Monday, April 24, 1967

Leo F. Rosaiter: II this in effect yet? Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: That is in effect, we can do that now.

Walter R. Shaw: Pardon me, I don’t want to interrupt the Minister, but I am looking for information. I am very anxious about this. In the light of the fact that the average returns to Prince Edward Island is around $1,200 a year, which is very much lower, we know, than the maintenance amount. How would you adJust or how would you decide on perhaps fifty or sixty percent of the farm people and the fishermen who are in need? I am anxious to know this because this is a serious problem and if you go into a matter of this kind, certainly you must be able to adjust that thing on the basis of whether people on the farm, whether the man is living or not, is able to earn the amount of money that will maintain that farmer and his family on a decent level of maintenance. I am just wondering how you would attack those problems?

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: Might I state it this way, Mr. Leader of the Opposition, that I consider that there are certain basic requirements needed by every citizen in order to live. First he needs food; secondly, he needs clothing; thirdly, he needs household and personal items; fourthly, he needs shelter; and fifthly, he needs fuel and utilities. And under those five different sections we will suppose a widow who has nothing except three small orphans depending on her, and for food we will 've that widow, for food, $30.00 a month for herself, and $15.00 a month for each c ild under twelve years of age.

L. George Dewar: Not enough.

Honourable M. borne Bonnell: That’s for food, Mr. Member from Second Prince. So that would be $45.00 a month plus $75.00 a month for food only and this would be for three children.

Walter R. Shaw: And that widow up in the First District that had ten children would get how much ?

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: Well she would get $150.00 a month for the ten children, plus $30.00 for herself.

Walter R. Shaw: That would be $180.00. Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: That is just for food, that is only the first time.

Walter R. Shaw: That would be in addition to the oats? Would you mention barley in there too?

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: Now we feel that these children are orphans and this mother needs clothes.

Frank Myers: That's right.

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: So for the mother we give $15.00 a month for clothes, and for each additional erson in the house we will give $10.00 a month for clothes. But then they need, besides clothes, household personal items such as tooth- paste, combs, etc.

Walter R. Shaw: Work that out on the basis of the woman and a man with five children so that we will get some decent estimate of what they will get. Take a man and a woman and five children how much would they get?

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: I would say, Mr. Leader of the Opposition, approximately. She would be getting $75.00 plus $20.00 would be $95.00. Today, and after we get the application form filled out, she will get approximately $155.00.

Walter R. Shaw: For the five children and herself?

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: That’s right $155.00 a month compared to $95.00, she is getting today.

L. George Dewar: Well that is not enough to cover the food she has to get. Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: Pardon ?

Walter R. Shaw: Is that just on the food or does that cover everything? —299——