' Thursday, April 6, 1967

Unfortunately, the whole thought of the Government, and again I maintain that the Premier has been getting the wrong advice, but in taking that advice the whole thought and whole thinking on the Georgetown problem was unfortunately politically oriented, and it’s whole object was to discredit the previous Government and do away with Leo Rossiter at any price. In that process Georgetown is now idle. The thing that disturbs me, Mr. Speaker, is not only the fact that Georgetown is idle, but I think there is one thing much more important that we have lost sight of, are losing sight of and that is the lasting results, the lasting effect that this adverse publicity will have on the industrial future of this Province. I have noted headlines, stories in the Toronto papers, and the Montreal papers; this news is being

carried by the C.B.C.; even as late as last night on the six o’clock news it was again headlined.

Again, it is my opinion, from some years of experience, that we will not have any new industry in this Province for years. Anybody that has any money, and is thinking of coming down here, and reads this publicity, misreading it, taking the wrong slant on it wouldn’t touch this Province with a “ten foot pole.” This is the gnfortunate thing to my mind, this is the lasting harm, perhaps unwittingly being

one.

Now we do have two excellent people in the Island Industrial Enterprises in the person of Mr. Bergasse and Mr. Flood. They are experienced people, they come well recommended, but I don’t think thy can produce very much with this terrific handicap they have hanging over their head. They haven’t achieved very much yet and I wouldn’t expect them to have, they have not been there that long. But they have a tough future ahead. I think a lot of the trouble in the holdup in this House and, Mr. Speaker, as I said this afternoon I have been around this Chamber since 1923 and I have yet to see such a useless legislative session and I don’t think I have ever seen a nosier one. All of this could be avoided, if the Premier again had thrown this bad advice he apparently was getting aside, been forthright with this Legis- lature and produced the documents that belonged to this legislature when they should have been produced and when they were asked for. (Applause)

I also think another mistake was made in the timing of the Royal Commission. I have no fault to find with the Royal Commission as such, no fault to find with its members. The fact that its meetings are held now or close to this Legislature is absolutely wrong. I think the choice of the members is excellent, but I think there is going to be an area of conflict in regard to Mr. McKeig-an, inasmuch as the At- lantic Development Board have a lot to do with the Georgetown development. There- fore, it is going to be rather impossible to operate in a position of adjudicating on its own acts. That is all I have to say about Georgetown.

Not enough has been said of the accomplishments of the Shaw Government. We got nothings in the Speech from the Throne to talk about, so let’s go back a bit and talk about the accomplishments the Shaw Government has behind them. I think we have lost sight of the many things that were accomplished by this Government, many things for the future of this Province, things that have a lasting effect. Look at our highways system, one of the outstanding systems in the Maritime Provinces or all over Canada. Look at our school system, something that is of untold value, the series of wonderful Junior High Schools throughout this country, monuments to the Shaw Government. Look at our Vocational Training School; granted they said it was Federal funds but it is there and it is doing a job. I am very happy to hear the Minister of Education assure us that this training will be carried on in the years ahead. I hope with Federal assistance because we certainly can’t afford it.

I think we are losing sight of the fact that the Shaw Government did a great deal to build up the tourist industry, something again that has a future and will have a lasting effect in the years ahead. I think it is easily forgotten that the Shaw Government was the first Government to inaugurate and establish a separate De- partment of Tourist Development.

The frozen vegetable industry was brought along to a very large extent. It wasn’t started by the Shaw Government but it was enlarged upon and brought to a size that it is a large factor, a big factor in the economy of the Provinces here today.

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