Legislative Assembly

more important things to do during its first month in office than to track down some 600 Islanders and have them fired from their jobs. But that isn’t all. The “Ministry of Patronage" in this Government is the first one formed. and the Minister of Patronage does not even sit in the House. In July 1966, after the Souris election and before the Government changed, Mr. Addie MacDonald appear- ed in several civil servants offices, according to the Eastern Graphic, and. according to that paper, his method of approach was to phone his supplier from the office introduce himself, pat himself on the back for introducing himself, and then hand the phone over to the civil servant for the placing of orders. It is difficult to imagine such petty politicing, but the Ministry of Patronage was not content, the Ministry of Patronage itself was not content merely to change government jobs and to direct some government purchasing. Its tentacles also reached out to private industry and I will give you three examples; I could; quote some more, but three should do because time is getting short. I have the permission of these people to quote their names as well. Mr. Warren Kemp of Sturgeon had worked for several years as an equipment operator for The Island Construction Company. He received a letter on August 24, 1966, from the Island Construction Company -— I wasn’t aware that The Island Construction Company was run by the Govern- ment. — signed by The Island Construction Company, per R. Perry, and is as follows:

“Dear Sir:

Due to political pressure we have been asked to terminate your employment in our firm. You will be released, Saturday, August 27th, at the end of your regular working day.

Trusting that no further explanation is necessary, we remain,

Yours very truly, THE ISLAND CONSTRUCTION COMPANY Per. R. Perry.”

His brother, who also worked for the Island Construction Company, received a letter with the exact same words on the same day, and it is to be presumed that there were others. The third one which I wish to mention, and this is the last one I will mention although I have a whole list if you want some more of them. John Daley, Montague, worked 6% years for Matheson & MacMillan as a heavy equipment operator. These men are highly trained and they are difficult to find and the com- panies usually don’t like to lose them. The Company did not want to lose him and tried to transfer him to another job in order to keep him but it didn’t work. The Government agents found :him again and he lost his job. But let’s let him tell the story in his own words.

“I was employed with Matheson & MacMillan for six and one-half years as a heavy equipment operator and bulldozer operator. On August 9th, 1966, there was a man sent from the District of the Minister of Highways to take over my job, so I was informed by my superiors. Some two hours later my superior told me that due to political pressure by local Members, and since they were dependent on government contracts by the provincial government, that I would have to go. He stated that he did not want to lose me, and that I was a highly trained operator, and that he would send me to the Borden Causeway where Matheson dz MacMillan had a contract with the federal Department of Public Works. I started to work there on August 10th, driving more heavy equipment and a bulldozer and I was success- ful in staying there until August 18th. On this date I was called by my superior and informed that at the normal quitting time I would be through. He was sorry, but due to very severe political pressure by the Minister of Highways and Minister of Health he would have to let me go."

Some Member: Gestapo.

J. Cyril Sinnott: It seems that George Orwell’s Big Brother of 1984 is

already here, and he is even more autocratic than Mr. Orwell suspected. When a Liberal Government is in power there are always opportunities for political hangers-

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