May 10, 1967

M. Alban Farmer: Mr. Speaker, I have already congratulated the Provincial Treasurer on his pesentation of the Budget, his first Budget. I congratulated him on his efforts and at the same time I had to express the feeling that it was probably not what he would like to be able to present to this House, but it was the best that ‘he could do, and no doubt it is not all his responsibility but that of the Government.

When I opened the Debate on the evening of the presentation of the Budget, I remarkel that it was a rather gloomy Budget. It was one of those Budgets where the Government helped themselves first before thy went into the problems of the eople and the economy of the province that the Budget should deal with. Now as has been said, it is known now the government has presented legislation whereby the sessional indemnity of the Members, all the Members, has been increased by one-third. This is a rather substantial increase, but it didn't stop there. When we look at the estimates for the Premier we find that his salary is also up in addition to the one-third increase which he gets as a member of the Legislature. His salary, according to the Estimates, is up another third, and the other members of the Legis- lature, of the Government, not including the member without portfolio, is up forty percent. These are rather substantial increases; in addition to that, there is the additional member of the Cabinet, who will get, besides his $4,000.00 sessional indem- nity, $2,600 salary as a member of the government.

This graft would not be so bad if there weren’t all these co—ordinators, plan- ners, and high-priced lawyers who are now added to the burden of the province to do the work which Ministers should be doing. They have found it necessary to put up their salaries, but at the same time they don't want to do the job. They have these planners, these expensive people, to do the work for them. On that basis I submit that this is the most extravagant government that this province has ever ad. First of all, extravagance in respect of its own charges, payment to themselves and then to the high-priced people that they have engaged to do work they should be omg. ,

Since the Budget was delivered here some weeks ago I was wondering when e were going to hear about it again. I was wondering, and I imagine many of the embers of the Legislature were wondering, if they had abandoned this child that ey resented to this House and if they were not going to deal with it any more. ut inally today we had to suggest that we had better get back to this Budget ause the Budget is supposed to be one of the most important features of demo- ratic government where the estimates and the finances — estimates for carrying n the government and the finances, and the economic development, and the economic rogress of the company is dealt with. Now this has been shelved, pushed back to is late date when we are sup sed to be adjourning Friday, Saturday or the first f the week, and this is left th two or three days to deal with a large sum of oney in a short time without sufficient consideration.

I find that overall picture presented by this Government is worse even than he gloomy prospects referred to by the Provincial Treasurer. This government failed to make good its promise to make satisfactory arrangements with Canada. That was one of their main themes last summer. 0h, ou put us in power and we will go up to Ottawa, and all will be well. I submit t at they have failed to get satisfactory acknowledgement of our claims in Ottawa. They failed because they haven't con- vinced the federal government that our claims depend on fiscal need. That is the basis on which our dealings on tax-sharing and other financial matters with Ottawa should be based. It is the fiscal need, the requirement that we need, that we must have to put our people in the same position with respect to services as in the other parts of Canada. I submit that this was not properly resented by the Government at the Federal-Provincial Tax-sharing Conference last all.

Also, we have a large increase in e enditures and education, and our people are entitled to these things. They are entit ed to all these things that the are get- ting with respect to education and welfare. Yet the Government has faied to get sufficient finances to increase our provincial product. That is, to provide more of our people with jobs, jobs which are productive jobs, and also the production of ser- vices which will increase the base of our provincial economy. Why didn’t the govern- ment in its fiscal talks with Ottawa have something to say about assistance for industrial development! On page three of the Budget the Provincial Treasurer says: “We cannot expect to become a rich province overnight, nor can we hope to provide

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