CANADA

‘Electoral coalition needed to stop
neo-conservative majority: CPC

TORONTO — “The Canadian people are being given a ‘choice’ that is
no choice in the coming federal election,” William Kashtan, General secre-
tary of the Communist Party told an enlarged central executive committee

meeting of the CPC here June 23-24.

“4 vote for either Mulroney or Turner means a vote for the big corpora-
tions and the Reagan administration,” he warned. “This must be made

known to all Canadians.

“The fact there is measure of agreement between the Liberals and
Conservatives to swing politics to the right is a measure of the crisis of the
capitalist system which compels the corporations to ensure neither party
rocks the boat, that Canadians be given no alternative in the coming election.
The main point is that, despite the fact they represent different sections of
finance-capital, they have agreed to turn politics in this country to the right
and that represents a real danger to the Canadian people.

“What is clear,” Kashtan said, “is that
there is an obliteration of differences
between these two parties. It is crucial that
Canadians deny a majority government to
either the Tories or Liberals, and this
requires that a large enough progressive
force is elected to make such a majority
impossible.”

The two day session, which included the
party’s provincial leaders and the leader-
ship of the Parti Communiste du Quebec,
discussed and unanimously adopted a
report on the party’s electoral tactic and
greeted the fact that the Communist Party
will run 52 candidates in the coming elec-

tion to present a clear, fighting program —

based on the central slogan: “Unite to
Stop U.S. Imperialism — for Peace, Jobs
and Canadian Independence — Put
Canada First!”

Presenting the report, William Kashtan
pointed out that this election comes on the
background of a further sharpening of the
international ‘situation and indications
that the so-called economic recovery may
be short lived.

He pointed out that the general elec-
toral tactic adopted at the December, 1983
central committee meeting remains valid
with its two related objectives — one, to

ta neo-conservative majority govern-
ment and a Liberal majority government,
two, to stop the drive to the right by the
election of a large enough progressive
group, including Communists, to become
the balance of power in parliament.

Kashtan pointed to the recently-issued
“Appeal to Unity” by the Communist

_ Party directed to the NDP, the trade union
and farm movements, youth, women,
Native people, the peace movement, cal-
ling upon them to forge a progressive elec-
toral coalition which would work for the
election of such a large progressive group.

Liberals and Tories ;

Examining the Conservatives under
Mulroney, the report stressed that, “bear-
ing in mind the temper of the people, the
Tories have had to be careful about how
far to go in exposing their neo-
conservative program,” and have “under-
taken a series of manoeuvres to hide their

~ neo-conservative positions and their
implications with regard to both foreign
and economic policies.

“Rather than opposing the neo-conser-
vative thrust head on,” Kashtan reported,
“the Liberal convention decided to coun-
ter this thrust by shifting its position to the
right and away from its traditional centre
position. The election of Turner as the
leader of the Liberal Party reflects this. He
was the choice of corporate wealth and the

4 © PACIFIC TRIBUNE, JULY 4, 1984

Liberal Party establishment. Having
claimed he was a left of centre candidate
Turner has ‘evolved’ into a conservative-
Liberal candidate. ..This is made evident
by his intention to dismantle the Trudeau
program, by his intention to give an unres-
tricted free hand to ‘free enterprise’, by his
ambiguous position on bilingualism both
in Manitoba and Quebec. In Manitoba his
position was directed to widen his base of
support among Tory supporters and the
ethnic communities in the West. In
Quebec it was directed to strengthen his
position among the French Canadian
people.

“The Turner program as enunciated so
far is directed to re-establish Liberal posi-
tions in the West and show big business
that a Turner government can be relied
upon to defend their interests. At the same
time, by a turn to the right, he hopes to
undermine Mulroney’s support in the
camp of big business including the U.S.
multinationals:

“U.S.-Canada relations were avoided
by Turner in the leadership campaign.
And yet they are central to Canada’s pros-
pects. Free or freer trade, NEP, FIRA,
continentalism, the threat of nuclear war
emanating from the policies of the Reagan
Administration, the question of Canada-
USSR relations were by-passed. This does
not augur well for the Canadian people.

Two Trends

“Does this shift to the right by the elec-
tion of Turner mean there are no differen-
ces between the Turner forces and the
Mulroney neo-conservative forces?

