' Tuesday, April 25, 1967

on to make a few dollars, and sometimes more than a few dollars. A month ago, I want to give an example of that.

A month ago I asked the Minister of Fisheries a question which he answered only four days ago. The answer carefully camouﬂaged the story behind the question. The question was, "Why did the Government change sup- ‘ pliers of diesel fuel for the Georgetown trawlers?” And the supplementary ques- tion had to do with prices paid, etc. Now I will tell you the whole story. Shell Oil Company had a contract to supply diesel fuel to the fishing trawlers in George- town; they installed tanks in Georgetown, and the contract stipulated that Gulf Garden Foods would pay them l4.9¢ a gallon for the diesel fuel. This had worked well up until the time of the change of Government, not until the change of Gov- ernment but until the time the plant closed. On January lat. or thereabouts, when The Fishermen's Loan Board decided to send the ships to sea to fish in Nova Scotia, it was necessary to fuel the draggers. All they had to do to fuel the draggers was turn on the tap in the fuel tanks already installed by Shell Oil Company and let the fuel flow into the trawlers, and pay the Shell Company 14.9¢ a gallon. But no, can’t do that; there is a big “Grit” in CharlottetOWn who has to get some money out of this. So Mr. Barbour, B.A. Oil Company, either contacted the Govern- ment or was contacted by the Government, I don’t know which, but in any case he fuelled the ships in Georgetown, and he charged the Government 20.4¢ a gallon.

Several Members: Oh, oh, oh, oh!

J. Cyril Sinnott: Instead of 14.9c. He was paid in full because we have the invoice. I haven’t been able to find out how much money is involved; I don’t know how many gallons went aboard the draggers in Georgetown. But what I know about fuel and what I know about tanks on these ships, I don’t know very much about ships, but from what I can find out I estimate that he probably got about 83,000 more than he would have ordinarily got if he had sold it at the regular price. Now it seems that there must be a big “Grit” getting a rake-off for some- thing which he never saw, while the little “Grits” are sent to cut bushes on the road to keep them quiet.

(Laughter and Applause)

J. Cyril Sinnott: $3,000 of the taxpayers money . . . . Some Member: Terrible!

J. Cyril Sinnott: Certainly it is terrible:

Now these activities show, I think . . .

Honourable Alexander B. Campbell: Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the honourable member would allow a question?

J. Cyril Sinnott: Sure.

Honourable Alexander B. Campbell: Why were not the snowplows that your Party and Government bought last summer not advertised publicly? During the election . . . .

J. Cyril Sinnott: If we had the former Minister of Highways, here he could answer that question.

Honourable Alexander B. Campbell: What were you doing buying snow- plows during June?

J. Cyril Sinnott: I wasn't in the Government, I don’t know anything about that. Perhaps Mr. MacPhail can answer it. These activities that I have just referred to, political patronage and rake-off, show, I think, the mentality, the viciousness and the character of the people who are entrusted with the affairs of this pro- vince. Is it any wonder that the people are disgusted with their politicians. I think that the little clerk who told David MacDonald in Toronto that he should be ashamed of himself for being an M.P. must have been thinking of somethim like that. You have heard the story; it appeared on television not long ago. This busi-

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