legislative Assembly

Now, Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to move the following amendment to the Address 0n the Speech from the Throne.

“We regret that your Honour’s advisors have failed, by reason of inertia, and lack of leadership in the face of serious provincial problems, and are not en- titled to the confidence of this House and have lost the confidence of the people of Prince Edward Island.” Seconded by Mr. Henry Wedge.

(Applause)

Hon. Cecil A. Miller (Third Queens) —- Minister of Industry and Natural Resources, and Fisheries

I do congratulate you, Mr. Speaker, upon being called to preside over the delib- erations of this House. Your position, Sir, is not an easy one. You have to be fair to all, show no artiality, make wise decisions, and maintain order and decorum within this House. e who have known you over the years have the utmost confidence in your ability to fulfill in an acceptable manner these onerous duties of office.

Arising to take part in the Throne Speech as a new member, never before hav- ing sat in this House of Assembly, and as a back bencher I am most conscious of my inability to measure up to that which may be expected of me. I freely admit to my lack of knowledge concerning the rules of this House. therefore it shall be my aim to act in the capacity of a student beginner, and try to be as humble as it is possible

tobe.

If for any reason you do call me to order I will know that I have transgressed the rules, and I shall respond to your decision without any “ands”, “buts”, or “ifs".

One of the first things I would like to do would be to add my support to the many expressions of sympathy which have gone to the families of our brave fishermen

who lost their lives on February 24th. last onthe “Iceland II”.

Even under the best of conditions fishing is a hard life; and few of us realize the trials and dangers that attend the work of these men who go out to harvest the wealth of the deep. While it is true that disasters of this nature which have happened this year not only to our own families but to many other families in the Maritimes as well, while it is true that these happenings do shock us into this realizatio I hope that we might at all times be mindful of the great dangers that these men en ure and that their families share, and that we will be mindful always of the great contribution that these men make to our community.

These homes are sad today. A great gap exists therein. There is very little which you or I could say that will in any way compensate for the tragic loss that has befallen each of these homes. I do hope it may be of some small encouragement to these families to feel that we have some understanding of their tragedy, and that we do at least in some small way share the sadness that burdens them so heavily.

I also wish to offer congratulations to the Mover and the Seconder of the Ad- dress from the Throne. Both members did credit, credit to themselves, and to the party to which they belong. I offer my congratulations to our leader, Premier Alex- ander B. Campbell, P.C., Q.C., M.L.A.

_ This able young man with the tenderness of a mother hovering over a child, with a wonderful sense of humour, with a memory which never fails, with a full de- mand for teamwork, With an eagerness to do right at all times, with honesty and in- tegrity, and possessing the ability to walk with the great or mingle with the humble, this man has rejuvenated our Party, and in so doing led us to victory — victory over one of the most unscrupulous political machines we have ever known, really the equal of the Tammany Party of Boss Tweed from New York during the early part of the century. Firings, shady deals blusterings, drum-thumping, publicity, and the Family Compact growmg fat at the political trough.

_ When our Premier was elected, people referred to him as the son of our Chief Justice Campbell. The father out-shone the son, yet in nine short months we find him

—354—