Document Information

Date: 1947-02-04
By: Canada (Parliament)
Citation: Canada, House of Commons Debates, 20th Parl, 3rd Sess, 1947 at 84.
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[Page 84]

NEWFOUNDLAND

INQUIRY AS TO DEVELOPMENT OF CLOSER RELATIONSHIPS WITH CANADA

On the orders of the day:

Mr. GORDON GRAYDON (Peel): May I ask the Secretary of State for External Affairs if there have been any developments in the field of closer relationships between Canada and Newfoundland since the parliament of Canada last met?

Right Hon. L. S. ST. LAURENT (Secretary of State for External Affairs): Mr. Speaker, the question is in very general terms: have there been any developments in that field? I may say that shortly after the house rose in August the Newfoundland national convention met in St. John’s. Members of this house I am sure have followed with interest the reports of the deliberations of that convention which have appeared in the press. So far the sessions of the convention seem to have been chiefly devoted to an examination of the financial and
economic position of Newfoundland. There has been some discussion also of alternative forms of government, and a debate has indicated interest on the part of some members in investigating the possibilities of confederation with Canada. However, we have received no communication in this connection from the Newfoundland authorities; and of course it is a matter for the Newfoundland national convention and the appropriate authorities in Newfoundland to decide whether an approach will be made to Canada regarding possible confederation.