December 17, 1968 (28th Parliament, 1st Session)

Hon. Jean-Eudes Dube (Minisier of Veterans Affairs):

Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank the hon. member for giving me notice of his intention to ask this question. In the same Christmas spirit I am very happy to report that the great majority of the hospital services group have already received their retroactive pay increases, and the remainder are being processed as quickly as possible.
Mr. J. M. Forrestall (Dartmouth-Halifax
East): Mr. Speaker, I have a supplementary question directed to the Minister of National Defence and his charming seatmate. I wonder if I can ask him now if he is in a position to advise the civilian employees of the Department of National Defence whether they will get their retroactive pay before January 1. If not, would they consult their colleagues on the treasury benches to see if those cheques could not be back-dated to some date in 1968 if it is necessary to issue them in 1969.