“As matters stand now, the election. of
Turner tends to obliterate some of the

CP leader honored
on 75th birthday

Communist Party of Canada general
secretary Bill Kashtan (r) receives a toast
honoring his 75th birthday, from Gyla
Budai, Hungarian ambassador to Canada,
June 23. Kashtan, a veteran of some 60
years in the CP and the Young Commu-
nist League, was praised by Quebec
Communist leader Sam Walsh for his
‘vigorous, energetic and clear-sighted
leadership’ in the 30s youth movement,
supervising medical and material aid for
the Spanish Civil War effort, and his terms
as party labor secretary and the general
secretary's position he has held since
1965. ‘Icouldn’t help thinking, while all of
the kind words were being said, that it’s a
good thing we have rule 7, the unwritten
clause in our constitution. It says don’t
take yourself too seriously, but take your
work seriously,’ Kashtan quipped.

present differences. The Canadian people
are being confronted with the choice of
two corporation lawyers representing dif-
ferent wings of monopoly capital, each
pursuing right wing policies, one more
extreme than the other. This underscores
the fact of the two trends in Canadian
policies — the drive to the right by the
corporations in their effort to get out of
the crisis and the growing fightback of the
working class and working people.

“Tn light of a turn to the right by the
Liberal Party on one hand and a continu-
ing decline in support for the NDP, on the
other, assuming the Gallup polls are cor-
rect, what are the prospects for achieving a
progressive electoral coalition and on that
basis, bringing about the election of a pro-
gressive group, large enough to become
the balance of power in Parliament. . .?

“Faced with a:shift to the right by the
Turner forces, progressive-minded Cana-
dians who feared a victory for the neo-
conservatives and decided to vote Liberal,
may now shift their positions and vote
NDP. Much depends on the alternatives
advanced by the NDP. The NDP doesn’t
have a fighting program. It must be made
to adopt one. The role of the left in the
NDP and in the trade union movement
will be decisive here.

“This is key to turning politics around.
Cosmetic politics will lead to electoral
defeat for the NDP. We should remember,
and not only we, that a return to the two
party system of Liberals and Tories has
long been the aim of monopoly and multi-
nationals. It is an integral part of their
overall offensive directed at getting out of
the crisis at the expense of the working
class and working people. The union-
busting and wage-cutting drive, support to
the nuclear war drive of the Reagan
Administration ‘are part of these same
aims.

“In advancing our democratic alterna-
tive we are advancing an idea, the idea of
united labor and democratic political
action which we must bring into the work-
ing class and democratic movement and

debate as widely and strongly as we can. -

This is the purpose of our “Appeal for
Unity” which has been circulated through-
out the country.

“What we say is that a progressive elec-
toral coalition around a common pro-
gram could result in gains. Unfortunately
the right wing in the NDP and in the trade
union movement resists taking such a

position and thereby weaken the prospects
of achieving such electoral gains.

Communist Campaign

|

“This is all the more reason why the |
participation of the Communist Party
this election campaign is so important, |
Kashtan stressed. “We are the only patty
‘that warned and continues to warn of 4
neo-conservative victory, of the drive 1
the right and its negative consequences f0!
Canada and her people.

“We are the only party that calls for the
formation of a progressive electoral co”
tion and the election of a large progress!"
group including Communists in Parla
ment so as to deny either the ne?
conservatives or the Liberals, majonly
government. In the present situation this”
would be the best outcome of the election’
for the working class and working people.
It would enable them to become the ba
ance of power, on one hand preventing the

} sae |
_ enactment of reactionary legislation, 20”

on the other, pressing for legislation whic?
could advance the interests of the majority
of the Canadian people. |

“At the heart of such a program is the
fight for jobs and peace. These must
become the central issues of the coming
election campaign.”
oes len

The enlarged CPC central executiv?
committee (CEC) meeting, which had
Communist Party electoral tactic and pre?
arations as the first point on its agenda, 4
discussed and adopted reports on, 1.
Canadian Labor Congress and | bor’s

fightback, presented by CPC Labor Sect&
tary William Stewart; 2. New developme!
in the fight for peace and the Peace Petitio?
Caravan Campaign, presented by
member Mel Doig and 3. Party building
presented by Central Organizer Johs

Bizzell.

Action resolutions were also adopted 0%
Support for the 12th World Youth F vali
Support for the CLC action program;
port for the MacPaps demand for wat vel
eran status and for the demands of Japane?
and Chinese Canadians for compensat!
legislation to amend the Indian Act; solida!
ity with British miners and condemnation e
union-busting in Alberta and B.C.

Further materials on the enlarged central
executive committee meeting will appe@” it
future issues.

5s eee

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