Hon. John C. Munro (Minister of Labour):

That is a representation, Mr. Speaker, and is being taken as such.

Hon. George Hees (Prince Edward-Hastings):

I have a question for the Prime Minister. Last night the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources informed the House that the government intended to give leadership to the country by way of conserving energy, particularly in the use of large automobiles that are heavy users of gasoline. Is it the intention of the Prime Minister as the leader of the government to give leadership in this matter by disposing of his two large automobiles which are very heavy users of gasoline and to start using a much smaller automobile in their place?

A bullet proof bicycle.

Right Hon. P. E. Trudeau (Prime Minister):

I would gladly convey this representation to the Solicitor General and to the RCMP. I would be anxious to see it happen, if it is possible. Perhaps I will ask them to try to armour a small car. If they could make the Fiat 300 SL bullet-proof, I would much prefer to drive that.

Oh, oh!

Mr. Perrin Beatty (Wellington-Grey-Dufferin-Water-loo):

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Secretary of State for External Affairs. Last Friday, when I asked the Secretary of State for External Affairs about the Canadian activities of the American Central Intelligence Agency, he replied that "there is no knowledge of any CIA activity in Canada, except that of the well known liaison officer who is established here as a liaison officer only". May I ask the minister whether, when he referred to a well known liaison officer, he was speaking of Mr. Cleveland Cram, who is described in the diplomatic corps directory as an attache with the American embassy, or was he referring to some other well known liaison officer?

Hon. Allan J. MacEachen (Secretary of State for External Affairs):

I was referring to the fact that it is well known that there is a liaison officer here.

Mr. Beatty:

Who?

February 7, 1975

Oral Questions

Mr. MacEachen:

I would have to identify him and give the hon. gentleman his name.

Hon. Allan J. MacEachen (Secretary of State for External Affairs):

The hon. gentleman would have to give me more convincing information than he is producing from his so called authoritative book called "Who's Who in the CIA" which he has used as the basis of his question which was published in Berlin and, we have good reason to believe, published by the East German intelligence service. It includes such persons as Lyndon Johnson, Dean Rusk, Walt Rostow, and Robert McNamara. Every distinguished person I know of is to be found there, except for the right hon. member for Prince Albert.

Mr. Diefenbaker:

Mr. Speaker, I certainly do not object to the association, but I would say to the hon. gentleman that if he would go back to 1962-1963, during that period of time he might find the CIA was connected with some of the activities of which he knew at that time.

Mr. Speaker:

The hon. member for Lafontaine.

Mr. Beatty:

Mr. Speaker, I find it difficult to believe that the minister would laugh it off. Apparently, he feels that an appropriate way of dealing with people accused of being involved in intelligence gathering activities would be to have their picture taken with the Prime Minister.

My question deals with procedure. Surely, when accusations are made that a person might have been involved in intelligence gathering it is worthwhile asking the minister whether, as a matter of procedure, before accrediting embassy personnel from foreign governments, his department attempts to determine whether or not they have been involved in intelligence gathering for those government and, if so, whether or not it is safe to assume that they have moved to more arcane pursuits before moving to Canada?

Mr. MacEachen:

I assure the hon. member that the gentlemen to whom he has referred whose names, I under-

stand, appear in the morning newspapers, on the basis of an assurance from the American authorities have no connections whatsoever with the CIA. My hon. friend ought to base his questions, if he wishes to act responsibly, on a more authoritative source than "Who's Who in CIA", allegedly published by the East German intelligence service.

Oh, oh!