New Flag Born in Turmoil

Hectic climax to long debate

See also pages 7 and 23 By Greg Connolley
Citizen staff writer

Canada's new red Maple Leaf Flag has finally been approved by the Commons in a wildly emotional voting climax that saw a bitter last-ditch Conservative refusal to make peace in the issue.

In a setting of taut tensions and jam-packed galleries, the maple leaf emblem was endorsed in the House by a vote of 163 to 78 at 2:13 a.m. today.
Pearson makes eloquent appeal Prime Minister Pearson made an eloquent appeal to the Tories to put aside passion and prejudice and rally behind the maple leaf banner. His invitation was rejected with obvious contempt by Opposition Leader Diefenbaker, who shouted that Mr. Pearson had done more than any other prime minister to divide the nation.

The prime minister again appealed that no vote be recorded on the flag resolution so this division be not marked in history. He said it was now obvious the flag would be approved.
"Surely, they (the Conservatives) don't want to be record­ed as voting against the flag that is going to be the national flag of Canada?" Mr. Pearson exclaimed.

From the Tory benches the prime minister was greeted by jeers and hoots and shouts of derision. 'Vote with pride', "All right," exclaimed Mr. Pearson, "they have turned it down with jeers and insults, but we will vote with pride."

Shouts, screams, desk-banging - even obscene gestures - marked the final phase of the Conservative fight against the red Maple Leaf Flag.
Introduced in senate today, and even with the last vote they declared that they would not quit and that the fight would go on in the senate, where a similar flag resolution was being introduced today.

The early-morning victory for the new flag had been heralded much earlier Monday when the government had won a vote on its closure motion to limit debate. The count was 152 to 85.

At midnight Monday the result was plain to see when the last Conservative amendment calling for substitution of the Red Ensign for the Maple Leaf flag, was defeated by 162 to 80.

This vote and the earlier events of the day, including the closure motion, were carried out with comparative calm.

But the emotional storm broke out with a vengeance just before the 1am deadline for the flag debate when both the prime minister and Mr. Diefenbaker sought to have the last word.

Speaker Alan Macnaughton recognized Mr. Pearson. Im­mediately the Conservatives moved Mr. Diefenbaker be heard and set off another vote.
The Tories were crushed, 155 to 72, but they smiled and laughed, believing their stratagem had prevented the, prime minister from speaking: Grits mocked them with taunts of “Closure.”

Speaker Macnaughton held to the contrary. Mr. Pearson, he said, had been on his feet and had been recognized at nine minutes before one.

The prime minister rose and the temper of ugly rancor began to become apparent in the House.

The irony arose of Tory stalwart Gordon Churchill urging the final flag vote be brought on so the prime min­ister might not be heard.

Mr. Pearson offered to give half of his 20 minutes' speak­ing time to Mr. Diefenbaker.

The Tory leader haughtily rejected this saying: "When the Greeks produce gifts, we know what they mean."

And Mr. Diefenbaker shout­ed that the prime minister, who had "muffled Parliament and was tearing down the old. flag, was now trying to be facetious."

Mr. Pearson defended his use of closure and taunted Mr. Diefenbaker With the fact that Conservative Quebec Leader Leon Balcer had sup­ported this move.

"All you want to do is crucify the Red Ensign," Hon. Waldo Monteith (PC-Perth) exclaimed.

A Tory MP shouted that Mr. Pearson had denied the people the right to speak on the flag issue.

"I denied no right, the people are represented here," the prime minister said as Liberals cheered.
The prime minister then urged respect for the new flag. "I hope Canada can go for­ward as a strong, united country with this Maple Leaf Flag as its emblem."

Mr. Pearson said he could sympathize with the Opposition leader because he was feeling the frustration of fail­ure.

(See `Arms', page 23, col. 7)

After the Tension -- Hilarity on the Hill

Bv John Walker
Southam News Services

They unfurled the new maple leaf flag outside the House of commons this morning to the sounds of O'Canada sung in French.

Amid scenes of wild hilarity at the end of the Commons marathon flag debate, Quebec members from the Liberal, Tory, Socred and Creditiste parties linked arms to sing he anthem while they broke out the single red maple leaf flag for the television cameras.

As the tired groups of MPs pushed out from the lobbies, they stopped to applaud the flag raisers, or to commit heir forebodings to the waiting press.

The two main protagonists of the final debate, Prime Minister Pearson and Opposition Leader Diefenbaker, duck­ed out unobtrusively to their offices. Said Mr. Pearson as he came out later: "I am very happy that it has passed, but I am disap­pointed that it was not unanimous. I thought they (the Conservatives) might not vote against it."

Mr. Diefenbaker repeated a statement he made earlier in the house. "'No prime minister ever divided this country more than the present one."

The Tory financial critic George Nowlan was not so quiescent. "This is a stupid thing the prime minister has done in making this a political issue" he said. HG lashed out at "Pearson and his subservient helots" and said that in Russia "they got rid of Khrushchev and he was only half as dictatorial as this one."
Mr. Nowlan said he wouldn't be surprised if the flag now became an election issue.
The deputy leader of the Conservative party, Leon Bal­cer, said he felt "it is a won­derful flag" and "it will do wonders for the country."

But as to his political future with the Conservative party, he would not admit that he and Mr. Diefenbaker would stay at odds for long.

"This is a very free party and I hope we will get along on other issues", was all he would say. Creditiste leader Real Caouette, said he was very happy with the flag, but he warned that when the next report came to the House, recommending the use of the Union Jack as the Commonwealth and royal link, his party would be voting en masse against it.

NDP leader Tommy Douglas said the future of the new flag was clear. "Some adapt themselves to it sooner than others. That's why we opposed closure, be­cause it antagonized those who could not associate themselves to the new flag readily. However, the young people will accept it quickly enough and in a few years there won't be any fuss about it."