TRIBUNE FEATURE SUPPLEMENT

-Mulreagan

THE

Summit

ine

FEATURING

@ Kashtan on the

challenge

@ Hartman on
free trade

@ Neil on cultural
sovereignty

@ Shallihorn on
peace issues

@ plus Acid rain

Canada is not for sale!

By WILLIAM KASHTAN
Leader, Communist Party of Canada

The basic challenge facing Canadians today is that of
extricating ourselves from increasing American control
and domination over our economic and political life, and
from increasing American military domination. This is
made evident by the efforts of the Mulroney government
to integrate Canada economically and militarily into the’
American empire.

It is trying to do this economically via the road of free
trade, and militarily via the road of NORAD and the
extension for another five years of the treaty permitting
U.S. Cruise testing. There is also the attempt to tie
Canada’s North more tightly into the strategy of Ameri-
can imperialism. :

All this is related to the question of the direction the
Mulroney government feels Canada should take. Mul-
roney’s option is continentalism, which would lead to
undermining Canada’s sovereignty and independence.
Continentalism would prevent Canadians from deciding
our economic destiny ourselves. It would restrict
Canada’s economic independence, and prevent us from
developing our own economic policies that will lead to
the expansion of the economy, to the creation of jobs, and
to full employment. It would prevent Canada from a
suing an independent foreign policy of peace. It woul
undermine efforts to maintain and create a bi-national,
democratic culture. :

On free trade, what the United States wants is now
being placed at the centre of discussions. Up to ns
Canadian government spokespeople have emph :
what they want from free trade, saying it will be good for
Canada and the Canadian people, good for jobs. How-
ever, things have shifted; Canadians should be ear es
careful note of the demands placed on the table by :
American transnationals, which are the real focus 0
discussion.

The American transnationals demand an open door to
investment in Canada; they want to further strengthen
American control over key sectors of our economy. They
have already forced the Mulroney government to jettison
the Foreign Investment Review Act and the Natio -
Energy Program. They want to strengthen their financ

institutions here, and to be able to penetrate our service
industries.

What they want, in fact, is Canada — to take it over,
lock, stock and barrel.

If the Mulroney government capitulates and retreats,
as it has done up to now, Canada’s independence will be
in serious jeopardy.

External affairs minister Clark says Canadian
sovereignty over the Arctic is not negotiable. However,
this government has already negotiated away a number
of things which it first said ‘‘are not negotiable.’’ The
United States may be prepared to grant ‘‘Canadian sov-
ereignty’’ over the Northwest Passage, but under condi-
tions that would ensure U.S. control over the Arctic, and
prevent it from being a peaceful, free, international
passageway. Canada might then be sucked into the
American military strategy of using the North for aggres-
sive action against the Soviet Union and other countries.

As implied, it seems East-West relations and arms
control will be discussed. Hopefully, Prime Minister
Mulroney will make it clear he stands for measures that
will help overcome cold war attitudes, overcome hostile
relationships, and halt the undermining of détente and
peaceful coexistence.

The best expression of this would be around the arms
control issue. Mulroney should make it clear to President
Reagan that Canada welcomes Mikhail Gorbachev’s ini-
tiative to eliminate intermediate nuclear force (INF) in
Europe. Were this to be carried through, it would open
the door to the elimination of all nuclear, chemical and
conventional weapons by the year 2000, which the Soviet
leader says is the objective for humankind.

Will the prime minister take this approach? If so, it
would open up a new vista, one of peace, détente, and
mutual respect between countries and peoples that could
fundamentally change our world.

In light of all this, the demonstration that will take
place is extremely important because it will express the
views of hundreds and thousands of Canadians across the
land. They feel that Canada is not for sale, that there
must be no giveaways of Canada in any way, shape or
form, and that Canada should pursue an independent
course of action.

Unfortunately, there may not be a united voice expres-
sed at the Ottawa demonstration. Different groups will
be marching together, each with its own slogan, and its
own legitimate proposals. But it would have been better
to speak with one voice in order to be more effective, and
to really impress upon Mulroney and Reagan that Cana-
dians do not agree with their efforts that will weaken and
undermine our sovereignty and independence.

The common thread running through all the issues
raised at the demonstration is opposition to the policies of
the Mulroney government, which subordinates Cana-
dian interests to those of the United States. This common
thread is what is important, and what compels growing
numbers of Canadians to come together and call on the
Canadian government to speak up and make clear that
Canada is not for sale.

Canadians must understand that just wishing for an
alternative to Mulroney will not bring it about. The times
now call for increasingly stronger united action, not only
in Ottawa, but on a countrywide scale.

The government is in difficulty. Mulroney is down in
the polls. President Reagan is a lame duck president. The
credibility of both of them has been undermined. Even
so, the policies they advocate are dangerous. They need
to be combatted and changed. And for that change to
come, there must be decisive, united mass action by
Canadians everywhere.

The Communist Party of Canada has called for the
creation of people’s coalitions all over this country, both
as part of the battle to win the objectives of the various
people’s and democratic movements that now exist, and
also with an eye to bringing about a fundamental change
of direction, the achievement of new economic policies,
and a new government for Canada that will work for the
genuine interests of Canadians. The Ottawa demonstra-
tion could be an important part of the process that is now

underway.

KASHTAN ... common thread of opposition.

ee

PACIFIC TRIBUNE, APRIL 8, 1987 e S1