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EDITORIAL

Horse-and-rabbit pie

An old tale tells of a dish called Horse-and-Rabbit Pie. “Take one horse
and one rabbit. Blend.”

“Can you taste the rabbit?”

As the October date nears for Mulroney to unwrap details of his
so-called free trade deal, the extent to which important sections of
corporate Canada are committed to the sellout becomes more and more
clear.

Just who is bankrolling the slick, $2.7-million publicity campaign for
free trade? Alcan, Royal Bank and Noranda Inc., top the list of some 112
corporations, many American subsidiaries, who have built up this war
chest and, through the Tories and others, are preparing to sell out
Canada.

These corporate citizens, many of them household names such as CTE.
DuPont, Dominion Textile, Union Carbide, Sun Life, Honeywell, Sears,
Birks, Bombardier, Maclean-Hunter, Seagrams — onand on —provide
the financial muscle. The dollar truly has no patriotism.

Most of the money comes from corporations belonging to the Business
Council on National Issues which, to sell free trade, is parading under the
eee title “Canadian Alliance for Trade and

The same corporate inter- Job Opportunities.” Its co-chairs are
ests who are bankrolling the former Liberal finance minister Donald

$2.7-million “free trade” Macdonald and former Alberta Tory

campaign are calling for premier Peter Lougheed. Its treasurer is

Canada-U.S. military former Ontario Tory treasurer Darcy

integration... _MacKeough. Chair of its executive com-

— mittee is David Culver who happens to be
Alcan’s chief executive officer.

Many of these companies belong to the Canadian-American Commit-
tee, whose name says it all. The Alliance, which earlier promised to make
its books public, now refuses to reveal its donors.

The big corporations, the U.S. subsidiaries, the U.S. interests in Can-
ada are spending big bucks to promoté “free trade.” Mulroney has
gambled Tory political fortunes on it.

And in a few short weeks Canadians will see just how much these

| people are prepared to bargain away to get a deal with Washington,

whose shopping list grows daily.

If we believe that “only” Canada’s economic sovereignty is on the
auction block, the Business Council on National Issues should make us
think again. Just days ago, a 13-person task force appointed by BCNI
called for the virtual absorption of Canadian forces into the U.S. war-
fighting strategy.

It urged that Canadian CF-18 fighters be reassigned to “continental”
defence. It called for greater participation in NORAD, including station-
ing of Canadian forces in Alaska, Greenland and in U.S. east and west
coast radar installations. It called on Can- =
ada to purchase AWAC surveillance air- An ever-growing number of
craft (at $200-million each), all of which Canadians now sees that
will “maximize benefits from defence our jobs, our markets, our
spending.” culture, our social services

Economic absorption, says corporate — our very sovereignty and
Canada and Mulroney (in the Defence independence are in peril.
White Paper) complements military
absorption. Added to opening Canada to economic suicide, these people
are ready — eager — to give up our political and military sovereignty as
well.

“Free trade” if we examine the total picture, can be seen as a integral
and vital part of the agenda for the complete sellout of our country by
those who have cast their lot for complete continentalism.

Despite the multi-million dollar Tory/corporate campaign, and the
powerful lobbies, Canadians are increasingly opposing “free trade.”
From an initial majority favouring the idea one year ago, Canadians now
oppose it in their majority.

What we’ve seen so far has convinced many where the so-called free
trade option leads. Watching the Tories collapse under every U.S.
demand, seeing the well-oiled corporate machine operate, examining the
unmistakeable implications of what is being proposed, has convinced an
ever-growing number of Canadians that our jobs, our markets, our
culture, our social services — our very sovereignty and independence are
in peril.

This movement must continue to grow. The issues are sharp and clear.
Mulroney and his corporate buddies don’t own this country. It’s not
theirs to sell. Canadians in their millions can stop the free trade sell-out
and reverse the corporate/Tory agenda for Canada-U.S. integration.

“Blend one horse and one rabbit ...”

4e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, SEPTEMBER 16, 1987

| THERES A FREE
ITRADE SUPPORTER
BORN EVERY MINUTE |.

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———

Co-operation in drug bust

MOSCOW — A successful international drug bust, involving the shared expertise
of Soviet and Canadian police forces, may be just the first of many such operations in
the future, says a top Soviet customs agent.

Two years ago co-operation between the RCMP and Soviet customs police would
have been “unthinkable,” Vitaly Boyarev, deputy head of the Soviet customs
department, told Canadian journalists here last week. The Soviet restructuring
drive — perestroika and glasnost — has changed that, he said.

“We think that any contact between specialized services like this is an element of
the new way of thinking,” Boyarev said. “That’s why we felt responsible to come up
with such an initiative.” ce ee

Last spring, Soviet authorities discovered five tons of hashish, worth $120-million,
packed into a transit container shipment of camel hair from Pakistan. Instead of
destroying the contraband — the usual Soviet practice — they alerted the Canadian
government. In May a delegation of RCMP drug specialists then followed the illicit
cargo as it was shipped to Canada, on board a Soviet vessel, and subsequently
arrested nine people on charges of drug smuggling.

Reminded by the Tribune that until recently the RCMP had exercised the functions
of political surveillance and harassment of Canadians, Boyarev smiled knowingly.

“Yes,” he said, ‘“we’re well aware of whom we’re dealing with. In fact, our

delegation visited MP headquarters in Ottawa last June, held extensive discussions
with them, and questioned them closely about these matters.”

Other areas being looked at, said Boyarev, include the underground traffic in art —

and antiques, and currency smuggling.
~ ee — Fred Weir