Letters

A last word
in support
of CCAFT's
campaigns

I am prompted to respond to a letter
from Cecil Cropley in the April 3 Trib-
une (“New Democrats record on FTA
defended,” Tribune letters, April 3,
1989). He makes several false claims and
inferences regarding my March 13 letter.

I did not say the NDP was sending out
free trade synopses, but that they were
handing them out.

Iam nota Liberal nor do I support the
Liberal party.

Mr. Cropley, having had personal
contact with provincial workers of Citi-
zens Concerned About Free Trade
(CCAFT) and having used resources of
CCAFT, should be aware that CCAFT
is a national non-partisan organization
having active members from all political
factions.

The mandate of CCAFT is to do every-
thing within moral and ethical limits to
defeat the free trade agreement.

My role at the NDP free trade hearing
in Vancouver, which was entirely self-
initiated, was to report on a critique of
the NDP leadership by the provincial
leadership of CCAFT.

' CCAFT, as a non-partisan organiza-
tion, did not advocate the election of one
opposition party over any other. CCAFT
advised that people vote strategically to
support the strongest opposition candi-
date in any particular riding, so as not to

advised the NDP and Liberal parties, up
to two years ago’and all along, to work
together to prevent a split vote. The

refused. ae " RE

It was not the intention of CCAFT, at
the free trade hearing, to give equal criti-
cism of the Liberal Party. CCAFT later
chose more opportune and proper
moments for such criticism — when
Jean Chretien and John Turner visited
Vancouver.

The mass media continues to dump
on CCAFT.. CCAFT, a_ grassroots
Organization consisting of some of Can-
ada’s most devoted and aware political
activists, has spearheaded a fight against
Overwhelming odds. (The blackout by
the mass media of CCAFT’s activities,
particularly in the pre-election period
when honest reportage could have
resulted in mass mobilization of people
to resist free trade,is another long and

- thought that the NDP was politically

’ people exerting some'sovereign will over

split the vote. In. fact, CCAFT -had -

_ trade forces.

CCAFT RALLY DURING ELECTION
... Campaign continuing against free
trade.

disgraceful story which many people are
unaware of.)

It is obvious that Cropley is a staunch
NDP supporter. Members of CCAFT,
however, have not allowed themselves to
be blinded by party allegiance.

Inthe free trade election in B.C., many
people.,voted, NDP. not»because_ they

correct, but because they wanted to
maintain the possibility of Canadian

external forces.

The tactics and attitude of the NDP
and Liberal leadership before and after
the election, as the leadership of CCAFT
has pointed out, have effectively given
our votes to Mulroney and the pro-free

If the NDP and its leadership continue
to sidestep and cover up gross mistakes
in tactics and policy, they will assure that
Canadian people remain without effec-
tive political opposition. That would
spell tragedy for Canadians.

However, CCAFT has not given up
the fight. It is undergoing a process of
analysis and regrouping to abolish the
free trade agreement.

CCAFT has a new provincial office at
906 — 207 West Hastings, Vancouver,
V6B 1H6. People interested in participat-
ing in the long term struggle to regain our
sovereignty can join the struggle there.

Don Nordin,
Gabriola Island

Labour movement needs

to show some passion

in defence of Canada

Hindsight is 20/20 and good analysis is
always important, but the most valuable
skill of any effective leadership, though less
precise, is foresight and the courage to act
upon it.

True, the situation would have been a lot
worse for us all if labour had not fought
neo-conservatism as hard as it did. How-
ever, it is probably just as true that the
timing for a full scale right wing offensive
against labour has not been ripe for main-
stream employers either.

For example, nationwide, the average
annual increase in wages has only been run-
ning at 4.5 per cent. Compare this to our
booming economy, which has been produc-
ing record bank and company profits. Why
would any employer group seriously have
wanted to jeopardize this situation, pro-
vided labour’s demands remained moder-
ate?

Politically and economically, conserva-
tives needed time to consolidate gains and
establish foundations to launch long-range
policies from. For two years the prime Tory
objective was “to sell the idea of free trade to
Canadians and. get re-elected.” So why the
hell would the Tories have provoked a tan-
gle with labour and risked throwing the
Canadian electorate into an unpredictable
upheaval? It was no accident that compan-
ies such as Gillette delayed announcing
long-planned shutdowns until after Mulro-
ney’s election and until free trade was
cinched up tight.

