_. CANADA |

CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEETS

Peace, independence,
fightback arekey —
tasks CPC says

The plenary session of the Central
Committee of the Communist Party of
Canada, which prepared the main docu-
ments for discussion by the membership
up to the special convention next Feb-
ruary, was a joy to attend. A communist
party is not a “‘family gathering” or a
‘society of friends’, but it is an organi-
zation of comrades who are bound by a
common ideal and cemented by joint
work. The C.C. was unanimous on ques-
tions of principle and the main thrust of
party. activities. Questions were some-

times argued sharply but not with bicker- .

ing. : :
One of the reasons for the elan of the
members was of course, that they were
meeting in the beautiful new central
headquarters rebuilt after being burned
down. The unprecedented collection of
over half a million dollars to do this
demonstrated the loyalty and devotion of
the members and friends who con-
tributed.

The C.C. members came straight from
the struggles and they had great exper-
iences and ideas of workers participating
in those battles to pass on to the meeting.
This was a gathering of active leaders of
a very active party.

The draft resolution for the pre-
convention discussion was introduced
by general secretary William Kashtan,.

The prime task, he said and the meet-
ing agreed, was to help prevent nuclear
war, to turn politics back to the road of
détente and disarmament. ‘‘As we enter
the 80s’’, he said, ‘‘the reactionary
forces of U.S. imperialism have moved
over to a policy of confrontation and
opposition to détente.

“Export of counter-revolution has be-
come part of U.S. state policy. This in-
cludes the erosion of socialism as in Po-

land, efforts to crush the national libera- . .

_tion movements.. The new U.S. military

strategy includes a_first-strike nuclear |

policy and is exemplified in the produc-
tion of the neutron missiles, the placing

of Cruise and Pershing 11 nuclear mis- -

siles on West European territory, di-
rected at the heart of the Soviet Union.

“This new military strategy is based
on the permissibility and even inevit-
ability of nuclear war.”

Urging the party to give full backing to
the Canadian Peace Congress and its
‘Peace is everybody's business’’ peti-
tion campaign, he pointed out the need of

helping to build the widest united front .

anti-war movement, and also to
strengthen the role of the party as such.

‘*We need to drive home the contrast
between Haig’s statement that ‘there are
more important things than peace’ with
Brezhnev’s call for ‘peace to become the
normal mode of existence for all

eae

peoples’.

Kashtan urged stronger exposure of
the false claim of a ‘‘Soviet military
threat’’. It is around this myth that U.S.
imperialism is taking the world to the
brink of nuclear catastrophe, he pointed
‘*We need to pinpoint the fact that the

arms drive distorts the economy, creates

unemployment, stimulates inflation and

lowers living standards. The defense of

living standards and the rights of working
_ people are inseparable from the fight for

peacel”

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—OCT. 30, 1981—Page 10

’ policy of.peace, centred around the de-

- giving examples of such retreat.

~ ments,”’ which he said ‘‘would be noth-

opening of the rebuilt Party head-

Toronto. Oscar Kogan, who managed

- some more money to be collected.
-Kashtan gave a detailed report and

-can National Congress (South Africa).

Communists should work to win sup- |
port for an independent Canadian foreign

mand for Canada to. withdraw from
NATO and Norad, for Canada to be-
come a nuclear-free zone, forCanadato | ©
withdraw from the Defense Production | __

Sharing Agreement with the U.S. >

‘Our criticism of the’ Trudeau
Government is that it tends to capitulate
and retreat before the pressures of the
Reagan administration,’ Kashtan said,

TRIBUNE PHOTO — MIKE PHILLIPS

Kashtan opens new centre

The discussion on this portion of the Communist Party leader William Kashtan greets members of the central committee and au
draft resolution saw 23 members take the friends at an official opening of the Tim Buck-Norman Bethune Educational Centre in
floor. Much was being done, they re- Toronto. The building will house the party’s headquarters. Rebuilt on its original site, the
ported, but there is still much more to do. structure was made possible by $500,000 in donations from across the country. —

