Quebekers offered little
choice in by-elections

This is an official statement of
the Communist Party of Canada,
released by its Central Executive
Committee, May 31, 1977, on the
May 24 by-elections in Quebec
and Prince Edward Island.

* * *

While it would be wrong to read
too much into the results of the
by-elections in which the Liberal
Party retained four seats in
Quebec and.won a seat in PEI
from the Conservative Party, and
with Social Credit holding onto its
seat, nevertheless. these results
show the following:

The Liberal government and
Prime Minister Trudeau
strengthened their positions elec-
torally, while the Conservatives
. suffered a setback, as did Mr.

Clark, its leader. The New
' Democratic Party, except for its

increased vote in Verdun, made
no headway in Quebec, indeed
lost votes in the other constituen-
cies, while Social Credit. lost
ground.

The question could be asked:
how was it possible for the Lib-
eral government to hold onto their
positions in Quebec despite the
difficult economic situation and
the Parti Québecois victory last
November 15?

The answer to this is fairly
clear. The people of Quebec had
no real alternative available other
than the Liberal Party and its
‘candidates in the~ by-elections.
They had the choice of either
Prime Minister Trudeau, who de-
clared his readiness to resign if the
Liberals lost, or Mr. Clark. In the
circumstances prevailing, they
chose Prime Minister Trudeau.
This was facilitated by what ap-
peared to be a more ‘‘flexible”’
approach by Prime Minister
Trudeau towards the national
question and the national rights of
the French Canadian people, evi-
denced in his belated recognition
of the French Canadian nation
during his trip to Washington, and

passing references to the need for
a Canadian constitution. These
obviously had an effect on the
voters.

The results of the election may

sharpen up the differences within -

the’ Conservative Party and
weaken Mr. Clark’s position in
that Party.

The results show that the NDP
will continue to ‘‘miss the bus”’ in
Quebec unless it faces up to the
national question and comes out

in support of the right to national °

self-determination.

The vote for the candidates of
athe Communist ‘Party, while un-
even from constituency to consti-
tuency, rose. It shows that a
growing body of working people
support the policies advanced by
the Communist Party and _ its
candidates.

Despite the efforts of the mass
media to black out the candidates
and policies of the Party, they
failed to do so. At the end they
were compelled to draw attention
to the fact that the only party
standing four square in support of
the national nghts of the French
Canadian people and their right to
national self-determination up to
and including secession, was the
Communist Party of -Canada.
This will stand the party in good
stead in the days ahead as more
and more working people realize
that the election results changed
nothing, and that the battle for
new economic and social policies
and for a democratic solution to
the crisis of confederation still has
to be won.

The outcome of the by-
elections could well be the hold-
ing of a federal election either this
fall or next spring. While Prime
Minister. Trudeau declaims
against holding one at an early
date, it is the better course of wis-
dom to prepare for one now. This
the Communist Party intends to
do.

AND THEY'RE NOT KIDDING ~*

Natural gas can reduce the
on imported oil.
of

Significant discoveries
an pahenelne aaieh
‘Canada's Arctic.
And, Canada has the opportun-
ity to bring major new supplies

By 1985, as much as 5 billion
dollars a year will be sent out of

by the early 1980s.
Beaufort Sea area can be econ-

saying.

the country to buy the oil we need.
effects of our growing dependence

Gas from the Mackenzie Delta/

Canadians may well get more
than they expect by permitting
U.S. multi-nationals like Esso
(Exxon, if your an American) to
exploit any more of our natural
resources.

If you read the ad copy

carefully, Esso makes the

proposed Arctic gas pipeline
almost for

to market from the western Arctic
giant people and many other

people instead of its profits.

Imperial Oil Limited
Canada's leading supplier of energy.

The adon the left, produced by Esso, has been appearing in major publications giving that company’s
arguments to build the pipeline. The copy on the right is more like something Canadians should be

We should remember that Esso
ecological dangers: no mention _is high among those corporations
of the Perenter OC Cheat ian enjoying huge profit levels
sovereignty to Esso and its swollen by price increases. It is
friends: no mention of the effects among the top three or four in
the world. It is a monopoly.
which makes major policy
decisions at will. “
Reaction to the Arctic gas
pipeline has been swift and
strong. That's why Esso is
runni ioe thers acs If Esso wants

There is no mention of the

on our Native

And, if you examine the map, i it
would appear no gas or oil will
be going south of the border.
Ottawa is presently considering
whether to build the pipeline.
The Berger Report, Native

rough.
Canadians will most eeraiely
gel more than we expect ..

concerned Canadians have
spoken out against it.
A Canadian Resource
Develop the North for our People ~

Cities urge rights for Quebec

TORONTO — The Federation
of Canadian Municipalities
(FCM), meeting here May 16-18,
unanimously passed the following
resolution on National Unity and
Constitutional Reform:

‘Whereas there is urgent need
for major discussions leading to

the development of a new Cana- ~

dian constitution; and

‘‘Whereas such a constitution
must recognize the necessity for
adjustments in the Confederation
arrangements;

‘*Therefore be it resolved that
the FCM constitute a standing
committee whose purpose will be
to win for municipalities a place in
any future constitutional discus-
sions, to formulate specific prop-
osals for constitutional reform,
and to encourage broadly-based
municipal debate on the problem
of Canadian unity and constitu-

tional reform, and furthermore,
‘Be it resolved that the FCM
publicly urge that a new constitu-

tion should incorporate as fun-

damental principles the recogni-
tion of Canada’s two national
communities and a universal de-
claration of human rights.”

