Across Canada
Demand U.S. ambassador's recall

TORONTO — Paul Robinson, U.S. Ambassador to Canada,
‘should be withdrawn because of his consistent interference in
Canadian affairs, the Communist Party of Canada stated, Oct. 19,
in a release by its Central Executive Committee.

Robinson “‘instructs the Canadian Government what to do and
what not to do,” the party charged. ‘He interfered (previously)
in Canadian affairs with respect to the National Energy Program
and the Foreign Investment Review Agency, as well as on the
Cruise missile. He is now laying down the law again — don’t
permit Aeroflot to stop off in Gander for refueling on its way to
Robinson’s charge that Aeroflot is being used to ship arms to
Cuba and Central America was dismissed by the CPC.

‘The reality is that-U.S. imperialism has never forgiven the
Cuban people for determining their own destiny,”’ the party
charges. ““The paranoid Reagan administration is now using
armed force to prevent the peoples of Central America from
determining theirs.

“Neither does it want Canada and her people to decide their
own policies in conformity with the national interests of the
country,’’ the statement asserts. ‘*What the Reagan administra-
tion wants is to tie Canada more closely to its cold war, con-
frontationist policies.

‘The Canadian people should tell the USA to mind its own
business. The government should demand that Robinson be
withdrawn as U.S. Ambassador to Canada,”’ the statement says.

Acid Rain Rains On

OTTAWA — In the latest Canada-U.S. meeting to include acid
rain on the agenda (briefly!) U.S. readiness to do anything about
the poisonous pollution it spews into Canada was entirely absent.
Canada’s recently appointed federal Environment Minister
Charles Caccia, along with External Affairs Minister Allan Mac-
Eachen met U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz in Halifax
and, while Schultz praised Canada for its concessions to U.S.
military demands, there was no progress on acid rain. There is
evidence that this pollution (sulphur dioxide) has killed about
1,400 Ontario lakes, rivers and ponds to date, and 48,000 more

are threatened, not to mention aquatic life, human health and

buildinzs. Figures for 1980 show U.S. industries discharging 24.1

million tonnes for that year, compared to Canada’s 4.8 million
tonnes.

Bourassa Heads Quebec Liberals

QUEBEC CITY — Former Quebec premier, 50-year-old
Robert Bourassa has been returned to leadership of the Liberal
Party in Quebec at a leadership convention October 15. Ina
three-way race, Bourassa, who resigned the leadership after his
government’s dramatic defeat by the Parti Quebecois in 1976,
polled 2,138 delegate votes to 353 for Pierre Paradis, and 343 for
Daniel Johnson, son of the late Union Nationale premier.

Fetus Not Legal Person — Court

REGINA — Ina ruling handed down October 13, Mr. Justice
W.R. Matheson in Court of Queen’s Bench dismissed the claim
of Joseph Borowski, a relentless anti-abortionist, that an unborn
child is a legal person and that, therefore, all abortions must be
illegal. Justice Matheson said: “Because there is no existing basis
in law which justifies a conclusion that fetuses are legal persons,
and therefore within the scope of the term ‘everyone’ utilized in
the Charter (of Rights), the claim of the plaintiff must be dis-
missed.’’ Borowski, a Winnipeg religious activist and store own-
er, said he would appeal the ruling.

Protesters Assail N.B. Tories

FREDERICTON — An alliance of New Brunswick labor,
senior citizens, teacher's and nurses’ associations, as well as
anti-poverty representatives gathered on the lawns of the New
Brunswick legislature, Oct. 15, to protest government restraint
programs. Tim McCarthy, president of the N.B. Federation of
Labor, and chairman of the alliance, said that many in the prov-
ince, where unemployment runs at 12 per cent, could not afford
to come to the demonstration. The protesters called on Premier
Hatfield to scrap user fees for hospital outpatient care and drug
fees for senior citizens, and to reinstate discontinued social ser-
vices such as a heating supplement, and a school supply supple-
ment to help needy families outfit their children for the class-
room.

IT SAYS THE
RECWERY If
HERE TO STAY,
AND $° AKE we

GENERAL STRIKE, CALL FOR NE

a)

The massive struggle taking place in British Columbia
between the far right and working class and democratic
forces is reaching a crucial stage. The outcome of that
struggle will have far-reaching repercussions on the
struggle in Canada to halt the drive to the right.

An important turning point in the fightback against the
Socred government offensive came Saturday, October
15, when over 60,000 people staged a giant march and
rally which engulfed the Vancouver Hotel in downtown
Vancouver, where the Socred convention was in ses-
sion. A rising militancy was expressed in widespread
support evident in the march for a general strike if neces-
sary to halt the Socred right-wing steamroller, and in the
demands that ‘‘Bennett Must Go!’ and ‘‘Socreds Out!”