The Communist Party's leader de- =
voted a great deal of attention to the

fightback against the onslaught on work- © ; S =
“eueeacteeen| Gall to CP convention
“‘Of special importance is the decision ;

of the Canadian Labor Congress to : :
mount.a mass rally of 100,000 in Ottawa The Central Committee calls the 25th Convention of the Communist Party of
on November 21 around the issue of high Canada to be held February 13, 14 and 15 1982 in the City of Toronto, Ontario.
interest rates,’’ he declared. The 25th Convention takes place in complex conditions involving a sharp depar-
He warned against ‘‘sectarian aloof- | ture from policies of détente by the U.S. Reagan administration and a turn toward
ness, routinism, and under-estimation of policies of cold war, confrontation and an accelerated arms race which threatens the
the rally’s potential to unite all the varied | very survival of mankind. ee ;
anti-monopoly and solidarity §move- Through these means; the reactionary forces of U.S. imperialism, together with -
the ruling circles of other capitalist countries, are trying to hold back the world
revolutionary process and reverse the course of history in their favor. They seek to
divide and weaken the forces of peace and socialism, bully and cow the national
liberation movement, intimidate and mislead the working class in the capitalist
countries. aye
Despite temporary difficulties or even setbacks in this or that country, they are. |
unable to succeed. The epoch of imperialist domination of the world has gone
forever. Its sphere of domination continues to contract as victorious anti-imperialist
revolutions continue. The peace movement grows daily in number and scope and the
working class in the capitalist countries is increasingly militant in their resistance to
efforts to make it carry the cost of the deep-going and all-pervading capitalist crisis.
The Convention also takes place at a time when Canada has entered a new period !
of increased economic and political instability. We enter a new stage of class and
democratic struggle. Refusal of the government in Ottawa to squarely face onthe one ~
hand the reality of the legitimate aspirations of Quebec for the right of self-deter-
‘mination, and on the other the pro-continentalist policies of Western provincial
‘governments in an unholy-alliance with the P.Q. government of Quebec, has com-
‘pounded the Constitutional crisis. oo ae

Double digit inflation, chronic unemployment and the threat of yet another reces- |
sion, a shelter crisis brought on by usurious interest rates, an energy-cost crisis and |
strong U.S. business pressure on the process of Canadianization have elicited deter-
thanks to the many persons who helped mined militant response by the Canadian trade-union movement embodied in the
to literally resurrent the historic edifice CLC call for mass action on November 21. rk aged
from the ashes. Ries These developments underscore the decisiveness of a stronger, more influential | —

With the last item of business out of | and larger Party, Young Communist League and press. This of course means |
the way, the session heard an inspiring | - strengthening the links of the Party in the working class; fighting more effectively for |
address by a leading member of the Afri- unity of the left in the fightback against monopoly’s offensive. eter

The 25th Convention marks the 60th Anniversary of our Party. In these 60 years
the Party has stood firm in defence of the vital interests of the working class and |
working people, in defence of the cause of peace and socialism. Throughout these ~
years it has striven to integrate Marxism-Leninism with the broad labor movement. It
has held high the banner of patriotism and proletarian internationalism, and con-
ducted an unremitting struggle against imperialism, the source of the war danger, the
source of reaction and fascism. : ;

In these 60 years the Communist Party and its members made many signal
contributions to the building up of the working class and democratic movement, and
in the struggle for unity of the working class. These 60 years have demonstrated the

- indispensability of the Communist Party to the forward advance of the working
people in its struggle for peace and the genuine independence of the country, for the
right to self-determination and equality of the French Canadian nation, the defeat of
monopoly and the transnationals and the advance to socialism in Canada.

The Convention will convene at 10 a.m. Sat., Feb. 13, at the Downtown Holiday

Inn, Toronto, continuing until Mon., Feb. 15. Registration of delegates will com-
mence at 9 a.m. in the Convention Hall. :

Delegates will discuss and adopt the main policy resolution, elect the Party’s
Central Committee and Party Leader and conduct any other business properly
coming before the Convention. i oe

ing short of criminal’.

Altogether, 55 CC members took-the
floor in the discussion on this point,
many dealing with specific experiences
and problems in their industries and loca-
lities. It was a very lively and probing
discussion. :

Another 25 members discussed the
section of the draft resolution dealing
with the building of the Party, the Young
Communist League, and the party press.

Saturday evening was devoted to the

quarters, the Tim Buck-Norman Be-
thune Educational Centre at 24 Cecil St.,

the campaign, reported on the finances
received and the expenditures, including
some that were unforeseen and call_for

William Kashtan delivered the closing
speech, emphasizing some of the
developments, particularly in Quebec,
and the members began to leave ‘“‘for
home”’ with the policy sharpened up and
new enthusiasm for the 25th (60th
Anniversary) C.P.C. Convention, better
equipped to explain and conduct mass
public activity during the little more than
three months that remain.

The draft resolution, adopted by the
Central Committee will be published and
circulated throughout the Party for de-
bate and discussion, for amendment,
strengthening and improvement. The
country-wide discussion process of not
less than three months will offer every
party member the fullest scope for par-
ticipation, the democratic process by
which the Communist Party sharpens
and develops its political work. x