Mr. Michener:

I appreciate what the

minister has said, but I do not believe I follow his reasoning exactly. The person to whom the minister has referred, who enters a warehouse for the purpose of committing a robbery, would be committing the crime of breaking and entering.

Mr. Michener:

To my mind the minister's explanation leaves one point obscure which I think the house ought to appreciate. The object of this section is to give the peace officer power to search vehicles and premises only in a limited number of cases. In the cases that have been presented to the house we have had conjured up crimes of violence, forcible entry and robbery. Those cases are not covered by this section. The code does contain, and very properly, provisions which not only permit but exhort even ordinary citizens to arrest persons committing acts of violence. It is the duty of people to do that, without any such section as we have here. This section gives the peace officer the right in a limited number of cases, namely cases involving carrying firearms-am I right?

Mr. Michener:

So I suggest the distinction should be borne in mind that we are extending it to a classification where there is no imminence of a crime. It is just the fact of carrying a dangerous weapon that has to be considered.

Mr. Michener:

Will the minister also take this possibility into consideration? There are a great many farmers on the prairie provinces who have contracts for the sale of their wheat. It is true that they are not directly with the government, but with an agency of the government. I am sure they would like to be free to make contributions to any party.

Mr. Michener:

So if section 96 were used, it would be because of some weapon being carried?