Tuesday, March 5, 1968 Hon . Gordon L. Bennett : You're not aware of it up to the present time? Robert A. Grindley : Just to Grade 8. (Laughter) Hon . Gordon L. Bennett : This is most astounding, Mr. Speaker. Hon. J. Elmer Blanchard : Terrible, terrible. Robert A. Grindlay : I was expecting to hear an elaboration of the master plan on eduction. This will perhaps be unveiled when the economic improvement plan, which embodies certain facets of education, is displayed for the world to see. The ques¬ tion of school consolidation was only touched on briefly by the Minister . I think he's aware of the fact there is a pressing need for consolidation of elementary schools in the area between Harmony and Portage . We've discussed it privately but it looks as though will be last again and I think there was a hope in the minds of the people of the Province that when a Premier was appointed from , would get a break. Then we realized the preponderance of strength in the Cabinet from Kings County such that Kings County gets consolida¬ tion. Now these are facts; this is not politics. These are facts. To Kings County goes consolidation, help to industry, Operation Newstart, a $1,000,000 golf course. I'm speaking the truth, am I not? Hon . J. Elmer Blanchard , You're slipping a little. Hon . Gordon L. Bennett : Slightly twisted. Robert A. Grindlay : Slightly twisted? Hon . T. Earle Hickey : A few odd errors. Robert A. Grindlay : And a at East Point . This is mentioned in the Acres Report. Hon . Daniel J. MacDonald : That was promised by the previous administration. Unknown Voice: Oh, no. Robert A. Grindlay . Mr. Speaker , I'm making the speech, so a summary on that par¬ ticular point, and I hope Premier will take time to digest this little item; let us have a little more in the way of breaks for . In the Throne Speech, Paragraph twenty, reference is made to harmonious labor-management relations, and, "to further promote these relations you will be asked to establish a Standing Committee of the Legislature on Labor and Management Relations." Of course, the Minister is aware that two days notice is required for the setting up of a special committee as indicated here. The notice has not yet appeared on the Order Paper and I wonder what a Standing Committee of the Legislatire, which is operative only during the Legislative Session, when the House is in session, can do in the way of labor-management relations? The Committee can be expected to do whatever is laid out for it in terms of reference, but its time is limited and I assume the Minister realizes that. Paragraph thirty-seven deals with welfare, "the Provisions of the Canada Assistance have been applied to all recipients of, and applicants for social assistance. Increased benefits have been received by widows, the blind and disabled who have qualified." Well, we're supposed to look after the unfortunate people of this Province by way of welfare but I wonder how many working mothers there are in Prince Edward Island ? There are 100,000 of them in Ontario . A working mother has to leave her children at home, provide some sort of day care so that she can earn a living. If she earns too much under the Canada Assistance , the assistance goes down in proportion. There's something wrong in that setup and I think that the human factor is not written into the regulations governing the Canada Assistance . I think the Minister of Welfare should take another look at it. Housing, of course, was a matter which was mentioned by the Seconder of the Motion and he made reference to assistance for rural areas to meet housing needs. I think the Government should endeavour to look into this aspect of economic and social con¬ ditions because interest rates, long-term interest rates, on housing lots are in the neighborhood of 14- 18%. Who can afford that? It's reasonable that I should make some comments in the interests of the District I represent. I would like to see the Minister of Industry give some consideration to the development of the hundreds of thousands of tons of peat moss in the Black Banks area and in the Ellerslie area. —127—