WU WL

EDITORIAL

Take up free trade fight

The strategy of the Mulroney government on
free trade, as revealed in secret government doc-
uments exposed by the Toronto Star, Sept. 20 is to
keep the Canadian people as poorly informed as
possible on the matter. “It is likely that the higher
the profile of this issue, the lower the degree of
public approval will be,” one document said.

The second point of the strategy is to “divide
and neutralize” groups opposed to the free trade
sellout to the U.S. and to weaken the opposition
‘parties’ arguments by harping on “positive”
claims for free trade.

Apparently the program is now in operation.
Commenting on what to do about labor, the
document is quoted as saying, with reference to
Canadian Labor Congress president, Dennis
McDermott: “We may wish to hold him to his
commitment (to take part in the government's
‘trade advisory committee’) before he has a
chance to pull out.”

Some labor leaders, such as Bob White of
United Auto Workers-Canada, flatly oppose the
committee and the free trade scheme which
would extend mass unemployment, de-industrial-
ize the country, and make it an adjunct of the U.S.
However, the labor movement is faced with the
task of changing McDermott’s mind. In a news-
paper report he said he would “rather be on the
inside looking in that on the outside looking out.”
Being on the inside of the sellout of Canada —
and in the first place the sellout of workers — is
not what is demanded of labor leaders.

The Macdonald report makes no bones about
the fact that thousands of workers will lose their
jobs in a free trade deal. Macdonald even pro-
posed cutting Unemployment Insurance pay-
ments and lifting $4 billion from the fund to hand
out as bribes to the victims of free trade.

But the lullaby composed for Mulroney and

y is that what’s good for Ronald Reagan

is good for the Ottawa Toriesand hence, good for
the people of Canada.

Joe Clark is already crooning his harmony
with the new U.S. ambassador in Ottawa, Tho-
mas Niles, that Canada’s cultural independence,
in its many forms, and the countless jobs it pro-
vides, will not suffer from free trade. Clark does

not explain Niles’ call for “‘a dispassionate discus-
sion” about magazines, book publishing, broad-
casting, film and cable TV. And U.S. trade
representative William Merkin urges negotia-
tions “without any preconceieved notions about
what is negotiable and non-negotiable.”

Some objectors are coming forward. Ontario’s
Liberal government has raised serious doubts
about the effects of free trade and, about three-
quarters of Ontario businesses are opposed to
such a deal. A study, reported by Canadian Press,
found a mere 23.1 per cent in favor.

Patrick Lavelle, president of the Automotive
Parts Manufacturers of Canada, says his
members consider it “unthinkable” to dive into
free trade without knowing the “impact. . .on cul-
tural and economic sovereignty of the country.”
The Association’s companies employ about
55,000 workers.

Kirk Foley, president of the Ontario govern-
ment-owned Urban Transportation Develop-
ment Corp., charges that while the US.

denounces Canadian “non-tariff barriers” such’

as Crown corporations, the U.S. government
spent $47 billion last year to finance about half of
U.S. research and development programs —
some $30 billion of it on defence.” If the Reagan-
Mulroney free trade plot was to succeed, and
“public procurement programs” in Canada were
killed, his corporations would collapse, Kirk
said.

On the farm front, the National Farmers
Union sees it as only a matter of time under free
trade until imports of red meats and feed grains
totally undermine Canadian production patterns.
The Alberta Wheat Pool’s publication, Budget,
notes the sensitivity of “the forestry and red meat
industry” and predicts: “Canada’s broiler and
turkey production system would disappear.”

These are views the Mulroney government
intends to smother. Where it can’t, it will “divide
and neutralize” — as for example in the labor
movement.

That’s the Tory agenda for a free trade sellout.
The agenda of labor and the democratic forces
coast-to-coast should be to overturn the Tory
plot.

lion in after tax profit, inthe 24 weeks ended June 15. A year earliet
they did the same with $6.1-million. fi

~__IRIBUNE

sive

“Yes, and contend: it’s necessary for us to have such a defe:

force that we could obliterate the whole world in an instant!”

