Mr. Sharp:

Mr. Speaker, I very much doubt the wisdom of extending the reference in that way. The Canadian government would, of course, have no objection if oil from the trans-Alaska pipeline were to be carried from Alaska to California without coming into the narrow waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Georgia Strait and ships, for example, were to move 300 miles offshore. It would not be a proper subject for the International Joint Commission to consider.

Mr. Douglas:

In view of the fact that a refinery has been built at Cherry Point and therefore ships will have to go through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, may I ask the minister what terms of reference the Canadian government has in mind in the event that the United States government is agreeable to a joint reference to the International Joint Commission?

Mr. Sharp:

Mr. Speaker, I do not accept the assumption contained in the question. I do not think ships would have to go into Cherry Point. That refinery could be served from the interior.

Mr. Walter C. Carter (St. John's West):

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Acting Prime Minister that is supplementary to questions asked previously by other members. Is it the government's intention to impose a ban during the forthcoming salmon season? I ask the question because there is a lot of confusion and the salmon fishing season will open shortly.

Hon. Mitchell Sharp (Acting Prime Minister):

Mr. Speaker, I am sorry, I did not quite catch the question. Could it be repeated?

Mr. Carter:

Will the proposed ban announced by the Minister of Fisheries take effect this year?

Mr. Sharp:

Mr. Speaker, I think the House should await the statement of the Minister of the Environment and Fisheries which will deal with all these matters.

April 21, 1972

Inquiries of the Ministry ATLANTIC SALMON-PROPOSALS TO DENMARK RESPECTING CONSERVATION

Mr. Jack Marshall (Humber-St. George's-St. Barbe):

Mr. Speaker, I have a supplementary question for the Secretary of State for External Affairs. In view of the fact that Denmark is the worst offender in reducing salmon stocks on the high seas, can the minister indicate what specific proposals the government has made to Denmark and what their answers were?

Hon. Mitchell Sharp (Secretary of State for External Affairs):

Mr. Speaker, in our view a system that would meet the criteria both of conservation and of equity would require the delegation to coastal states of the sole right to harvest the salmon bred in their own rivers.

Mr. Kenneth Robinson (Toronto-Lakeshore):

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of National Defence. In view of the interest by females in the cadet movement in Canada, and in view of the women's liberation discrimination movement, will the minister consider changes in the National Defence Act to make the sea, army and air cadets co-educational?

Hon. E. J. Benson (Minister of National Defence):

should like to say, Mr. Speaker, that I am in favour of co-education. We have had representations from the army cadets and we will be hearing from the naval and air cadet associations. If there is unanimous agreement among all three I would be glad at some future date to propose a change to the National Defence Act.

Hon. D. S. Harkness (Calgary Centre):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to address a question to the Minister of National Defence. Has the government decided to purchase Scorpion armoured fighting vehicles for the use of the Canadian forces? If so, how many of these vehicles are to be secured?

Hon. E. J. Benson (Minister of National Defence):

First of all, Mr. Speaker, this is the vehicle which is favoured by the armed forces. A contract has not yet been negotiated. We are dealing with the manufacturers and I would not like to indicate quantities or amounts until such contract is negotiated, if the negotiations are successful.

Mr. Harkness:

Would the minister tell the House what units are to be supplied with these armoured fighting vehicles? Will it be merely forces overseas or also armoured units in Canada?

Mr. Benson:

Mr. Speaker, without getting too close to saying exactly how many, it would be both.