Legislative Assembly February 28, 1968 Walter R. Shaw , Leader of Opposition (First Queens): Mr. Speaker , I am very pleased to be here again to continue my refresher course and I would like to say that I possibly could have completed that last night if it wasn't for the terribly poor air that was in this Chamber and I trust that after this those windows may be opened before we come in to the session. I was fighting off an attack of 'flu yester¬ day and really was under very great difficulty to continue with the heavy air that was in this chamber. Now, I will say that since I stopped last night that I had a very pleasant morning indeed. I had a conference, along with some of the other members of the Opposition, with the Rural Development Council. That was the Council that I praised very highly yesterday as being a group of people represent¬ ing the rural parts of this Province, one in which I was very deeply interested. It is a Council that has been doing a tremendous job and there's a great power and a great influence in that particular group for good and proper development in this Province. I would like to say today that I've been further impressed with the work that the Rural Development Council is performing, and I can see a great future and a great help because this is an independent, non-political group whose plans are very broad indeed and very important insofar as the economic and social development of this Province is concerned. They gave a fine outline of the work they are doing, and they represent, at the present time, about three thousand citizens clustered around the schools representing a wide variety of projects. I am very much inter¬ ested and very much impressed with that program and I would say that not only the Government of this Province should take note of that program but every mem¬ ber of this House should contact this group frequently and give them every possible assistance in developing this wide variety of programs which reaches all the way from playing bridge up to looking after the interests of the farmers and the lab¬ orers in their particular localities. Now, we did discuss some of the difficulties that are being experienced in the Province of Prince Edward Island , particularly at the farm level and we did explore and I'm sure they will explore whatever policies may be deemed necessary in helping our unfortunate situation. We also discussed the Economic Corporation and we found that they had an interest in this corporation. Now I suggested yesterday, or last night, that because of the experience of these people, their experience with farm life and with rural communities and community life that there should have been some representatives of that organization selected to work on this comprehensive plan. Not one of the members belong: to the Province of Prince Edward Island and I am wondering whether they are familiar with the difficulties and the problems that effect the farm people to which our attention has been directed. They have been contacted, I believe, individually here and there but no information has been given to that fine group regarding this plan and what it means. We haven't any information; nobody has any information. We haven't any information. None here today in answer to those questions. I never saw such a complete attempt at evasion in giving information to this House as we have in this Legislature this afternoon. A auestion period is not very much good if that practice is going to be continued. Surely it is possible to give a "Yes" or "No" answer instead of suggesting, "well, it may be" or "I'll look into it," or something of that kind. We have some information in regard to the presentation, the finishing up of this plan, which has now taken fifteen or eighteen months to study up to the present time. Why this tremendous delay with a large staff working on it? People who are supposed to be at the very highest level of intelligence and qualifi¬ cation ? That should not be. Now, we are told today that they don't know when this plan is going to be submitted to this House yet it will not be submitted here, I see that. It will go on to Ottawa and they'll have another round. God knows how long it is going to take no th"re and then the plan is going to be dumped on the people of Prince Edward Island and the elected representatives of the people, who will be called upon to make appropriations in this House in connection with that comprehensive plan, but are not going to know the first thing about it. Not one on the Government side, or on this side or the people out through the country, such as in the Rural Development Council, who are so particularly interested in these plans for the alleviation of the difficult position in which agriculture is placed at this moment, will know the first thing about it. Now, this House is not going to secure that information. I think that's a deplorable thing. There was something in the draft address here, if I can find it. I believe this is it. A statutory recognition of equal and inalienable human rights will simply become a mockery if liberty and —34—