'1 nursday, March 30, 1967

While present in Quebec City, Mr. Speaker, I was impressed with many things. First, the hospitality and friendshi of the Quebec citizens from Prime Minister Daniel Johnston right down to the e evator operators in the Chateau Frontenac, was all that one could wish for. One of the thrills I am sure for the Premier and myself was when we had the opportunity on a Saturday afternoon to visit the Quebec Legislature. It was working incidentally on Saturday afternoon. Premier Johnston and M. Lesage were able to take time from a very busy session to recognize the Premier of Prince Edward Island and myself and as I say make public recognition to our presence there and to pay tribute to the province from which we had come. I recall that afternoon well, it was when Bill 25, which related to the teachers and the little dispute that they had with the Government of the province of Quebec and despite this very, very tense situation the whole proceedings were interrupted in order to introduce Premier Campbell and the other people who happened to be with him at that time. We were certainly most cordially welcomed to the Legislature by M. Johnston and M. Lesage.

Quebec people have a much different, and in my opinion, a much more appro- nriate and refreshing approach to the Winter Season than the citizens of this prov- ince generally have. In Prince Edward Island unfortunately, I feel, winter is a season merely to be endured but not enjoyed, and most of us wish for a very rapid passing of the winter months so that the pleasure and the opportunities of the sum- mer months may be enjoyed by all of us. It was very noticeable in Quebec that they take a different attitude towards their winter months; they feel that these months provide them with a time of enjoyment. Oudoor rinks by the dozens,, tobogganing and skating, skiing. All these things occupied the attention of the Quebec people and it was quite obvious that they were enjoying these outdoor sports to the full. They have a very buoyant and delightful approach to the winter season which perhaps we in Prince Edward Island might well emulate.

My presence in Quebec City at the height of the teachers’ strike made me realize how dangerous is the strike weapon when it is applied to essential public services. At one time in the negotiations 1.5 million school children were without instruction. What a shameful situation in any province!

Leo F. Rossiter: Mr. Speaker, will you permit a question? Honourable Gordon L. Bennett: Delighted, Sir.

. ,‘ Leo F. Rossiter: Is this what prompted you to come back and give the second- class teachers 3736c a day?

Honourable Gordon L. Bennett: Oh there were lots of things that prompted that, Mr. Member from Second Kings. I don’t deem it appropriate to discuss bud- getary matters at this time. I had the privilege of discussing this with the teachers yesterday and they appeared to be very happy with the explanation I providod and I hope that you will be just as happy when I make an explanation in the Legislature.

In any event there were at certain stages in this negotiation, 1.5 million young people without instruction. I am not going to discuss the issues under dispute but I am sure that I express the concern of a great many people for the disruptive ef- fects of strikes by teachers, hospital workers, railway employees and other persons engaged in essential services. Can these strikes continue year after year no matter what the cost to the economy of Canada as a whole may be? The classic answer, I believe, Mr. Speaker, is that made by Prime Minister St. Laurent in 1950 in set- tling the rail strike and I would like to quote the remarks of Prime Minister St. Laurent at that time. “But it has been said, and I think it worthy of being borne in mind, that the insistence of what may be normally private rights may at times amount to what have become public wrongs, and the injury that the insistence on private rights may bring to the public weal is sometimes so great that it has had to be given serious consideration.” Private rights and public wrongs: I maintain, Mr. Sinker, that there must be a balance between the two. If on the one hand the idea 0 strikes against the public are proving to be quite impossible, then on the other hand more creative, more flexible and more sophisticated methods will have to be evolved for dealing with all disputes involving the public services. It obviously is not possible to kee passing s ecial bills to deal with particular situations after many weeks of pubic injury. here must be better means of dealing fairly with

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