Legislative Assembly

Province is concerned, as I mentioned here yesterday, there did not seem to be any concern about this during the election campaign. There wasn’t very much said about the unfortunate position that they now portray existed at that time, especially when they were giving out promises that were going to revolutionize the whole picture as far as this Province was concerned. I notice that the Treasurer stated that on essential services within our means would be conducted. He was going to have bu - getary control; he was going to tighten his belt; and then right after that he took the belt off and fired it into the woods somewhere. He went in with a free waistline. It was a most amazing statement from the Treasurer; we must curtail, he said; no non-essentials. Then he announces, along with ten millions extra revenue, a two and a half million dollar deficit for next year. What an extraordinary thing that was; that was curtailing indeed. . . .

Honourable Robert E. Campbell: Terrible; terrible.

Walter R. Shaw: That must have been the tightening of the belt, that must have been the cutting out of non-essentials that a Government this year with ten million dollars more revenue than they had last year still budgets for a two and a half million dollar deficit with this extra money. Isn't that a wonderful thing? That’s budgeting, alright, within the confines of the amount of money that you have avail- able. I can tell my Honourable friend, who just interrupted there a minute ago, that as far as that deficit is concerned, it’s not going to be two and a half million. I will raise the ante; it’s going to be over five million next year, and you can't have it any other way according to your spending now. Now that lack-lustre statement that came from Ottawa is being exploded to a very great extent. When the Premier and his assistant came home with heads high, filled with glee, apparently, I don’t think it was in the inner recesses of their minds, and announced that they got special grants

from Ottawa. Why those fellows just sold us, as I said the other day, they sold us down the river.

The only hope that we had, insofar as that is concerned. was that we would have a re-assessment of those things in two years time, and I hope that possibly

some of us may be in power at that time and we will see if we can adjust something at Ottawa.

Walter R. Shaw: Now, we wonder about these amounts. Do they know? They don’t know what they got from Ottawa. They are not sure. We asked the Minister of Education here yesterday on certain phases of his project and he told us one thing, and the Treasurer comes here last night and tells us another thing. Right in their own front line they don’t know. They don’t know yet what they got from Ottawa.

Honourable George J. Ferguson: You told us ten million. Walter R. Shaw: Now, I want to tell you, you think you know, do you? Honourable George J. Ferguson: You told us ten million a few minutes ago.

Walter R. Shaw: Well I am telling you again so you won't forget it. And listen, just to prove that they don’t know, here is a question on the floor of the House of Commons on May 8th, perhaps you have read this one. The question is this; “What was the total amount paid by the Federal Government to each of the Atlantic Provinces under the fiscal arrangements of the years ending March 31st 1960 to 1967?" And the answer was given in total. Then the next question; “What is the total amount committed for the year 1967-1968? Take note, Mr. Speaker, of this answer: The total amount committed for 1967-1968 cannot be estimated at this time.” And yet we have a Treasurer that brings in a Budget, and he estimates it.

Honourable George J. Ferguson: He is a smart man.

Walter R. Shaw: Where does he get his figures? He doesn't know, they are just pulled out of the blue, that’s all.

Honourable George J. Ferguson: He is a smart man.

Walter R. Shaw: That is what the reply is within the last two weeks on the floor of the House of Commons, and I am willing to accept that reply, and I am not

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