Monday, April 24, 1967

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: 1963? By what Act? Henry W. Wedge: Ottawa offered to share the cost.

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: Offered to share, providing you called it the Home for the Aged.

Henry W. Wedge: Sure.

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: But you never proclaimed that Act either. You passed it but you never proclaimed the Act. It is still the Provincial Infirmary if that Act has not been proclaimed.

Walter R. Shaw: We are sharing though.

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: And no Minister was ever designated to look after that institution. Under that Act it states, “That the Ministers responsible for the administration of this institution will be designated by the Lieutenant-Governor- in-Council,” and never a Minister was designated.

Henry W. Wedge: (Remark inaudible).

Honourable M. borne Bonnell: Also never a Minister was designated to look after Tourist Development in this province. There has never been a Minister of Tourist Development until I became Minister because no one was ever designated under the Act to make loans, to carry out the administration of that Department. Never desig- natfid. Yet they passed out thousands of dollars of the people’s money without the ant ority.

Honourable Robert E. Campbell: Don’t feel bad, you'll learn.

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: Under the Canada Assistance Act it is my in- tention to do many things for the betterment of the welfare of the citizens of our province. (Applause) First, we will give up to $125, and more if needed, to our Senior Citizens in need if they can show that they actually need extra assistance. We will immediately raise the allowance to all Mothers’ Allowances and their children so that most of our mothers with orphans in this province will get approximately $40.00 a month increase in their pension. (Applause)

L. George Dewar: That’s helping the widows.

Honourable M. borne Bonnell: I pro se to enlighten those poor people who applied for disabled pensions, went to their amily Doctor, sent their application in to our Board and were turned down because they were not totally disabled. (Applause)

(Hear, Hear). I propose to still have them go to their Doctor, but the fact that they are turned down by that Board does not mean that they will not get assistance from my Department. (Hear, Hear) (Applause)

Walter R. Shaw: Might I ask the Minister how he is going to adjust that as- sistance from the Department if the Board turns it down?

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: If the Board turns it down, Mr. Leader of the Opposition, that’s fine; they will not get the disabled pension. But they will get a pen- sion comparable with it on the basis of need. (Applause) (Hear, Hear)

Walter R. Shaw: It is all right now, it is perfectly all right with me, but I am curious to know how you are going to adjust it?

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: I am going to adjust it this way, Mr. Leader of the Opposition.

Walter R. Shaw: You are going to be the fellow that, when the Board turns these things down, you are going to come out and say, “Well, I am going to do it.” Now how are you going to do it?

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: I am going to do it this way, and I am glad you

are asking these questions because this is one way the Members of the Assembly can get the information which they want.

Walter R. Shaw: That’s right and we haven’t been getting it. —295—