Logislative Assembly

inces. This made it somewhat easier to develop the apprenticeship training program in the province.

Honourable J. Elmer Blanchard: The statute wasn’t even proclaimed, was it? L. George Dewar: The one here in the province?

Honourable J. Elmer Blanchard: Yes.

L. George Dewar: No, it was on the Statute Books though but it was never proclaimed.

Now I come to another matter that is a rather alarming omission in the Speech from the Throne. This is one that I thought would have been, would have composed quite a long and lengthy item in the Speech from the Throne, and that it would have been spelled out in great detail because the people of the province were certainly looking forward to hearing about it. They were told about it before the election campaign, in great detail and on numerous occasions. In fact I have a quota- tion here, I think it was from the Premier of Prince Edward Island. This item which was noticably absent from the Speech from the Thorne; it has to do with the matter of school taxation. Not a word, not a word, although we were promised before the election last spring that the present Government would immediately, the word im- mediately was used for a Committee or Commission to study the whole matter of school taxation with a view of eliminating the burden of taxation on both our rural

and urban taxpayers.

Now what is the Government going to do? There is no policy; the Minister of Education didn’t say anything about it; there is nothing in the Speech from the hrone.

This is certainly an orphan. “A Liberal government will conduct a full study of the entire field of taxation with the intention of relieving Islanders from the present burden of school taxes." This was made in the Fisrt District of Kings, for the benefit of the First District of Kings.

Some Member: A hot air affair. Walter R. Shaw: The radar must have brought that in.

L. George Dewar: This is the part of the platform that ensured many of the honourable gentlemen over there a seat in this House, and now they forsake it!

Walter R. Shaw: They are getting the bills now.

L. George Dewar: It is an orphan, fondling, not even considered in the Speech from the Throne!

Walter R. Shaw: No, never mentioned it. L. George Dewar: I think this is terribly inadequate. . . . Walter R. Shaw: Stupidity.

L. George Dewar: . . . handling of this important intention on the part of the administration; and to make matters worse, Mr. Speaker, the former Government, the former Government, took action in this respect. It was brought before this Legislature last spring and the honourable members all voted. . . .

Walter R. Shaw: Turned it down.

L. George Dewar: . . . to form a Commission to inquiry into the whole matter of taxation in this province. The money was voted to do it but the money hasn’t been used, the money is still there. All voted for it, all members voted for it.

Honourable Gordon L. Bennett: Did you have your Commission lined up before you left office?

L. George Dewar: No, unfortunately between the time that the Legislature closed and the present Government assumed office there was very little time to

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