Monday, April 2-1, 1967

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: I am referring to the Canada Assistance Act, Province of Prince Edward Island.

L. George Dewar: Aren’t you only claiming from the first of April this year

i for programs under Canada Assistance Act?

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: Under the Canada Assistance Act we can claim from April 1st of last year.

Walter R. Shaw: And you say the Act was passed in April 1966, and proclaimed in 1966?

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: No it was never proclaimed in this province by this Government . . .

Walter R. Shaw: I am referring to the federal proclamation.

Honourable M. Bonnell: Oh, it came into effect and was proclaimed and be- came active in April of last year.

Walter R. Shaw: Of 1966?

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: Right. Now besides receiving approximately 35% of this supplement we should have been receiving from Ottawa all the new staff that was hired in the Department of Welfare since 1964, plus all the increments and their wages should have been shared by Ottawa. Under the Canada Assistance they would have shared all the retroactive wage increases since 1964 and all new rsonnel since 1964, and no effort was ever made by the former Minister to make t ‘ claim from Ottawa. Also under this Act we should have been receiving approximately $30,000 a month for a lot of welfare cases that were in our institutions in Riverside Hospital. We should have been receiving half the cost of Sherwood Hospital.

Walter R. Shaw: How much?

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: Half the cost of Sherwood. Altogether we should have been, we should have saved this province approximately $200,000 but no claim was ever made by the former Minister.

Frank Myers: Mr. Deputy Speaker, in all due fairness to you, Sir, we have been working on this for three years and it is a long process. You understand that, Sir, and at last it has become a reality this year.

Honourable M. borne Bonnell: What have you been working on? You were working on what for three years?

8‘ N Frank Myers: The third floor up in a certain ward of Welfare. You know that, 1r. 0.

Hon. Mr. Lorne Bonnell: No. Frank Myers: Riverside, yes. Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: When did you start working on Sherwood?

Frank Myers: Pardon me, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I wish our Minister of Health were here to straighten him out.

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: All right, when did you start working on Sher- wood hospital?

Frank Myers: Three years ago. Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: Three years ago? Frank Myers: Yes.

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: Look, they didn’t know one thing about it out there until I went out one day and told them.

Frank Myers: Oh no . . . Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: When did they start working on the Sanitor- -—293—