Hon. C. M. Drury (Minister of Industry):

Mr. Speaker, yesterday during an exchange on the orders of the day a question was asked of me in relation to motor car prices, and I misunderstood the question. I had understood, in the background noise, that I was being asked whether I had said during the election campaign that there would be parity of car prices in Canada and the United States, to which my answer was no.

On reading Hansard I found that the question, as reported at page 282 of Hansard, was:

Did the minister not make an announcement during the election campaign to the effect that the price of Canadian cars had been reduced?

Of course, Mr. Speaker, the answer to that question is "Yes". An announcement was made in late October, on October 28, pointing out that announcements by Canadian automobile manufacturers respecting 1966 models indicated that in relation to similarly equipped 1965 model cars, there were reductions in prices. I do not want to have misled the house. There were reductions in car prices compared to similarly equipped 1965 model cars, and I did make an announcement in October last to that effect.

Mr. A. D. Hales (Wellington South):

Mr. Speaker, I was going to rise on a question of privilege in connection with the same matter, but the minister has answered it. However, if it is permissible I should like to make some further remarks about what he has said in answer to my question, and to state that the minister also said in the city of Kitchener on October 26, as reported in the Ottawa Citizen:

Industry Minister Drury said Tuesday night the Canada-United States automobile agreement will save Canadian car buyers about $49,000,000 this year.

Mr. Drury estimated that prices have dropped an average of $70 on each car and, with about 700,000 cars expected to be sold in Canada this year, that makes a saving to buyers of about $49,000,000.

"I suggest to you that the agreement is not only working but is working in the right direction," he told about 200 persons at a Liberal rally.

Hon. Roger Teillei (Minister of Veterans Affairs):

Mr. Speaker, if this is the proper time and place I also should like to correct an answer which I gave the right hon. the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Diefenbaker) yesterday. The correct answer to the question was that instead of a committee dealing with the matter talks have been taking place among representatives of veterans organizations, the Canadian Pension Commission and myself with respect to basic pension rates.

Mr. Diefenbaker:

Are there any more corrections today?

[DOT] (11:10 a.m.)

Hon. Arthur Laing (Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources) moved

that the house go into committee at the next sitting to consider the following resolution, which has been recommended to the house by His Excellency:

That it is expedient to introduce a measure to amend the Northwest Territories Act to increase the number of elected members of the council from four to seven; to increase to five thousand dollars per annum the maximum indemnity payable to elected members; to provide for the payment of a maximum indemnity of three thousand five hundred dollars per annum to appointed members; to provide also for the payment of reasonable travelling and living expenses incurred by members in going to and returning from sessions of the council; to provide that the first one thousand dollars of the indemnity paid to a member be not subject to income tax; to establish a separate consolidated revenue fund for the Territories and for the administration thereof; to provide also for the keeping of territorial accounts, for the examination of these accounts by the Auditor General; and to provide further for certain changes in the administration of the act.

Hon. Arthur Laing (Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources) moved

that the house go into committee at the next sitting to consider the following resolution, which has been recommended to the house by His Excellency:

That it is expedient to introduce a measure to amend the Yukon Act to provide for the payment

January 27, 1966

Inquiries of the Ministry of an annual indemnity of three hundred dollars to each member of the advisory committee on finance and for the payment of reasonable travelling and living expenses incurred by them in attending the sittings of the committee; to increase to five thousand dollars per annum the maximum Indemnity payable to members of the council; to provide for the payment of reasonable travelling and living expenses incurred by members in going to and returning from sessions of the council; to provide that the first one thousand dollars of the indemnity paid to a member is not subject to income tax; to provide also for the keeping of territorial accounts, for the examination of these accounts by the Auditor General; and to provide further for certain changes in the administration of the act.

Right Hon. J. G. Diefenbaker (Leader of the Opposition):

I would ask the Minister of Justice a question arising out of a decision of the Supreme Court of Canada dated yesterday that it had no jurisdiction to hear an appeal against the validity of a search warrant which was executed in August on the premises of the Seafarers International Union in Montreal for the purpose of securing documents connecting Hal Banks with the falsification of accounts and the crime of theft. Now that the decision of the Supreme Court has been made, is the minister in a position to say whether his department is launching a prosecution with respect to these thefts allegedly committed over a period of two years?

Hon. Lucien Cardin (Minister of Justice):

Before the department decides whether or not to launch a prosecution it will, of course, be necessary to have a full report on the facts and on the allegations.