privilege.

Mr. Martin (Essex East):

With great respect, may I say that a question of privilege must be raised forthwith. For an hon. member to say that another hon. member-

Mr. Speaker:

I heard the hon. member and I have allowed him to raise his alleged question of privilege forthwith, but in my view it does not affect the privilege of the house.

Mr. Caron:

On the question of privilege-

Mr. Speaker:

The question of privilege has been disposed of.

Mr. Caron:

This is another question of privilege, then. The hon. member went so far as to say that the Liberal party was trying to boycott the committee.

Mr. Fulton:

No; the hon. member for Essex East said that.

Mr. Caron:

He has no right to say that, because if they want the committee to sit they have sufficient members to constitute a quorum even if the members of the Liberal party are not represented. He has no right to say we are trying to boycott the committee.