Legislative Assembly

after lunch to start the longest drive of our tour, a one hundred and forty-five mile drive down to Shediac. This was a very pleasant drive along the eastern coast of the Province. We enjoyed a wonderful lobster dinner at Shediac, then left for Fundy National Park. Thursday morning the tour rested and immediately after lunch pro- ceeded to Saint John where we visited the harbour facilities of that well known port city. We stayed at Saint John over night and early Friday morning returned to Fred- ericton having enjoyed a splendid tour aboard three of the finest busses obtainable, staffed by drivers. hostesses staff personnel whose chief desire seemed to be to make the tour as enjoyable as possible for those in attendance. Arriving back in Frederic- ton we immediately proceeded to their beautiful and historic provincial building where the business of the association was carried out during the next two days, finishing up, as I said before, with a wonderful dinner at the Beaverbrook Hotel. Now, Mr. Speaker, I have taken quite a bit of time to talk on the tour portion of our meetings. There were three other representatives of this Legislature in attendanc who will no doubt be reporting their impressions of these meetings so I will leave the business part of the conference untouched as I know some of these people have much more experience in legislative affairs than I have and they are, therefore, in a position to give a better report than 1. Thank you.

\Valter R. Shaw. Leader of the Opposition (First Queens): Mr. Speaker, I felt after listening to my honourable friend from Fourth District that he had more excitement over in Caraket than I had over in Jerusalem and down in East Africa. A very inter- esting outline, indeed. I would like, Mr. Speaker, to extend to you my very personal warm welcome back to your responsibilities and duties in this Assembly. The year, I have observed, has not burdened you at all. Time does not seem to weary you or the years condemn. You come back to this Assembly as bright, as genial as ever in appearance, and with that friendly dignity which we do, Mr. Speaker, admire very much. Yours is a very difficult and onerous responsibility and I’m sure we all recog— nize that fact who have gone through one Session under your direction. However, I believe that your very fine admonition at the opening of this meeting on matters associated with our conduct, that every member of this House will endeavour to sup- port you in the distribution and application of the laws governing this chamber and the dignity and courtesies which I hope all will observe during this session. In the heat of debate, of course, we are liable to say many things that perhaps .would be just as well unsaid, but I know that your good common sense plays a very important part in keeping the application of our laws fair to all members of this House. I would also like to extend a welcome to the Honourable Minister from First Prince. I understood that he was somewhat indisposed lately and we are glad indeed to see that he is able to attend this session and I welcome him. And I’m also pleased to. see the members on the Government side. They look to be in good physical condition although I do feel that their appearance is a bit strained and I don’t wonder. at that when I consider the situation throughout the country under this administration. I would like to say to each member of the Government that we may be very direct in our criticisms. we may be almost ruthless sometimes in our criticisms but that is a practice of government. and it is our responsibility to pick out weaknesses where they are, to criticize even though some members or ministers against whom the cm- ticisms are made may feel somewhat offended. That however doesn’t. enter upon personal relationships between any members in this house. The critic'ism may be the instruments of sound judgement but it does not reflect upon personal character and we must see that that is avoided in the legislature and indeed should not be tolerated. I’m going to say some things here that are gomg to be very direct but they will not be unfair and I hope they will not be distasteful. I was somewhat inter- ested in the statement of the speakers on the Draft Address. I would like to con- gratulate the mover and seconder of the resolution. I think_ they both did a very wonderful job and I sincerely commend them. It was a good Job on a very bad (fiase. If they had been in the legal profession I am sure, Mr. Speakerhthey would av: gone far as pleaders among those who condemn wrong and iniquity. I knew “t a to call the draft address last year. It was the omnibus address. It had eightY'iVYO paragraphs. It was bigger than any two addresses that had ever been delivigreo 151 this House and there was less in it than the poorest one that was ever de iveied, so it was rather remarkable. Then they went out after .they had deliverfid that she; dress of eighty—two paragraphs and they put almost eightY-tYVO hm?) t “it“? nfor- House. I suppose they wanted to keep the bills more or less in num ei o co

mity with the paragraphs in the address. _14__