Name
Address
Phone’

Co
eevee e we evee

Ce ee

Phone:

Join the Young Communist League |

O twould like more information
0 | would like to join the YCL.

© 00,10 0) © 6:0 0:00 6.0/0 0:46 0 0° 0 2 0

ee

Mail to:

Young Communist League
24 Cecil Street, Toronto

979-2909

A piece of crass opportunism

A reader writes: ‘As an NDPer and
an unholder of democratic socialism as
espoused by the NDP, I am dismayed
by Ontario NDP leader Lewis’ state-
ment that he hasn’t ‘the slightest inten-
tion of bringing any of the major sectors
of the natural resources under public
ownership’. Would you please com-
ment on this violation of the Ontario
NDP convention resolution which cal-
led for public ownership of the resource
sector.”’

* * *

From press reports it is evident that
many New Democratic Party members
and supporters are sorely troubled by
Mr. Lewis’ public rejection of
nationalization of. natural resources.
They feei that the NDP leader has bet-
rayed the party’s stated objective. That
he appears to be trying to turn the NDP
into some sort of liberal party instead of
working to strengthen it as a party cap-
able of defending and advancing the
basic interests of the working people.

There can be no doubt that Mr.
Lewis’ statement made during the CBC
TV debated reeked of opportunism,
clearly demonstrating contempt for de-
cisions made by the highest body of the
party he leads. His action was a crass
betrayal of the real interests of the
PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JUNE 10,1977—Page 8

Marxism-Leninism in Today’s World ©

working people done in the hope of as-
suring the capitalist monopolies that
they have nothing to fear from an NDP
government that he would lead.

* * *

The Ontario NDP leader is a self-
proclaimed social democrat. However
he has amply demonstrated by his ac-
tions that he is a right-wing social
democrat —a social reformist. And his-
tory has proven over and over again
that the social reformists are carriers of
capitalist ideology into the working-
class movement. Social reformism is a
system of opportunist practices and
views incorporating policies of cle
collaboration between workers and
capitalists. Social reformism seeks to
perpetuate the capitalist system, and to
limiteworker’s and p uple’s movements
to narrow parliamentary aims and par-
tial reforms which they quite wrongly
refer to as ‘‘socialist measures’’.

‘Social reformists preach that there is
really nothing bascially wrong with the
capitalist system except that the
‘‘wrong”’ people are in charge. They
argue that if they were in charge the
system would be ‘‘fairer’’ to the work-
ing people, and seek to adapt the labor

movement to the political interests of

_the capitalist class.

* OK

This outlook presently dominates the
leadership of the NDP which is con-
trolled by the right wing. This leader-
ship sees the NDP as an electoral
machine only, rather than a political
party developing and leading mass ac-
tions of the working people as well as
being engaged in parliamentary activity
on a mass scale.

This reformist concept is reflected in
the structure of the NDP, where the
parliamentary group stands above the
leading bodies of the party. In practice,
the parliamentary caucus determined
the main policies pursued by the party.
And where the party forms the gov-
emment, the cabinet is the determining
body. Under such a capitalist-style
party structure, convention decisions
are not considered binding on the par-
liamentary caucus or on governments.
And, in keeping with this bureaucratic
structure the leader stands at its apex.

This is why the Ontario NDP. leader
could with impunity disregard the deci-
sion of the Ontario NDP convention
calling for public ownership of the re-

souree sector. This is one example of
how capitalist politics and practices are
brought into the labor movement.
Needless to say, such politics and prac-
tices, have no place in a party that
claims to represent the interests of the |
working people.

Compare the above structures and
procedures with that of the Communist |
Party which is based on the working
class. Its constitution clearly states
that, ‘‘The parliamentary candidates
and elected members shall be subject t0
the discipline of the Party as deter-
mined by the Central and Provincial
Committees, and shall be bound by the .
Party’s policies as laid down in its Con-
ventions.”

* ok OK :

The NDP is a party enjoying mass
support of working people. It could
play a major role in mobilizing masses
of working people, i in cooperation wi
the trade union movement and the
Communist Party, for united struggle
against the crisis policies of monopoly-
But it will fail its historic responsibility, —
if its leaders are allowed to jettison
party principles and policies in order tO
assure capitalist monopolists that they
having nothing to fear from an NDP
government.