Legislative Assembly

industry. We would like very much to see them come back, but $6,000 is just not quite enough bait to hold out to them to bring them back to their native province of Prince Edward Island. This man Gallagher has been mentioned. Last evening I re- viewed the experience which he has had in development programs in New Brunswick and in Nova Scotia as well as with the federal government. This man’s salary, Mr. Speaker, is going to be paid by the federal government and while we may criticize the amount which the government of Canada has agreed to pay this man as our Chief lieveloprment Officer in the province, I suggest that we not slap a “gift-horse" in t e mout .

I would put it to the Opposition, Mr. Speaker, that we have within the last two months been offered the services of a man in research in labour matters, in manpower matters, in technical matters relating to employment and employment opportunities. The salary offered is $20,000.00, the total cost of the program to be paid by Ottawa. Now, Mr. Speaker, is this the type of thing that we want to turn down because the salary is too high? Is this the type of thing we can refuse to take because Ottawa is paying these people too much and it is too rich for our blood? I don’t think we can turn them down, Mr. Speaker, and so we will have to do our best to co-ordinate salaries which are offered by the federal government to us in this vital period of need for expert counsel and technical assistance. We in Prince Edward Island have paid 3300.000 or more for surveys in this province in the last three years. We don’t want those surveys, Mr. Speaker. to lie on shelves gathering dust. We want to see that every single ounce of information and recommendation is taken advantage of to the best of our ability. And in this respect the federal government will support us and pay the entire cost of the assessment of these reports of the preparation of a program as a result of these and the assistance in implementing the program in due course.

I think, however, that the Throne Speech in essence has its accent on youth, and every member of this Legislature, Mr. Speaker, certainly those within the gov- ernment. are convinced that if we are going to do anything in Prince Edward Island we must start with the youth and see that they have the educational opportunities which we are at the pre—school level, as well as the elementary and high school and university level. We will invite them to have a say in government at the age of eighteen. and we will co-ordinate activities of government through the proposed div- ision of Youth Affairs so that the youth activities within the province can be geared not only to work for the benefit of the community being served by these groups, but also the youth who will be invited and who are participating in these organizations. We feel, Mr. Speaker, that this is the basic outline and the accent of the Speech from the Throne, and with the youth we believe that we can build for a brighter tomor- row and build the economic position of this province to a much stronger and more favourable position. (Applause)

Mr. Speaker, elsewhere in the Speech we find the reference to Her Majesty the Queen Mother. and all members in the House are happy that Her Maiesty will visit Prince Edward Island this summer, being in Charlottetown on the 17th of July, and spending the day here and travelling to Summerside on the 18th of July and depart- ing from there to New Brunswick. Efforts are being made to enable as many as Islanders, senior. middle-aged. and young, to see Her Majesty while she is here, and we have suggested the organization of Community Mums and Dads — Centennial Mums and Dads throughout the province. These people selected for their contribution within their own community, wherever it may be in the province, will be given an Opportunity to meet Her Majesty while she is in Charlottetown, and it is hoped as well that the Queen Mother will again see the veterans and all other groups and organizations that may be represented in convenient places to meet her.

The White Paper referred to in the Speech from the Throne, Mr. Speaker. will be presented later in the Session. It will outline to this House the framework within which a comprehensive resource development program will be devised by the Govern- ment, and which will be promoted in a way so as to invite total participation by the people of the province. Because whatever the final terms of the development program, and this program should be known to us by the end of June, the Govern- ment is not going to be able to do the job alone. In fact, the Government should play a very small part. This is a program for people, a program where the people them- selves can take advantage of the terms of the agreement which their Government will

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