legislative A Assembly

men, capable as they are, face the criticism of the Opposition in this regard? I was going to refer to a few studies the former Government instituted in this Province and I can tell you without fear of contradiction that the Liberal 0p- position of the day certainly didn’t raise any objection when the firm of Payne Rose Ltd., in 1960, was commissioned to study the civil service. They brought in a good report and that report, from what I can gather, was implemented. I don't think that any protest went out when the architects of the new Provincial Building, who were from Montreal or somewhere, were asked to come in and design a build- ing for us, a five million dollar building. I suppose their fee was a quarter of a mil- lion dollars, if they charged the usual architectural fee. Did you hear criticism then from the Opposition that you had hired foreigners to come in to design a building and here we are trying to design the future of our Province, Mr. Speaker, and having to live with the castigations of the Opposition for a few people who have come in, experts in their field, to help us out. Were there criticisms, Mr. Speaker, when the former Government of this Province engaged Unicon Consultants to come in and recommend development programs at a cost of twenty-three thousand dollars? Of course there weren’t. Were there criticisms of the former Government when they engaged Stevenson & Kellog Ltd. to investigate our peat moss for eleven thousand dollars? Of course there weren’t, Mr. Speaker. And what of the Arthur D. Little Co who investigated Prince County for ten thousand dollars? Were there criticisms then? And what about the Habberstad Co., the consultants who came also to investigate Prince County and what of the Coombs people who came in as consultants to investigate Prince County? Were there then criticisms?

Walter R. Shaw: They gave a report, didn't they?

Hon. Alex. B. Campbell: And this is important too. This is important too, Mr. Speaker. They gave their report. All of these people gave a report and what has happened to these reports recommending development programs? Absolutely nothing; money down the drain because the Government somehow put these thous- ands of dollars worth of reports, some of which were good, some of which were no good, some of which offered something of value, and allocated them to the shelf. They’ve been collecting dust ever since.

Walter R. Shaw: We got a report.

Hon. Alex. B. Campbell: Now, Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition has suggested the salaries of these men are too high. Let me assure the Leader of the Opposition that these salaries, whatever they are, are being paid as part of the implementation costs of the program by the Federal Government and as far as I can determine, Mr. Speaker, we're getting double our moneys worth. The

charges of the Opposition . . . . Walter R. Shaw: How do you know?

Hon. Alex. B. Campbell: The Charges of the Opposition that outsiders are being hired at high salaries are ridiculously fantastic, Mr. Speaker, in the light of their own performance having engaged about three years ago about fifteen eon- sultants of Acres Research Ltd. at a contract price of about three hundred thous- and dollars. That works out to twenty thousand dollars a man, Mr. Speaker. Their twelve reports are on this table. They’re now before the House for consideration and the Leader of the Opposition has just told us that he doesn’t think they’re

worth a damn.

Walter R. Shaw: Mr. Speaker, I never used such a word in this Legislature. I did not. I didn’t. I quoted from a report by another man who said those re- ports weren’t worth a damn. Now I think you should be damn careful what your

saying.

Hon. Alex. B. Campbell: I will — I, perhaps, got carried away in the debate,

Mr. Speaker; the Leader of the Opposition didn’t say they weren’t worth a damn. That’s not a proper word for debate here but what he did say, Mr. Speaker, about the Acres Report, “I haven’t seen too much in that report which holds promise

for agriculture!" That’s what he said.

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