Legislative_Assembly

Lloyd G. MacPhail: On September 30, 1967, we read under a large picture. “that he took off his suit coat to get down to the business of gardening in earnest yes- terday afternoon when he planted some tulip bulbs.” Of course the paper is careful to note, “We have to wait until spring to see whether they grow or not.”

You know, after listening to the Premier in the House last week and to the Minister of Agriculture on TV recently, and hearing each of them express in almost the same words their contention that. while agricultural cash returns were un- doubtedly lower than usual on Prince Edward Island last year, the same situation existed all over Canada and elsewhere as well. In View of this I was somewhat surprised to read in the Atlantic Report of January 1968, put out by APEC, that for the first nine months of 1967 that total farm receipts from farming operations decl’ncd by 8‘; in Prince Edward Island while the Canadian total, the national total, which of course, includes Prince Edward Island were up by 7.7%.

The Minister of Highways, a splendid fellow over there. he is a remarkable fellow in fact. He said, according to the press on December 4th, and I quote, “The finances of this Province have been placed on a sound and stable basis as a result of a sound and prudent leadership which the Liberal party has provided Prince Edward Island by Premier Alex Campbell.” Honourable George Ferguson, Minister of Highways, told this to the Second Kings Liberal Association meeting at Morell on December 1, 1967. Last year.

Only about thirty days later this same minister is bemoaning the fact that his budget for snow removal is almost entirely gone for the whole year, and hardly any snow yet this winter except for a slight snow fall before Christmas. New isn’t this amazing in View of the fact that about one-quarter of the roads are done by the Department of Highways equipment, manned by full—time employees for the most part, and most of the balance, I believe all the balance is ploughed by contract where the prices are well established in advance. Isn’t this unusual —— most of the money gone and winter hardly begun — especially, since the finances are in such grand shape as he indicated just a month earlier.

The same Minister in a speech in this House last week told us that there are 860 people working for the Highways Department as sanders, snowfighters, etc., during the winter, while in summer as many as 2000 are on the payroll, including some part-time. I think those are his words. In answer to a question recently the Provincial Secretary told me that there are 1286 classified civil servants alone in this Province, of which 174 are with Highways. Now it is no wonder that the Pro- vincial Secretary didn’t have the answer to my other question, and that was how many employees are there in the Government service who are not members of the Civil Service? I am sure if highways is any criterion, and if they were all totalled...

Hon. George J. Ferguson: Mr. Speaker, would the speaker permit a question.

Lloyd G. MacPhail: Why sure.

Hon. George J. Ferguson: You quoted 860 people working for the Department. What I stated there was 860 involved in snow removal and sand; this includes the people who have worked for the contractors, as well as those who work for the government.

Lloyd G. MacPhail: Thank you very much. As I listened to you the other day and as I heard the report on television earlier, it didn’t indicate it exactly in that manner.

I am happy to hear your explanation now.

I think, in any case, if all the employees that are employed by this govern- ment as Civil Servants. as unclassified and as part-time, that total would be ab- solutely astronomical. It would rival or perhaps even surpass the increase in the Federal Government Departments.

An answer to a question in the House of Commons revealed, at the end of 1966, the number of employees on the Federal Government payroll totalled 363,700 — exclusive of the armed forces. And the increase in departmental staff was 6.4%. The monthly payroll, however, between the beginning of the year and the end shot up by no less than 24.2%. So I think there is need of some restraint both in Ottawa and in Charlottetown.

We have heard from the Premier and others, their expressions of opinion on —154—