Thursday, March 16, 1967 would be experienced and it is rather remarkable that the new enterprises launched under our program which placed an exacting responsibility on administration, and the staffs at the various departments involved that such a fine success attended the achievements of our objectives. Quietly, effectively, without too much fan-fare, but unfortunately confronted with bitter and unmerited criticism on the part of the Liberal Party in this province there was developed a balanced program of extension from 1960 to 1966 that was recognized by citizens and business men within and without this province as a program of tremendous economic value. This period, Mr. Speaker , will stand out in our records as an era of constructive growth; the groundwork of future prosperity was laid and recognised. Our prob¬ lem was made difficult too by a lack of natural advantages in this province. Particularly, in transportation and power, electric power, and other resources com¬ mon to other areas in the . For this reason interested industrial¬ ists demand more generous treatment here than they were able to receive in com¬ peting provinces. Under these circumstances we were able to attract a number of large industries to our province and at the same time develop many small industries at the provincial level and the records show that. I have already referred to unfair criticism of our industrial program. It is evident from the very start that the Liberal Party had adopted an attitude of poli¬ tical hostility and their policy was to attack our program on every possible occasion. There were no professions of encouragement or interest in industrial growth from our friends, even though it was abundantly evident that this policy was off out¬ standing value. Every opportunity was taken on the floor of the Legislature, at political meetings, through the press and on TV to cast suspicion on the Government program, and all this was done, may I say, with very little knowledge of negotiations that were taking place at that time and which under any circumstances could not be made public unto final arrangements had been affected. Every undertaking was smeared with suspicion. We still hear of a small plant at Rustieo that failed, still we hoar of a ranch at Morell ; it is still with us. And yet today the ranch at Morel ] is one of the finest mink ranches in Canada , and it is spreading a great deal of money in your area down there, Mr. Member , and is one of the finest we have. We did not expect when he supported these industries that success would crown all our efforts, but success crowned our efforts in the majority of eases. Then the overall »my of this province, and each year in this House this program was attacked. Nothing unsound or dishonest has ever been divulged contrary to their oft repeated statements that the Government was hiding something. Not so long ago the Premier stated I called an election last summer to hide something and I brand that as a com¬ plete falsehood! I never had any such a thing in my mind; if I wanted to hide any- hiag I wouldn't have held an election. (Applause) I would have let that election go, s Ex- Premier Matheson said, to the first part of 1968, if I wanted to hide anything, have nothing to hide at Georgetown or at any other project that I was associated or any affairs of the Province of Prince Edward Island . (Applause) Why should I? If I had wanted to do that I would have taken some other measures to do I remember the disgraceful exhibition on the floor of this Legislature when by •ration an effort was made to besmear the integrity and the honesty of a member our Government, and it was finally found that after the full explanation had been of those things they wanted to find out that they scurried off the floor of this louse with the Resolution with a measure of considerable embarrassment. They coupled these attacks with a pious declaration that they were in favour of industrial Expansion. No person could believe these confessions of good-will in the light of their activities. This period of the Georgetown project came in for special attention. I do Kot remember one word of commendation in this Legislature regarding either George¬ town or the general policy of industrial expansion from one member of the Liberal Party in this House, and the records show it. Take note of these statements made In this Legislature just last year, Mr. Speaker , by Liberal members regarding George - What did they say? One fellow said it would be better to sink the draggcrs at .jetown and collect the insurance than have the draggers go to sea and bring in __, to run that operation. Another one said the people of Georgetown and vicinity hovld be put on relief and it would cost us a lot less in the long run. That's the itattments that were made from our Liberal friends. J. Cyril Smaott : They will be on relief soon.