British Columbia Socreds are still scrap-
ing the bottom of their political barrel for
public support on any issue. So why would
B.C. employers have wanted to proceed
with an all out anti-labour drive?

The answer is simple: they didn’t. Large
scale closures didn’t happen, Tories haven’t
yet divulged the full truth regarding the
ramifications of free trade and B.C.
employers didn’t, and still don’t appear to
want to, fully exercise Bill 19.

Thus, labour is left to ponder when the
right wing will begin to fully utilize the
repressive legislation they so deliberately
put into place. However, we shouldn’t need
to ponder this question for long. The
straightforward answer is that employers
will continue to restrain themselves some-
what, but only until it is economically expe-
dient for them to do otherwise.

Ominously, Western economists predict
we are overdue for a recession and one
important indicator is climbing interest
rates that are reminiscent of the recession in
the early 1980s. We'll remember that period
as an era for more than high interest rate
debts and foreclosures on small business
and homeowners. It was also a time when
employers and right wing politicians
gouged huge chunks out of labour’s rights
and contract conditions.

Thus, the challenge is much more than
designing strategies for the here and now,
such as the current Canadian Labour Con-
gress program vis-a-vis free trade. Rather,
the challenge is to see around the next bend
in the road and to take preventative and
perhaps pre-emptive action to face the chal-
lenge squarely while we still are economi-
cally strong enough to do so. Labour needs
to go onto the offensive!

Canadian workers can’t sit and wait for
the next election, or until all public services
are sold, or until all Canadian branch plants
move south, or until our enterprises merge
with larger U.S. enterprises. By then it will
be well and truly too damned late.

Labour leaders should tell trade unionists
that labour endorses peaceful civil disobe-
dience, such as plant occupations, if neces-
sary, to prevent loss of important industries
and jobs. And it will be necessary. Labour
must say that it will not tolerate bad labour

‘laws without “active” protest and that

under no circumstances will we tolerate
further threats to our national infrastruc-
tures and social services.

Following such proclamations, we must
move out and organize working men and
women as though we mean what we are
saying. This is the only way any Canadian
will be convinced labour is serious because
workers instinctively. know that all they
have won has been through struggle and
without struggle even that which we have
already won will be lost.

In other words, let organized labour give
its members a genuine option to rally and
fight. Let us show a little foresight and cour-
age. Let us demonstrate some love for this
country and a measure.of passion in its
defence. God knows, it’s long past due.

John Radosevic,
Vancouver

Scriptures don't bear out the ‘pro-lifer’s’ dogmatic stand

While standing in front, of a Supreme
Court justice answering contempt charges
for obstructing access to a Vancouver abor-
tion clinic, the anti-abortionists said that
their obstructing activity was motivated by
their concern for life of “babies,” which,
they said, are being murdered.

Some of us think that anything which has
Not been born yet cannot be murdered.

The anti-abortionists have talked them-
Selves into an aura of virtuousness and
altruism with the help of the Christian
dogma.

One has to look at several passages of the
Bible to expose successfully the false saintly
halo the pro-lifers try to project to us.

God speaking, Leviticus 25:22: “I will
also send wild beasts among you which
shall rob you of your children, and destroy
your cattle, and make you few in number.”

Isaiah 13:16: “Their children also shall be
dashed to pieces before their eyes: their
houses shall be spoiled, and their wives.rav-
ished.” ;

Ezekiel 9:6: “Slay utterly old and young,
both maids and little children, and women.”

Psalm. 137:9: “Happy shall he be, that
taketh and dasheth thy little ones against
the stones.”

The passages show us that Jehovah

- would not exactly qualify as a philanthro-

pist. Using such a person’s creed as a foun-
dation for a belief does not speak well of the
pro-lifers who claim to be devoted to the
interests of the unborn,

The whole sorry mess reveals to us that
the overwhelming majority of the protesting
anti-abortionists have not read the Bible. If
they had they would be somewhat subdued.

No potential mother aborts out of fun.
She has a grave decision to make. She needs
all the support she can get to make the
decision one way or the other. This final
decision should be hers alone, and not reli-
gious fundamentalists’. Governments also
have no business in the bellies of women.
They should assist and not contribute to the
pain a pregnant woman undergoes.

Anton Notdurft
Chemainus

Pacific Tribune, April 17, 1989 « 5