Mr. Harvie Andre (Calgary Centre):

Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of State (Trade): it has to do with our business dealings with Iran. Can the minister indicate the current status of Export Development Corporation loans to Iran? Can he indicate if any of these loans are currently in default?

Hon. Ed Lumley (Minister of State, Trade):

Madam Speaker, at the present time there are about $125 million in loans outstanding through EDC. I am not aware at the present time if any of them are in default.

Mr. Andre:

I realize the minister may have difficulty figuring out the policy of his government toward Iran. Can he advise the House what instructions he has given to the Export Development Corporation? For example, has he instructed them to cease disbursing any further funds in addition to the $125 million in loan commitments that are outstanding?

Oral Questions

Mr. Lumley:

Madam Speaker, my colleague, the Secretary of State for External Affairs, has stated that our policy with regard to Iran will be announced within a week.

Hon. Warren Allmand (Notre-Dame-de-Grace):

Madam Speaker, my question is for the Solicitor General. Would the hon. gentleman confirm whether it is correct that over 100 members of the RCMP have formed an association to establish collective bargaining in the force, due to dissatisfaction with salaries and grievance procedures? If so, what response is being made by the minister and the government to this initiative?

Hon. Bob Kaplan (Solicitor General):

Madam Speaker, I have given a lot of thought to grievances within the RCMP. It is quite true there has been the formation of this collective bargaining association. I am giving it consideration because there has been within the ministry for a number of years an RCMP act in revision and under consideration. I have made this a top priority. That act contains grievance procedures. It was in the Speech from the Throne, and I hope to be able to bring it forward soon. 1 hope the members of the force will try to live with it and give it a chance before they consider abandoning it and seeking some other way of resolving grievances.

Mr. Allmand:

Madam Speaker, would the Solicitor General confirm whether it is correct that a larger number than average are now quitting the force due to low morale and dissatisfaction with working conditions?

Mr. Kaplan:

Madam Speaker, no, I do not believe that is the case. There is a report in the papers today to the effect that a larger number than average are quitting in the province of Alberta. That is a fact; I have checked it. But the reason seems to be economic conditions in Alberta, rather than any particular problems with grievance procedures in that province.

Hon. Allan Lawrence (Durham-Northumberland):

Madam Speaker, now that the Speech from the Throne has indicated that the Solicitor General is proceeding with those amendments to the RCMP legislation which were prepared for him by the previous government, would he tell us why on March 9 he indicated that he did not intend to proceed with those amendments?

Hon. Bob Kaplan (Solicitor General):

Madam Speaker, I do not know what the hon. member is referring to. I have never said we will not be proceeding with them. We are proceeding

April 16, 1980

Oral Questions

with them. 1 have made some important changes to them and I shall be bringing them before cabinet shortly. Members of the RCMP themselves, along with members of the House, will have an opportunity to consider them soon. Basically, they implement the recommendations of the Marin commission, but they are updated so as to take some current circumstances into consideration.

Hon. Elmer M. MacKay (Central Nova):

Madam Speaker,

I should like to direct a supplementary question to the Solicitor General. In light of his previous remarks, is he prepared to review sympathetically some of the outstanding grievances which have existed with respect to particular members of the force, including people such as McCleery, Brunet and a member of the force called Danch who did not have his court costs paid, despite the fact that he was successful in the Federal Court. Is the minister prepared to review these matters sympathetically?

Hon. Bob Kaplan (Solicitor General):

I am prepared to review sympathetically any matter an hon. member wishes to bring to my attention.

Hear, hear!

Mr. Ian Deans (Hamilton Mountain):

Madam Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce. In view of the fact that the contract between the government of Ontario and the Ford Motor Company-which was negotiated concurrently with the contract between the federal government and the Ford Motor Company-was tabled yesterday in the Ontario legislature and contains no clause which in any way gives Ford the right to restrict making public the terms of the contract, does the minister stand by his statement of yesterday that such a clause exists in the federal contract and, if so, why is it there?

Hon. Herb Gray (Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce):

Madam Speaker, I understand that a telex confirming Ford has agreed to the release of the agreement on the Essex engine plant is on the way. I am having the contract translated so that it may be available to the House in both official languages, and I hope to be able to table it tomorrow.

Mr. Deans:

Madam Speaker, I assume the minister is familiar with the terms of the contract, since he has indicated he has studied it frequently. Is he prepared to tell the House what terms there are in that contract which guarantee the jobs in the province of Ontario which were supposedly guaranteed at the time the $68 million was extended to Ford?