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

Mr. Speaker, as I have indicated on a number of occasions, we have a very substantial program of aid to the people of the Sahaelian area which has been suffering from unprecedented drought. This aid is in the form of food, transport and for a number of other purposes.

Mr. Gordon Towers (Red Deer):

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board. In view of the fact a bushel of wheat produces between 50 and 60 loaves of bread and the government subsidy is $1.75 per bushel, would the minister explain to the House his statement that the subsidy is currently saving consumers eight cents per loaf?

Mr. Speaker:

Order, please. I doubt whether a question asked in those terms is in order or should be asked. That is clearly debate. The hon. member is inviting the minister to explain a statement. It seems to me that the question can be asked in other ways.

Mr. Towers:

Mr. Speaker, I should like the minister to tell the producers exactly how he arrived at that figure.

Hear, hear!

Mr. Speaker:

Order, please. The Chair will allow the minister to reply, but I respectfully and humbly suggest that any member could ask dozens of such questions which are really debate and not questions that ought to be asked during the question period.

Hon. Otto E. Lang (Minister of Justice):

Mr. Speaker, I will attempt to keep the answer extremely simple for the hon. member and explain that the mathematics relate to the total difference between the world price and the $3.25 to the miller and not just to the subsidy. This is the over-all government program that is saving the consumer that amount of money on the price of bread.

Mr. F. Oberle (Prince George-Peace River):

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of the Environment. Are any discussions going on with the province of British Columbia in an attempt to prevent the very serious flood which threatens the city of Prince George and surrounding area, particularly in light of the flood prevention program now in effect on the lower Fraser River? Could that program be extended to the upper Fraser?

Hon. Jack Davis (Minister of the Environment):

Mr. Speaker, the answer is yes. The engineers of Environment Canada in British Columbia are working closely with the

Oral Questions

provincial department of lands and forests. We have a joint program under way for protection. We are prepared to help in any flood situation which may occur.

Mr. Oberle:

Is there any program that can be of assistance in the immediate future as the flood is just a week or so away?

Mr. Davis:

I doubt it very much, Mr. Speaker, other than our longer-term program. We are endeavouring to convince the province that dikes should be built upstream on the Fraser as well as in the lower mainland area.

Mr. Jake Epp (Provencher):

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Justice. Noting a recent decision by the Department of Justice authorizing the release of Mr. Kenneth Leishman some two years ahead of the normal t'ine, may I ask the minister whether it is now government policy that certain additional prison terms should be served concurrently rather than consecutively, as was done in Mr. Leishman's case, and is a review of parole procedures taking place at the present time?

Hon. Otto E. Lang (Minister of Justice):

Mr. Speaker, it sounds to me as though this question should be directed to the Solicitor General rather than to myself. I am not aware of this case but I shall be glad to look into the matter if the hon. member will supply me with details.

Mr. Epp:

I should like to redirect the question to the Solicitor General, Mr. Speaker.

Hon. Warren Allmand (Solicitor General):

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Leishman was released because he had appealed to the Department of Justice to recalculate the time of his sentence, and when this calculation was made it was found that the sentence should have come to an end and he was therefore released. He was not released on parole. I might say the Criminal Code provides that a man may be given concurrent or consecutive sentences, but this is in the hands of the judge and the Crown prosecutor who presses the case. We have no plans at the present time to change that system.

Mr. Jake Epp (Provencher):

Mr. Speaker, I have a supplementary question for the Minister of Manpower and Immigration. Since the Department of Manpower and Immigration at one time authorized a LIP grant to Mr. COMMONS DEBATES

May 6, 1974

Oral Questions

Kenneth Leishman, will the minister tell us whether Mr. Leishman is now eligible for that grant of $93,000?