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MONOPOLY DRIVE FOR PROFITS WITHOUT LIMIT

Communist Party maps fightback program

TORONTO — The Central Commit-
tee of the Communist Party of Canada
Met during the weekend of Dec. 5-7 to
assess its work over the past several
Months, and to map out the tasks ahead.

Central to its discussion was a main
Teport presented to the 67-member body
by party leader William Kashtan. The
document focussed on the fightback of
the Communist Party, the Canadian
working class, and the democratic forces
Under the four major headings: The
fightback to defend and advance the
gains of the working class; The fightback
around the issue of constitutional re-
form; The fightback to save peace and
détente; The Party and the fightback.

Buttressing the key document were
Tesolutions and reports such as the paper
introduced by party industrial secretary,
‘William Stewart: New trends in the trade
union movement — Left and left-centre
unity and grass-roots movements, and
another entitled: The policy of the
Communist Party on mass work among
women. Both drew wide-ranging discus-
sion, which examined, clarified and re-
lated to day-to-day life, their proposals
and conclusions. 5

John Bizzell, central organizer of the
Communist Party introduced a resolu-
‘tion on the holding of the party’s 25th
Convention in February 1982, in con-

junction with marking the 60th anniver- .

Sary of its founding.

In addition a resolution was passed
expressing opposition to western
separatism and the monopoly-backed
energy positions connected with it; and
another voicing solidarity with the Polish
United Workers’ Party. Another agenda
item dealt with the $500,000 building
fund for the Tim Buck-Norman Bethune
Educational Centre at 24 Cecil St. (more
than $360,000 is in in cash, on pledges
of $470,000).

A general picture of the policies and
tasks of the Communist Party discussed
by the Central Committee, is shown in

the following series of excerpts from Wil- _

liam Kashtan’s report. The wording is as
in the document.

The' fightback calls for extending the
battle for the united front and for al-
liances while strengthening the inde-
pendent role and political mass campaig-
ning of the party. It calls no less for sys-
tematic criticism and isolation of right-
wing policies in the broad labor and
democratic movements which, through
Policies of class collaborationism in
_ whatever form, stand in the way of a

constant expansion of the fightback di-
rected to curbing the power of the multi-
nationals and monopoly in Canada.

The crisis in Canada has certain speci-
fics. These are characterized by a crisis
of relative over-production on one hand
and by a process of de-industrialization
on the other. Relative over-production i is
seen in excessive inventories, a con-
sequent decline in production and with it,
rising unemployment.

De-industrialization is seen in .the
growing numbers of plant close-downs.
This is particularly so in Ontario, the
main manufacturing centre of Canada.
Over 315 U.S. branch plants have closed
down since 1975. The working people
are paying a heavy price for such
‘‘benefits’’ and will pay an even heavier
price unless Canadian control over the
economy is achieved by taking it out of
the hands of the foreign-owned multi-
nationals through nationalization under
democratic control.

The working class is not only con-
fronted with ever rising unemployment
but with drastic cuts in real wages as
monopoly tries to get out of the crisis at
the expense of the working people. Real
wages continue to lag behind rising in-
flation. This is borne out by the Canadian
Labor Congress which states that real
wages declined by $31 weekly since
1976. Farm income has likewise declined
by 25.3% in the first half of this year.

The attack on living standards does
not end there.

The working class is thus faced with
the necessity of pressing for a radical
restructuring of the economy, of curbing
the power of the monopolies and the
multi-nationals. This lies through
nationalization under democratic con-
trol. New national policies are called for
based on a democratic anti-monopoly
coalition government including Com-
munists to take Canada out of the crisis
and on the path to socialism.

* * *

Our basic position on the constitu-
tional crisis remains valid. The sharpen-
ing conflict between the federal govern-
ment and provincial premiers refiects not
only a struggle around the national aspi-
rations of the French Canadian people,
which have been denied. It reflects as
well the acute struggle between Cana-
dian capitalist interests and the U.S.
multi-nationals over control of Canada’s
resources, in this case, energy resources.

The drive for maximum profits knows

; Communist Party leader William Kashtan 2

no limits. Foreign companies invested
$300-million directly in the petroleum
industry between 1970 and 1974. They
took out of Canada about $2.1-billion.
Even though the proposals of the
government (Canadianization) fall far
short of nationalization of the industry as
a whole, they should receive the critical
support of the democratic forces: This
however, should be linked with opposi-
tion to any measures which would saddle
the people with higher prices for heating,
transportation and the purchase of this or
that oil company. These costs must be

~ borne by the multi-nationals out of the

huge profits they have amassed.