Drawing. by Vsevolod ARSENYEV

a

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I was only in the 1984 provincial
government budget that Education
Minister Jack Heinrich announced to the
province that the ministry was taking

People and Issues

which had been submitted to a World

Peace Council exhibition in that country. ©
For many years she worked with children }|
in the well-known Painting in the Parks |
program in Burnaby and had more

| “important new steps to improve the qual-
| ity of education.” Of course the money
wasn’t to go for more teachers but for
things like computers which, Heinrich
insisted, were important to make sure B.C.

was in the forefront of high tech.
At the same time, Heinrich rejected

| - using the $12.6 million saved during the

~ 1983 teachers strike to avoid layoffs in
1984 and earmarked it instead for such
things as curriculum development — and
computer education. The announcement
was preceded by a lot of fanfare about
how computer education was of vital
importance and accordingly, $1.28 million
was to be spent on “acquisition of equip-
| ment to ensure that each school district
has basic computing ability.”

Well, it hasn’t happened — despite all
the Socreds’ hype about riding the wave of
the high tech revolution.

In fact, according to a survey of compu-
ter education in this province by the B.C.

_ | Teachers’ Federation, published in a the

recent edition of the BCTF Newsletter,
B.C.’s record of computer education is
utterly dismal, the direct result of Socred

software — the various computer pro-
grams — sits around $250,000. Not insig-

encase

nificantly, the paper notes, that is the same

amount earmarked by the Socreds for
Expo curriculum and teaching materials.

The current number of computers cur-
rently in use in B.C. is roughly 8,000,
which is a ratio of one for every 60 stu-
dents. In contrast, Alberta, with a sub-
stantially! smaller school population, has
18,000 computers and has set itself the
goal of having one computer for every
eight students within two eyars.

As bad as the inequities among provin-
ces are the inequities among schools fos-
tered by Socred parsimony. Inevitably, the
more affluent schools are able to get more
computers through private donations —
the BCTF Newsletter estimates that some
9,500 of the 8,000 were so acquired — with
the result that the children of the wealthy
will have ready access to the technology
while those in poorer schools will be lucky
to get their hands on a computer at all.

* %* *

ile the rest of the world moves,
sometimes slowly, sometimes with

decisiveness, towards isolation of the

South African regime of Pieter Botha, the
gang in Victoria are quietly upholding the
apartheid status quo.

First, there was the decision by the Ben-
nett government to reject the provincial
premiers’ boycott of South African wines,
leaving British Columbia, together with
Alberta and Saskatchewan, as the only

three provinces which still stock the pro-
ducts on liquor store shelves.

And two weeks ago, on Sept. 25,
according to a note we have from
Vancouver-Centre NDP MLA Emery
Barnes’ office, the government and the
lieutenant-governor hosted the ambassa-
dor from South Africa, Glenn Babb.

Barnes, noted, perhaps more diplomat-
ically than many would put it: “It is most
regrettable that the Socred government
sees fit to entertain — at the taxpayers’
expense — a representative of a govern-
ment that persists in its oppressive, apar-
theid policies.”

* * **

riends in the peace movement were

saddened late last month to learn of
the sudden passing of Margaret Apps who
was felled by a heart attack in Burnaby
General Hospital Sept. 27.

A veteran of the British forces in the
Second World War, she emigrated to this
country with her husband Ed in 1947 and
almost immediately became active in the
peace movement in Vancouver, helping to
establish Women for Peace, which later
became one of the forming organizations
of the B.C. Peace Council.

Both an artist and a poet, she echoed
the theme of peace in much of her work
and won honorable mention from the
Indian government for several paintings

tonnes) of cement are now on their Wa

recently provided art classes for seniors.

A memorial was held Sept. 30 and the -
family has asked that in lieu of flowe
any donations be made to the B.C. Pea
Council.

* *« *

early 20 years after its first campai,
for medical aid was launched, Cana-
dian Aid for Vietnam Civilians is continu
ing to send aid to that country.

A note this week from committ
chairman Allan Inglis points out that some
$20,000 has been raised towards addi
tional construction at the Ben Hai D
Hospital since the CAVC first launched
the campaign this spring following Allan’s
and wife Kay Inglis’ return from a tn
to the hospital in Vietnam.

Readers may recall that the hospi
which is built on the once-embattled 17th
Parallel, was funded in part by a $50,000
bequest from the late James Hu
whose name the hospital’s pediatric
now bears.

The latest campaign, with an eventual
goal of $100,000 is intended to purcha
reinforcing steel and cement as well a
X-ray and other equipment. The first
tons (22.7 tonnes) of steel and 20 tons (1

and CAVC expects the remainder of
target will be reached over the next two
three years.

"4 PACIFIC TRIBUNE, OCTOBER 9. 1985