Mr. Gerard Duquet (Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Transport):

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Transport (Mr. Jamieson), and pursuant to Standing Order 41(2), I wish to table in English and in French a report entitled "The Canadian Northwest Transportation Study", prepared for the Minister of Transport by Hedlin Menzies and Associates Limited.

Mr. Stanley Knowles (Winnipeg North Centre):

Mr. Speaker, I rise to suggest a correction that needs to be made in Votes and Proceedings for Friday, June 30, at page 475. I apologize to my hon. friend the hon. member for Grenville-Carleton (Mr. Blair), who tabled the report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and Organization on Friday, for not having reached him before two o'clock, but I am sure he will agree that this correction should be made. At page 475 in paragraph 28 there appears this sentence:

Here in Canada the Legislature of Saskatchewan has been broadcasting certain of its proceedings by radio since 1964.

Sir, that should be changed to read "1946". I may say that in the French edition of Votes and Proceedings for Friday of last week the year is correct, 1946.

Hon. Robert L. Stanfield (Leader of the Opposition):

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

Would the minister bring us up to date and let us know where matters now stand in the dispute concerning the St. Lawrence river ports?

Hon. Martin P. O'Connell (Minister of Labour):

Mr. Speaker, I shall be glad to do that in as brief a compass as I can. During the weekend four days of mediation were held in Montreal in the Department of Labour's offices, with the deputy minister and assistant deputy minister assisting the two parties in an effort to reconcile their differences. As a result of that, a set of proposals was placed in front of both parties yesterday evening. Those proposals have been considered this morning at simultaneous meetings in the ports of Quebec City, Trois-Rivieres and Montreal. I am awaiting clarification of the results of those meetings. Various reports have come forward, but I am not yet on firm enough ground to know the exact response made to them by the unions at their meetings or by the employers.

Mr. Stanfield:

In view of the report that the Montreal local has put some new conditions on the proposals put forward by the mediators, can the minister indicate to the House what those conditions are?

Mr. O'Connell:

Mr. Speaker, I have heard about the conditions only as reported generally through the press. We are trying to confirm them officially. In general, if they are as reported they relate, first, to a start-up date for the job guarantee to cut in or, putting it another way, to the date on which the suspension of job security would be lifted. Second, they relate to the withdrawal of all court actions for damages and other actions now pending. As I say, these conditions have not been confirmed to me officially, but these are the conditions that one hears about in unofficial reports.

Mr. Stanfield:

Does the minister propose to discuss these conditions with the Maritime Employers Association? What procedure does the minister propose to follow?

Mr. O'Connell:

Mr. Speaker, the procedure I propose to follow is to wait a very firm clarification of the situation in the three ports. I should like to assist the hon. gentleman as much as possible, but I do not think it would be helpful for me to propose any line of action now until the situation is more fully clarified.

Mr. Raymond Rock (Lachine):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to direct a supplementary question to the Minister of Labour. How many dock workers will be allowed to return to work inasmuch as there is a serious loss of shipping business at the three ports?

Mr. O'Connell:

Mr. Speaker, that is a question I cannot answer at the present time. In the normal course one

July 4, 1972

Inquiries of the Ministry

would expect that suspension of employment at some point would be lifted and the men would return to work as called by the employers in relation to the work that is available. I offer that as an answer.

Mr. Lincoln M. Alexander (Hamilton West):

Mr. Speaker, would the minister advise the House whether there was in fact any time limit fixed for the parties involved to accept the proposals as submitted?

Hon. Martin P. O'Connell (Minister oi Labour):

Yes, Mr. Speaker. As mediators my officials undertook to give today, July 4, for the purpose of considering the proposals developed in the mediation process and making their relative responses, one against the other.

Mr. Alexander:

Mr. Speaker, can the minister advise whether in fact he has back-to-work legislation in the wings in the form of a trusteeship or perhaps in some other form?

Mr. O'Connell:

Mr. Speaker, the government is prepared to take its responsibility when the situation has been more fully clarified.