Another area of the constitution re- .

quiring our consideration has to do with
the proposed Charter of Rights and
Freedoms. The Charter does not deal
with the rights of labor, the rights of Na-
tive peoples — the question of women’s
rights. Nor are there guarantees in the
Charter as presently formulated regard-
ing detention, seizure, search, the nght
to reasonable bail. Canadians need a
Charter of Rights and Freedoms which
guarantees genuine rights, not formal
rights. A powerful movement is called
for to achieve such objectives and also to
rally democratic opinion against the

“The working class is faced with the neces-
sity of pressing for a radical restructuring of the economy.” -

’ emergence of neo fascist movements,

including the os Klux Klan.
*

The fightback to save peace and
détente is now the crucial task facing
mankind.

The world is faced with the threat of
nuclear war. Directive 59 (of the USA —
Ed.) is part of this threat. Around this
‘‘new nuclear strategy’’ the people are
being conditioned to accept the permis-
sibility of ‘‘limited’’ nuclear war, a strike
first strategy ... To underestimate-the
threat, to take a passive attitude ...
helps the reactionary forces of im-
perialism. On the other hand, to take a
position of defeatism and_heipless-

- ness ... Shows an underestimation of the
powerful forces which exist in the world
today, able to deter imperialism.

The Canadian people must press for
Canada to speak up for peace, disarma-
ment based on equality and equality of
security, a moratorium on nuclear test-
ing; the dismantling of military alliances,
that is, both NATO and the Warsaw
Pact.

The Canadian people will have an op-
portunity to express themselves on these
matters through the petition being circu-
lated by the Canadian Peace Congress.

The following resolution was passed at
the central committee meeting of the
Communist Party and endorsed by the
provincial leaders of the Party from Man-
itoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British
Columbia.

The people in i Western provinces
should reject the call now coming from
reactionary quartets for separatism from
the rest of Canada.

There is nothing to be gained for the
working people and democratic forces
by separation.

Separatism will divide Canadians and
working people, East from West and
province from province without solving
their basic problems. It will enable the
multi-nationals — the common enemy of
the Canadian people — to strengthen
their stranglehold over the resources of

each province and of all Canada and

open the door to a further takeover of the
Canadian economy by the U.S. muiti-
nationals. It will gravely increase‘ the
threats to Canada’s independence.

Behind this reactionary drive to build a
mass movement for separatism in the
west are the multi-national oil com-
panies and resource-based monopolies.
They are joined by right-wing provincial
governments who want a free hand in the

Behind Western separatism

MONTAGE — CHRISTER THE!

a
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PTAN

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sellout of the resources to the multi-
nationals.

In this they are abetted by the Tories.

This whole scheme should be rejected
outright by the working people, of city
and countryside in Western Canada, in-
deed by all patriotic. Canadians who are
concerned with the future of Canada.

The Communist Party stands un-
swervingly against separatism. We stand
for a united, independent and democratic
Canada based on a néw made-in-Canada’
constitution guaranteeing equal rights to”
both nations and to’the Native people
and a new deal for western Canadians
which will eliminate the injustices of the
past.

It’s time for Canada to act to meet the
legitimate demands of western Cana-
dians. Such action must include adoption
of a new Canadian economic policy
which will end U.S. control over the
Canadian economy and open the door to
the all-sided development of the Cana-
dian economy with special attention to

ee.

separatism a multi-national scheme

the establishment of manufacturing and
processing industries under public
ownership and democratic control in the
western provinces.

It-must lead to reform of the tariff and"
freight rate structure to eliminate dis-
crimination against the west.

It must lead to reform of the electoral
system and establishment of ‘propor-
tional representation to ensure a dem-
ocratic and representative voice for all
Canadians, including the west, in Cana-
‘da’s political system. All these measures
should be combined with nationalization
of energy and natural resources through
joint federal-provincial Crown Corpora-
tions. _.

The Communist Party is pledged to
fight for a new deal for the west, for
recognition of the just demands of the
people of western Canada, and for an
increased voice in Canadian life com-
mensurate with the new economic and
political reality of the importance of the
west to a strong, united Canada.

ae

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JAN. 9, 1981—Page 5