It is proposed to take the business as on the Order Paper. With regard to Item No. 1— Financial Resolution—the Minister for Finance intends to leave over Resolutions Nos. 7, 8, 16, 17 and 26 until tomorrow. It is also proposed that if the discussion on the Financial Resolutions has not been concluded before 6 o'clock to adjourn the discussion for an hour, to take Estimates from 6 to 7 and to resume on the Financial Resolutions at 7 o'clock. At 10 o'clock it is proposed to take Deputy Morrissey's motion.
Order of Business.
Does the Minister mean to take Deputy Morrissey's motion for conclusion this evening at 10 o'clock?
That is the intention, I understand.
With regard to what the Minister has said in relation to my motion, I stated yesterday, when the President was dealing with this, that so far as I was concerned half an hour would be quite sufficient for me to conclude. But, of course, there may be other speakers, and if there are I am sure the Minister will agree that I ought to get some little time to enable me to reply.
I was under the impression that there was agreement to conclude on the motion: that it was desired to provide Deputy Morrissey with time to conclude.
I do not know whether the Minister for Industry and Commerce will arrange that the Whips should have a discussion about this question of concluding on Deputy Morrissey's motion. Perhaps if an hour and a half were allowed it could be concluded. I do not know that it could be concluded in half an hour because some Deputies may want to speak on it. There is no use in having half an hour on it to-night if we are not to conclude on it. I think it would be better if a discussion on the matter could be arranged between the Whips.
We will arrange for that discussion.
In view of the President's statement yesterday that Private Members' time is going to be taken all through the remainder of the session, I would like to know if any undertaking could be given that special concessions will be made at an early date to dispose of the motions in the names of Private Deputies that appear on the Order Paper. If we are to have no time to discuss them in this session—presumably we will not be meeting again until October or November—then it seems to me that these motions are being pushed away further than is justifiable, and possibly the President might allow them to be discussed on certain days after the delegation leaves for Ottawa. I throw out that suggestion as a possible way of meeting Private Deputies.
It has been the usual practice for the Government to appropriate Private Members' time while the financial business arising out of the Budget is under discussion. It has also, I think, been the usual practice, more honoured in the breach than in the observance, to make up to Private Members at a later period the time so appropriated. In any case the matter can be discussed by the Committee on Procedure and Privileges with a view to making definite arrangements.
So long as the President instructs his representative on the Committee to view my suggestion in a benevolent way I will be satisfied.
Am I to take it that this matter with regard to the disposal of my motion is to be discussed?
The matter will be discussed by the Whips as soon as possible.
I think if the Minister is not in a position to give more than half-an-hour for Deputy Morrissey's motion to-night it would be more satisfactory to have it dealt with on some subsequent date.