Hear, hear!

Mr. Woolliams:

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a question of privilege.

Mr. Speaker:

Order, please. The hon. member has the right to rise on a question of privilege, but we will then try to go on to the next question.

Mr. Woolliams:

Mr. Speaker, it is surely a question of privilege when a member receives an answer like that. In all cases where police officers have been murdered and the accused have been convicted of murder by due process of law, the sentences have been commuted to life imprisonment. I do not want evasion and equivocation from the minister. I want him to carry out the law.

Mr. Speaker:

Order, please. The hon. member for Calgary North rose on a question of privilege, not a supplementary. We might try to go on to the next subject. If hon. members want to ask further supplementaries, later, we will return to this subject if there is time.

Mr. William Knowles (Norfolk-Haldimand):

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Veterans Affairs. Several times in the last few weeks questions have been asked in the minister's absence about a change in the basic disability pension rate, with the request that this matter be sent to the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs with a special reference to study it and bring back recommendations to the House of Commons. Is the minister prepared to reply to that suggestion?

Hon. Arthur Laing (Minister oi Veterans Affairs):

Mr. Speaker, the whole matter is now under study in my department by my officials. If members of the groups concerned would care to appear before the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, I would have no objection.

Inquiries of the Ministry LABOUR RELATIONS

Mr. Lincoln M. Alexander (Hamilton West):

Mr. Speaker, I wish to direct a question to the Acting Minister of Labour with regard to the strike in Montreal. In light of the fact the Minister of Labour indicated that he had sent telegrams to both the employers and the longshoremen asking them to submit the dispute to immediate arbitration, and in light of the fact the longshoremen have indicated that they have not received such a telegram, is the acting minister in a position to advise just what the situation is regarding this conflict?

Hon. Bryce Mackasey (Minister of Manpower and Immigration):

Mr. Speaker, I am afraid I cannot add anything to what the hon. member has just stated. He will have to wait until Monday for the Minister of Labour to comment.

Mr. Alexander:

In view of the fact I have been informed that a telegram has been sent to the effect that the longshoremen are not interested in arbitration, nor will they hold to any arbitration award, can the acting minister advise what the next step of the government is in view of the very serious implications this strike has on the economy of the country?

Mr. Mackasey:

Mr. Speaker, that is definitely up to the Minister of Labour.

Mr. Edward Broadbent (Oshawa-Whitby):

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce. Can the minister inform the House whether he has prepared a submission on the Michelin case to put before the anti-dumping tribunal in the United States? If so, has that submission actually been presented?

Hon. Iean-Luc Pepin (Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce):

Strike one, Mr. Speaker. I know it is being prepared, but I do not know whether it has been sent. I will find out and answer on Monday.

Mr. Broadbent:

When the minister finds out what his department is doing in this regard, will he consider tabling the submission or at least making the essence of the submission known to the House by way of a statement on motions on Monday?

Mr. Pepin:

I will consider that, Mr. Speaker.

2992

June 9, 1972

Inquiries of the Ministry HOUSING