ES A ete I hI OR ge Mt oh hha EA

EDITORIAL

Canadians on the march

Canadians of all ages, occupations and
geographical locations are on the march,
many literally — even more figuratively.
They are workers, farmers, people in
small businesses, middle income people,
homeowners (and home losers), seniors,
consumers.

They are on the march against the in-
justices destroying their standards of liv-
ing, threatening to destroy hope for the
future. The government of big business
can afford multi-billion dollar war prep-
arations, but only ruination, coast-to-
coast for millions who want to work and
raise families in peace and prosperity.

What is more, the belt-tightening is
ordered by the transnational cor-
porations and their foremost admin-
istrative body — the Reagan regime.

Our federal government tries to face
two ways at once. It refuses to chop sky-
high interest rates for fear of corporate
“patriots” pulling out to the USA to in-
vest. It will not, without the sharpest
insistence, stop this flight of wealth
which was sweated out of Canadian
workers.

With its other face it speaks piously of
its “Canadianization” plan for oil which,
on its own would deserve critical sup-
port. But what is happening in the pro-
cess? Ottawa caved in to Alberta and the
multi-nationals, handing them billions in
profits and blackmail money in exchange
for a share to the Trudeau Liberals.

What about the people of Canada, los-
ing their homes, their health care, educa-
tional opportunities, jobs, and the right
to a peaceful future? When the out-
rageous oil price increases hit every sec-

tor of the economy, how much more will
they lose?

The federal housing minister fails
miserably by telling Canadians who are

being evicted by the hundreds to “hang .

on” until the federal budget “saves”
them. Is Ottawa also going to talk away a
36% jump in farm bankruptcies in a
year, and a rise of 19.5% in business fai-
lures in one week in September, over the
same week in 1980? .

Ottawa plans to cut $1.5-billion from
transfer payments to provinces, who in
turn are throttling municipalities, who
can only grind the money out of working
people. Yet, Ottawa’s costs for Reagan’s
war build-up are now a staggering $6-bil-
lion a year, with build-in increases.

The corporate-government gang-up
has already gone too far with this wreck-
ing policy! Canadians need immediate
relief from high interest rates — not a
Royal Bank hoax that multiplies its vic-
tims’ indebtedness. We ‘need a morato-
rium on mortgages; and genuine rent
controls. We need exchange controls to
halt the corporate robbers hijacking our
money. We need price controls at the

expense of profits. We need a roll-back

of unjustified price hikes, including
energy.

Canadians have cause for powerful
protests. Nor do they need the rhetoric
of the Clark Tories, whose policies, like
those of Thatcher and Reagan, we've
seen: everything for bloated big business
and the boot for the people.

The protests of today will need to be
multiplied. Otherwise the slashing of liv-

_ Ing standards will accelerate.

U.S. intrusion unwelcome

Sanctions, countermeasures, retalia-
tion — these are the words the ally to the
south is slamming at Canadians for tak-
ing even baby steps toward a self-respect-
ing policy on resources and foreign
ownership. :

The most recent affront from Myer

Rashish, U.S. state under-secretary for.
warns Canada to

economic affairs,
“formulate its policy consonant with .. .
responsibilities” the USA considers
global.

The offensive outburst attacks the
federal government's policy of 50%
Canadian ownership of energy re-
sources. Imagine! The USA will not
condone Canadians owning even half of
their own energy resources! One can
guess how smaller, less developed coun-
tries fare in the eagle’s claws.

It’s not as if this were socialism. The
Trudeau Liberals have never suggested
that, ordinary Canadians. should own
those resources, under democratic con-
trol; nor have the New Democrats for
that matter. Simply Canadian ownership
— corporate or whatever. And for this
we get an outrageous performance
accusing Canada of “irreparable dam-
age” to relationships.

The real damage, as far as Canadians
are concerned — and they should unite
as one against it — has been the snatch-
ing up over the decades of Canadian re-
sources, at bargain prices and _ tax-
PACIFIC TRIBUNE—OCT. 2, 1981—Page 4

assisted, by U.S.-based transnationals.
The added damage to relations is this
rude U.S. intrusion into Canadian
affairs.

Gone are the billions in profits, but at
least the remaining resources belong to
us — and no attempt to intimidate Cana-
dians or their institutions can be toler-
ated. The demand is arising from all
walks of life for an end to this theft.

Rashish is not alone. Not long ago U.S.
Ambassador Paul Robinson stuck his
nose into Canadian affairs, telling Ot-
tawa that “a larger percentage of the
Canadian gross national product could
be directed toward ... defence.” Is the
ambassador also going to dictate social

service cuts in line with those of his boss >

in Washington?

In the same “straightforward” man-
ner, Robinson called the Foreign
Investment Review Act “the ugly child”
of the national energy program. Such

meddling should stem the government's ©

recent tendency to cave in on its promise
to strengthen FIRA. .

Canada’s ruling class has already kow-
towed to U.S. imperialism to a degree
ruinous to Canada, on monetary,
economic, foreign and military policies
— policies which have led to plunging
living standards for workers.

It’s time to reject both these policies
and the increased U.S. bullying, and
unite to compel policies for the Canadian

people.

“The load’s too heavy. We'll have to throw some more
workers overboard.”

‘with

Flashbacks

25 years ago... 50 years ago...

“YOU’VE KNOCKED
AGAINST A ROCK’

. Premier Strijdom skulked
somewhere out of sight, but the
shattering roar, “AFRICA”
from the gigantic women’s pro-
test rocked the country.

The unprecedented move-
ment among South African
women came _ following . a
government order that Black
women as well. as men must now
carry the hated pass books.

Twenty thousand women
from all over gathered in Pre-
toria and for every woman pro-
testing there were thousands
more in their home towns and
villages. The marchers burst
into song: > “Strijdom, uthitta

abafazi, uthinti imbokotho” —

“Strijidom, You've tampered
the women, You've

knocked against a rock.”
‘ Tribune,
September 24, 1956.

Profiteer of the week

FIVE WORKERS
FACE COURTS

Five workers appeared before
Judge Denton and a jury Sept.
24 on charges arising out of a |
May Day demonstration.

The. five, Emil Rosenthal,
Harry Sugar, Ed Rienkerman,

Karl Pontianen and Sam Goss | -

are charged. under Section 98
that: “they were members of an
unlawful assembly . . . which had
begun to. disturb the peace
tumultuously and were thereby
rioters.”

Police witnesses told the court
they were attacked by the crowd
when “we tried to move them
on.” “Every time I got inside the
crowd my helmet was knocked
off,” said PC Armstrong, admit-.
ting in the box that police inter-
ference caused the disturbance. —
The trial continues. :

: The Worker,
September 26, 1931

While the militant coal miners of Nova Scotia are battling on the
picket line for. their lives and living standards, the bank of the same
name is living it up on high interest rates. For nine months ended
July 31, Bank of Nova Scotia had net profit of $170,137,000, up from
$159,324,000 in the same period a year earlier.

Figures used are from the company’s financial statements.

Editor — SEAN GRIFFIN
Associate Editor — FRED WILSON
Business and Circulation Manager — PAT O'CONNOR

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