This new militancy found expression the following
Monday night when one of the Lower Mainland Solidar-
ity Coalition’s largest meetings to date adopted an action
resolution calling for ‘‘full and unqualified support to
Operation Solidarity in its battle up to and including a
general strike.”’ Also significant in the action program
was a proposal to the province-wide Solidarity Coalition
to ‘consider calling for a new election.” *

The crucial date for the fightback movement comes at
the end of October when the Socred government in-
tends to fire 1,600 government employees under the
terms of the new legislation (Bills 2 and 3) without regard
to seniority or other tenure rights won in collective bar-
gaining agreements over the years. 3

Wipes Out Bargaining Rights

These firings are the first group earmarked to be fired
as part of the government’s program to fire 25 per cent of
provincial government employees by next June.

The firing of these 1,600 workers is no ordinary layoff
as the government claims in its false propaganda. If the
government makes these layoffs stick it will eliminate
collective bargaining rights for 250,000 public employees
in B.C., who will be denied seniority and tenure rights in
any new collective bargaining agreement.

Included among the 1,600 employees are the staffs of
nearly all social and public agencies being wiped out by
the government’s budget and 26 bills. It is the major act
of the government in disbanding agencies which will
affect all citizens in B.C. The fight against the layoffs is
therefore a crucial part of the struggle to defeat the
government’s right-wing program.

The right-wing offensive was launched following the
May 5 election when the Socreds undertook extensive
discussion with top representatives of big business in
B.C. Among these was the Employers’ Council and the
Fraser Institute, an arch conservative organization
which includes some of the most right-wing economists
in Canada and the capitalist world. A closed meeting of
the Socred cabinet took place during June at which the
present right-wing offensive was plotted. One of the
most serious warnings of what was to come was the
announcement that Michael Walker, head of the Fraser
Institute was invited to lecture the cabinet on what
course the government should follow.

Most Reactionary Institution

The Fraser Institute represents the most reactionary
sections of finance capital. Its basic philosophy is that
the way out of the deepening economic crisis of capital-
ism is the election of right-wing governments which
would undertake sweeping changes to wipe out social
services to people. It advocates that the main function of
government and the state should be to remove any legis-
lation which restricts or limits the right of big business to
maximize its profits, and that the main thrust of govern-
ment should be to encourage and promote the growth
and development of the ‘‘private sector.’’ The right-wing
Socred government in B.C. bought the Fraser Institute’ s
reactionary program hook, line and sinker.

The significance of the struggle now going on in B.C. is
that the Socreds are the first provincial government in
Canada which is attempting to implement this far-right-

program. Both Socred Premier Bill Bennett and the
Fraser Institute are fully aware of the consequences of
this and openly talk about B.C. providing “‘leadership”’
to the rest of Canada on how to solve the problems of the
capitalist crisis. If they succeed in B.C. it will give a
powerful spurt to reactionary forces who want to push
Canada sharply to the right.

On July 7, the government revealed its intentions
when it brought down its budget and 26 bills which
attempted in one major blow to implement the main
program of the Fraser Institute. Hiding behind the hypo-
critical call for ‘‘restraint’’ the legislations sought to wipe

overwhelmingly oppose Socred anti-people ©

the end of World War 2. While heaping new 4;

The massive demonstrations throughout the®

out most of the reforms won by the people of

people and making tax concessions to big ©
main thrust was against social legislation 2
people. The new legislation made it clear ©
not a program only for short term changes» ‘
range right-wing objectives, the aim being!
reforms won by the people through 8
struggle.

/

Mass Attack on Disadvanta9” |

The legislation scuttles the enforcemé
Rights legislation; abolishes rent cont”
Rentalsman’s office and allows tenants
without cause; wipes out many social set”
seniors, the poor, the disabled, child
families and the sick; takes apart the healt f
and introduces extra-billing and increases
fees..

It makes a sweeping revision of the s¢®
ing a three-tier system which will provide P
services for the less affiluent and high quali $
the rich; takes away power from local "
ning and protection of farm land and opens
big real estate developers; gets rid of
Standards Board which protected worke
consumer protection agencies; provides
firing of public employees without cau
seniority and tenure and forbids future ‘
nure in collective agreements for publi¢
centralizes control of colleges, education ®
institutes and abolishes tenure at univer”
out for special attack is the educational 9°
trade union movement.

The attack on the trade union move™
fully spelled out as the government is HO”),
amendments to the Labor Code until it has |
force through the budget and 26 bills, bu!
the proposed amendments is known.
lective bargaining rights against public e™
ried over to private sector unions. The 2
aimed at weakening the trade union m0”,
livering a major setback to the unions and ©
years to come, the relationship betwee
class and the monopolies in favor of the ft

The aim of the Socred government and™®

ay