Mr. Stuart Leggatt (New Westminster):

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources. It concerns the Syncrude project. In view of the fact that an agreement in principle was reached in Winnipeg last February 3 in connection with the project and in view of the fact that public money to the extent of $100 million has been invested in it, will the minister advise the House why no government appointments have been made to the board of directors and will he also tell us why the agreement has not yet been formally incorporated into a legal document which the House might examine to determine whether the public interest is protected.

Hon. Alastair Gillespie (Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources):

The hon. member has himself given the answer to the first part of the question. It is because there is no agreement yet that we have not appointed a director to the board. As to the reason for the lack of an agreement at this time, all I can say is that negotiations are proceeding with the province of Alberta and we are hopeful there will be a successful conclusion in the very near future.

Mr. Leggatt:

The minister uses the phrase "in the very near future". Could he be more specific? Can he give us an outside date by which the House will have an opportunity of looking into an agreement and considering the appointees to the board so that we shall be in a position to protect the $100 million of public money invested in that project in the absence of any legal agreement?

Mr. Gillespie:

We are confident that an agreement will be concluded very shortly. As to the reasons for which an agreement has not yet been signed, there is a difficulty with the province of Alberta over certain of the principles which were agreed to in Winnipeg, and with respect to the price of certain utilities which would be supplied to the over-all project.

November 6, 1975

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

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice. May I ask the minister whether, since he assumed his new responsibilities, he has had the opportunity to study the portion of Bill C-72 which relates to privacy and, if so, is he giving consideration to withdrawing that portion of the bill on the grounds that, while it provides for broad exemptions that can be used to legitimize the development of secret files on individuals, it does absolutely nothing to prevent invasions of individual privacy by the federal government?

Hon. Ron Basford (Minister of Justice):

I recognize the concern expressed in the hon. member's question. I have not had a chance to read the bill, simply because it is not coming before the House in the immediate future. Obviously, I intend to do so and, of course, the bill will ultimately come before the committee of the House where all comments and suggestions made about it can be considered.

Mr. Bob Brisco (Kootenay West):

Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Indian Affairs. In view of the fact that the federal department of health declines to conduct appropriate testing of the health of native peoples on the Mistassini and Mattagami rivers until the Department of the Environment has surveyed the mercury content of fish in the affected areas, and since many of these people are suspected to be suffering from, or do suffer from, mercury poisoning, will the minister urge immediate action by the department of health and the Department of the Environment before acts of civil disobedience by these native people take place?

Hon. Judd Buchanan (Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development):

It is my understanding that these tests are already being conducted. In fact, several of the individuals involved have been flown to Montreal Neurological Institute for further testing. I am somewhat puzzled by the suggestion that there is a refusal to test.

Mr. Brisco:

According to Chief Otter Eyes of the grand council of the Cree, that is not in accordance with the facts. The principal concern of the Indians relates to the fact that they have lost their fish production; they are living on welfare and the government has done nothing to enable them to supplement their incomes with any other means of livelihood.

Mr. Buchanan:

There is no question there is a very genuine problem as far as normal activities are concerned, but I think Mr. Otter Eyes was himself one of the individuals flown to the Montreal Neurological Institute.

Oral Questions AGRICULTURE

Mr. John Wise (Elgin):

Mr. Speaker, may I address a question to the Minister of Agriculture? It relates to the announcement made by the minister last Tuesday in which he told us there was to be a reduction to the extent of about 5 per cent in the volume of industrial milk to be subsidized. This will result in a decrease amounting to some $13 million for the dairy year 1976-77 which will commence on April 1 next? Can the minister tell the House why he took this action without first of all consulting the supply and management committee of the Canadian Dairy Commission established in 1970 primarily for such purposes?

Hon. E. F. Whelan (Minister of Agriculture):

The consultative committee with which the Canadian Dairy Commission meets were fully aware of the reduction in subsidy to take place next year. Their main concern when they met with me yesterday related to the proposal for the importation of specialty and other cheeses from other parts of the world-that they had to share this market. They were fully aware that when I said last April that I had enough money for 100 million hundredweight of milk they had to live within that quota. This allowed for a 5 per cent increase. They are above that level; they know it, and I have only so much money for this program.

Mr. Jacques Guilbault (Saint-Jacques):

Mr. Speaker, I wish to ask a question of the Minister of State for Urban Affairs.

As an agreement in principle has been reached a few months ago between the federal government, the Quebec government and the City of Montreal, under which federal funds will be allocated to Quebec under the Neighbourhood Improvement Program and in view of the fact, particularly, that in spite of the agreement those programs are not yet effective in the Montreal area, can the minister tell the House what prevents those programs from working at this moment, and what action he intends to undertake with the provincial and municipal authorities to make these funds available as soon as possible?

Hon. Barney Danson (Minister of State for Urban Affairs):

We have been concerned about the delay. We are waiting for an agreement with Quebec on the rehabilitation program. I spoke to the minister responsible and to the president of the Quebec Housing Corporation on Monday. I understand there is a letter on my desk-I haven't seen it-which indicates that we do not need an agreement now, and that they will allow us to go ahead directly with the city of Montreal immediately.

November 6, 1975

Presence of Brigadiers Don Holmes and Clay Beattie TRANSPORT