Thursday, April 20, 1967

an additional appropriation. Now I expected when he was on his feet the other night that he would announce this long expected and long awaited program, five-year road

paving program. We don’t know anything about it. This was supposed to be an- nounced well in advance and I would like to get a clue as to what it is and what it means. I believe that a great deal of the expenditure in the Department of Highways was on account of last fall; when I went along the highways I saw dozens, and dozens, and dozens of men cutting bushes, little tiny bushes. Two or three crews-— the crew that was going ahead had a hard time finding enough bushes to get under- neath out of the cold and the elements because the fellows behind were coming along and cutting them down. It kept the front crew moving ahead that's the only thing that I could see that was taking place. Hundreds and thousands of dollars that could have been put to good use was wastfully destroyed in that manner. Now some people have said that over there at this new Administrative Building there is a monstrosity and they call it “Birds in Flight". I saw it the other day and I think it is a wonderful asset. It’s a wonderful thing, and I think as the people of this province get to know what it is, what it is for, see it working that it will be one of the major attractions of this town.

Walter R. Shaw: Here, here.

Keith S. Harrington: It’s a wonderful thing, and I think anybody who appre- ciates fine art and. . . .

Some Member: There is no fine art in it.

Keith S. Harrington: Now since the Minister of Highways is not here I am not going to deal any further with the highway problems. I have some figures here to back up a statement he made here the other night which I certainly took exception to, and since then I got a schedule prepared by the Department of Highways and it goes to prove that the figures that I quoted were most accurate. I am not saying that the other Minister was telling anything that wasn’t right, but he wasn’t giving all the facts because all the facts didn't suit.

Now the Minister of Health is not in his seat either, they are all gone, and what I have to say to the Minister of Health is this. I will say it to the Government and to the members of the House that they are not taking over the supply of insulin drug and these different types of drugs for the people who suffer from diabetes. Now I have received a good many complaints since this program was announced at least. A lot of people came to me complaining that this was not satisfactory. In fact when I was in the Department of Health the other day a woman came in over forty miles away for the sole purpose of getting her supply of insulin.

Walter R. Shaw: Surely not!

Keith S. Harrington: Now the Government says that they are instrumenting this program to save dollars. Whose dollars does it save? This person had to drive forty to fifty miles in order to save the Government a few cents, and I lmow the Provincial Treasurer is very much concerned about saving dollars. (Laughter) He is a good fellow to figure but I am not too sure whether he figures that a good business deal or not. The worst part of it is that these people who must suffer this inconvenience are people who can ill afford it. They are the sick and the infirm, the diabetics, and now they are required to come away down here to Charlottetown in order to get their supply. Well they are coming and it is not as convenient as going to the drugstore. And I wonder if the members of this Government who are defend- ing it, consulted with the Minister of Welfare, because he stood up here four years ago and he didn’t condone a policy such as this. He condemned it outright and I am going to quote his words. Where’s that book?

Walter R. Shaw: Read it out loud so they can hear it.

Keith S. Harrington: “Now two years ago the Department of Veteran’s Af- fairs, under a former administration, under the Diefenbaker government thought that they would save some money too, they were always conscious of saving money, and it is a good thing I am not against that. But they were going to require the people, veterans to come to Charlottetown to ick up the drug that was prescribed from the Doctor,” and then the private mem r, M. L. Bonnell, now Minister of Welfare

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