Mr. Real Caouette (Villeneuve):

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Justice.

Did the minister make an investigation with regard to a statement made by Mr. Wagner, the Quebec Minister of Justice, to the effect that Ottawa and especially the R.C.M.P. and the federal Department of Justice are full of spineless people? Could we have the minister's comments on such a serious charge?

Hon. Lucien Cardin (Minister of Justice):

Mr. Speaker, there is no need for me to investigate, since I am quite sure that those spineless people are non-existent.

Mr. Maurice Allard (Sherbrooke):

A supplementary question, Mr. Speaker.

Would the minister tell the house if it is true, as stated by Mr. Wagner, from Quebec, that the R.C.M.P. refuses to provide provincial police forces with certain useful information in many circumstances? Those are serious charges.

Mr. Cardin:

No, Mr. Speaker.

Hon. George Hees (Northumberland):

I

should like to direct a question to the Minister of Trade and Commerce. In view of the need to greatly increase our export trade and the need to help our export producers in this

regard, will the minister give consideration to having his trade commissioners make another detailed survey of their markets and report as to what Canadian products could be sold there if a greater sales effort was carried out, and then pass on that information to the industries as soon as possible?

Hon. Robert Winters (Minister of Trade and Commerce):

Mr. Speaker, this is being done on a continuing basis. As the hon. gentleman knows, we have an excellent trade commissioner service which is attuned to the opportunities in those areas the commissioners represent, which is in effect virtually the whole world. There is a continuing two-way flow of information between them and the department in Ottawa so as to keep attuned to the opportunities for Canadian businessmen to trade in foreign markets.

Mr. S. Perry Ryan (Spadina):

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Secretary of State for External Affairs. I should like to make an inquiry in respect of the arrest and sentencing in Hungary of Mr. Tibor Torma, a naturalized Canadian citizen who, at the time he obtained a visa to enter Hungary as a tourist last fall, was a constituent of mine. He is alleged to have caused a disturbance in a coffee house and to have been convicted for a political offence. He was held incommunicado-

Order.

Mr. Speaker:

Order, please. Would the hon. member kindly state his question. I rather suspect at this moment that it would be a proper question for the order paper. However, we might allow the hon. member to put the question if he will do so right now.

Mr. Ryan:

I should like to ask the Secretary of State for External Affairs whether this is not a situation of concern to all Hungarians here and in the world as a whole.

Put the question.

Mr. Speaker:

Order, please. I suggest to the hon. member that he may wish to place his question on the order paper.

January 27, 1966 COMMONS

Hon. Alvin Hamilton (Qu'Appelle):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to address a question to the Prime Minister. It has a great bearing on the traditions of this house and the rules under which we work, and for that reason I believe you personally, sir, will be very much interested in the answer.

My question to the Prime Minister is this. In view of the aberrations from tradition since this parliament opened, the latest example being yesterday when the Minister of Finance used the question period to make a partial announcement on a serious matter of policy for which we on this side have been pressing for the last two and one-half years, is it now the policy of this government to make statements on policy outside the house when the house is in session?