Legislative‘Assembly

this is not the case. I think he is forgetting, Mr. Speaker, that only some two years ag‘o that there were commitments made to the people of this Province by the party to which he belongs which commitments have not, in any respect, been fully and effectually accepted by the Government of the day. He says. with respect to com- prehenswe development program costs. these will be scheduled, and I cannot under- stand what this means, exactly, these “will be scheduled in such a way as to be compatible with the financial policies contained in this Budget.” Such a program is only possible from this “departure point.” Now, I find it hard to figure out what the “departure point” is or what “scheduling” of revenues or policies he is speaking about. There is no provision in the Budget to take care of this over-all comprehen- Sive program which is supposed to begin within the next twelve months. He inti- mates in the Budget that things were not in the best condition when he took over. He said there had been an increase in the public debt and I would be the first to admit that this was the case, Mr. Speaker, but I think he forgot one important thing. In the same period of time to which he referred, that the revenues of the Province increased 300%, the revenues increased 300% and the debt only increased...

Hon. Alex. B. Campbell: Fifty percent. L. George Dewar: No, Sir. (Laughter)

Hon. Alex. B. Campbell: Twice as much as all previous Governments since Con- federation.

L. George Dewar: The revenues increased three times and the debt didn’t even double in that period of time.

Hon. Alex. B. Campbell: Good for Lester Pearson. L. George Dewar: Now, that isn’t the situation.

Who would rather, with a ten million dollar revenue, have to look after a 5530000000 debt? Would it not be preferable to have to look after a $50,000,000 debt with over $40,000.000 of income? That was the situation when the Provincial Treasurer took over. That was the situation when the former Government took over in 1959 where the debt was three times what the revenue, the annual revenue of the Province, was. That was a serious situation and all the services at a minimum, all the salaries of the people employed by this Government at a very bare minimum, the teachers complete salary schedule only called for the expenditure of a million dollars. When the Provincial Treasurer took over, the present Provincial Treasurer. the teachers were receiving four times that much money in a short space of five or six years. But we’re slipping back, Mr. Speaker. We’re slippingr back into those poorer days of the 1950s when there were no roads being paved in this Province. when for 25 years I could state that there wasn’t a mile of road paved in the district which I represent. We’re slipping back into the days when the teachers and the civil servants are not receiving:r an annual increase in their salary scale. We’re slippingr back into a period of risingr taxes and limited services, or lessened services. We find that industry in the Province is in a depressed state and industries are being closed down. We find that agriculture is havingr a great many difficulties. Farmers are receiving less for their products and their costs of production are going up. Contrast that with the situation during: the term of office of the former Gov» ernment when, and you talk about the increase in debt, what have we got to show for it? We had expenditures on schools of ten or fifteen, probably fifteen million dollars, we had more miles of road paved in that period of time than were paved in the history of the Province before by all governments. Probably, roads to the value of $30,000,000 were paved. Schools were built, a new Provincial Building which cost $5,000,000 was put up. What would you do without that today? It would be a scene of chaos as far as the present Government is concerned if they had to run hither and thither and you all over the city lookingr for accommodations for the number of people, that are employed in the Government today and so we have, for the increase in debt. assets. schools. Who would want to do away with the schools that were built? The Minister of Education is telling: us he’s going to build more. $13,000,000 - $15.000,000 worth of schools. What would you do without the roads? Do you hear anybody sayingr that they would like to have these rolled up and dis~ posed of? We have to have roads in this Province and this season of the year is the very time when paved roads are most appreciated. And so, in spite of the fact

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