Wednesday, September 11, 1985
eas
Vol. 48, No. 33

Newsstand Price 40°

VSB election
demand given
wide backing

‘The call last week by former Van-
couver school trustees for a school
board election this fall has the support
of area trade unions, teacher groups
and parent representatives.

Contacted by the Tribune, repre-
sentatives of those organizations indi-
cated their support either for an
election, and/or support for the civic

‘group represented by a majority of
trustees before Education Minister
Jack Heinrich fired the board mem-
bers and appointed his own trustee
May 6.

Former VSB chair Pauline Wein-
stein, flanked by fellow trustee from
the Committee of Progressive Elec-
tors, John Church, and district parent
representatives, called on Heinrich
Sept. 4to allow an election for trustees
in Vancouver this November. The
election would take place Nov. 16,
when municipalities outside Van-
couver head to the polls.

Ironically — or possibly deliber-
ately —- Henrich had pre-empted
Weinstein’s call earlier that morning
with a statement that under no condi-
tions would he allow an election this
fall. But that sentiment may cost the
Minister and his Social Credit govern-
ment dearly.

Lawns around Vancouver — in-
cluding those in front of some upper-
class, west side homes — still carry
the now-familiar yellow and black
signs calling for the reinstatement of
the trustees, fired for their refusal to
pass budget cuts of $14 million to
Vancouver’s 1985-86 school year
budget.

The provincial government's “res-
traint” in education was also dealt a
blow when the results of its own —
study, called Let’s Talk About
Schools, were released last month and
showed the public opposed to school

_ cutbacks.

“An election is not as good an

Option as reinstating the board. The

_ trustees were legally, duly elected and
we hate to see taxpayers money
wasted on an extra election,” com-_
mented Maureen MacDonald, presi-
dent of the Vancouver Elementary —
School Teachers Association

W ESTA). .

see SCHOOLS pede : 2

Next week
The MacDonald
Commission

W-Canada sets militant course

GOVT ‘NO’ TO STAR WARS
IS ‘JUST THE FIRST STEP’

Craig Benson hands out leaflet at B.C. government liquor store during mass
information picket Sept. 6. Organized by the Southern Africa Action Coalition.
and Oxfam, pickets stood outside several stores around Vancovuer urging
patrons not to buy South African wines and liquers, to protest the “legalized
racism” practiced by the South African government. (South African wines are
generally marketed under the Paarl label.) So far, six provincial governments
have heeded the call to boycott apartheid, and are withdrawing South African
products from their liquor outlets. The Bennett Socred government, however,
has said it will continue to market the products. Yet the wines boycott is having
its effect, with Canadian distributors suffering increasing losses in revenue.

The peace movement can take credit for
compelling Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
to take the first step in rejecting direct
government involvement in Star Wars —
but the campaign against Canadian partici-
pation in the Reagan program hasn’t been
won yet and activists will have to work hard
to ensure that Canada does not become
involved “through the back door,” spokes-
men for the peace movement said this week.

“We put a lot of pressure on across the
country and in the end the evidence was so
overwhelming against Star Wars participa-
tion that he had to reject it,” said
Marchant, vice-president of End the Arms
Race.

“It’s an important victory for the peace
movement because we were able to move
the government to say no to the U.S. invita-
tion,” he said.

But Mulroney has only rejected going
into the program through the front door, he

added, emphasizing that the peace ieee

ment would now have to “make sure that
we close all the back doors, too.”

In making his official announcement
Sept. 7, Mulroney noted Canadian opposi-
tion to the project and stated that participa-
tion would entail “getting involved in a
situation where the parameters are beyond
our control and where the government of
Canada does not control the shots.”

“Upon reflection, the government of
Canada has concluded that Canada’s own
policies and priorities do not warrant a
government-to-government effort in sup-
port of Strategic Defence Initative (SDI)
research,” the official letter from Defence
Minister Erik Neilson stated.

The statement came as the campaign
against the program continued to gain
momentum across the country evidenced
particularly during July’s Commons-Senate
hearings on international affairs at which
speaker after speaker rose to oppose Cana-
dian participation.

The report of the committee highlighted
the growing doubt even among members of
the Conservative government. One. com-
mittee member, Esquimalt Saanich Tory
MP Pat Crofton joined Liberals and New
Democrats in declaring his opposition to
Canada taking part in Star Wars.

But in his speech Mulroney also made it
emphatically clear that he supports the
principle of Star Wars research, echoing
U.S. arguments that it is “prudent” to
pursue it “because the Soviets have been
doing it.”

He also said that private sector compan-
ies would be free to seek Star Wars research
contracts and stated that federal govern-
inent financial aid, through grant, loan and
export assistance programs, would be avail-
able to them.

And it is those statements which emphas-
ize the danger that Canada may still become
integrated with the Star Wars strategy.

“There are still many ways that Canada
can become involved,” Marchant warned,
citing the government's continuing political
support for Reagan’s program, the financial
aid to companies bidding on research, Can-

see EAR page 3