Wednesday, April 19, 1967

won Fifth Queens they would still be in power and the Souris election would not have affected the outcome. They certainly made a big miscalculation. My colleague and I won our seats by fairly comfortable majorities; the Honourable Mr. Bennett had the biggest majority of all political districts, with a majority of 660. (Applause) And remember, too, that we had to defeat two able, honourable, and respected

opponents. I think, Mr. Speaker, that my colleague and I should be allowed to boast a little about our unexpected victory.

Let me say I find it puzzling at times why the Opposition is continually wrangling against the the Government of today when it could have remained in power until December 1967. That’s this year.

Walter R. Shaw: Just took a little rest, that's all. (Laughter).

Honourable J. Elmer Blanchard: It would appear to me that somebody really “goofed” in advising the calling of the election in April 1966, as far as the Conserva- tives were concerned, when they had more than eighteen months to go.

I am proud, Mr. Speaker, to represent the new Fifth District of Queens with my colleague the Honourable Gordon Bennett. It is the largest constituency, in population, in the province and the most diverse in makeup. It is composed of the eastern part of the City of Charlottetown, and the two largest, and I may say the

two most progressive, villages on the Island, Parkdale and Sherwood. It also includes the rural area of East Royalty.

The Atlantic Development Board is presently conducting a survey of poten- tial industrial areas in the Metropolitan Charlottetown area and the report should be available in the very near future. This survey is being made for the purpose of setting up an Industrial Park in this area. No matter where the industrial area is recommended, the establishment of such will be a further step in the right direction to the development of industry in this region. It is with great satisfaction that we note the establishment of an Irish Moss processing plant in the Parkdale area.

In recent months there have been Municipal elections in Charlottetown, Park- dale and Sherwood, and at this time I would like to express my congratulations to the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Charlottetown, and the Commissioners of Parkdale and Sherwood in being elected to their respective offices.

Municipal financing is in somewhat the same position as provincial financing, in that it poses difficult problems. All three of these Municipalities are to be con- gratulated for the serious consideration that they give to the expenditure of the tax- payers money.

The Department of Labour was first organized by the Matheson Government in 1955. Since that time it has been headed by the Honourables Alan Stewart, the first minister, Forest Phillips, Alex Maclsaac, Henry Wedge and Hubert McNeil]. Although it was combined with the Department of Welfare, it made considerable pro- gress under the Honourable Alan Stewart, Honourable Forest Phillips, and the Hon- ourable Alex MacIsaac; but during the Conservative regime it was permitted to wither away and rigor mortis had almost set in by the time the new Government took over. It was the forgotten and silent department of government.

Walter R. Shaw: Committed suicide.

Honourable J. Elmer Blanchard: I should have. My inheritance on assuming the portfolio of Labour, as a separate Department, was a monumental mess of nothingness and confusion. There was no policy, and less direction. Industrial con- flict was allowed to erupt, breeding frustration, resentment and completely under- mining labour management relations. Conciliation services were not attended to

romptly, and Labour Relations Board hearings were allowed to procrastinate and

down. In the end, both labour and management lost complete faith and con- fidence in the Department. The records of the department were ractically non- existant. Some records were handed to us stuffed into an old card ard shoe box where they had been kept in a very dusty and neglected condition.

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