Friday, March 8, 1968

sure that everyone Very highly respects you. I was sort of im ressed a

looked forward to what the Premier of the Province said whelii he wagdétoihcéotgsg: eral-Provincial Conference in regard to having this legislature become a bilingual legislature. I do not know of anyone who could fill the role as Slpeaker so admirably than you could yourself, for this particular reason. I noticed that when I came here there was a resolution on the order paper. For some mysterious reason it has dis- appeared. I do hope that the Premier intends to go ahead with what he had stated he would and that this Province will be known as one of the bilingual assemblies in Canada. I presume, if it is to become a bilingual, that we will be provided with interpreters and that all the documents that are the property of the Assembly and of the Members will be printed in both languages so that those who wish may have the language of their choice. Now, speaking about bilingualism, I more or less agree with the former Minister of Education when he said that the teaching of the French language should begin in Grade 1. We are more or less making a mockery of the French language in the manner in which it is taught in the schools, in the high schools, and even later on in universities because so many of the people. .. .

L. George Dewar: I think it’s optional now too.

Keith S. Harrington: Yes, it has become optional instead of one of the compulsory things when we are stressing the importance of bilingualism in Canada. I believe unless some positive action is taken to have French taught in the lower grades that we will never be able to achieve our objective. Now, this is the ninth Session in which I’ve participated in the Speech from the Throne and it is the second session at which I am a Member of the Opposition. Many people, both in this Assembly and outside it, sort of frown on the action sometimes that the Opposition takes in regard to certain matters which are of public concern. In fact a very highly edu- cated man in the Government benches mentioned to me at one time that a lot of time is wasted during the session of this Assembly in criticism and so forth and so I passed him a document written by a very notable man. He outlined the duties of the Opposition, of course, is never to go along and to agree entirely with any Government policy. They must, of course, very closely scrutinize the advisability of it but at the same time in order to be a Member of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, it is the duty of the Opposition Members to point out the weaknesses, the discrep— ancies and the inactions of the Government. Now. as I look over this Speech from the Throne that we have this year, I find very little in the way of anything con- structive. I think it intends to leave all to the Economic Improvement Corporation and just let’s have a look at the Speech from the Throne during this year of which one thing can be said. It is of moderate length but I doubt if anything else could be said that would he of anything that would give praise because it is a speech of nothing. I think we can close it up and forget about it. There’s always been a say- ing, by the members of the Government when they were in the Opposition, that they were going to ‘Smne day find ourselves on Prince Edward Island having a commission Government. Now, there‘s no evidence of any Government policy for the coming year in this Speech and apparently it’s going to leave it all up to Economic Improve- ment and not to the elected representatives. It is up to the Legislature. elected Members, to vote money for the carrying on of Government and no policies are in here and I understand that much of the development that is to be taking place is going to come through the Economic Improvement Corp. over which this Assem- bly has nothing to say. I believe that we have come to the stage now Where we are throwing democracy out of the window. (Applause) We are now com1ng to the pomt and the prophesy that the Honorable Members across the.way had said a few years ago, we’re coming now to a commission Government and if there’s anything that we would be looking forward to in the Speech from the Throne. it would be some policy that would develop our basic industries in this Province. We recognize that 'we live in a place or an area of what we call economic disparity and if we are to improve our lot financially and socially we must now begin to improve and develop our basic industries. I will skip all through the first part of this Speech and have a look at Section 33 and put my glasses on to see what’s in there too. Now it says there, “My Government expects that the agricultural industry will receive substan- tial assistance from the Fund for Rural Economic Development and that new f1n— ancial arrangements with the Government of Canada will enable the Department of Agriculture to expand and improve its program.” That 1s the only ray of hope there isrfor this Province. One which we know nothing about as yet but it goes on fur-

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