CANADA

Across Canada

Socred gerrymandering

VICTORIA — With a new wrinkle in gerrymandering the
Socred government of British Columbia has decided to try to
clone 11 of its legislature members and nudge into one other
riding held by the New Democrats. It would add 12 to the 57-seat
House.

The only province which has both single and double-member
ridings, it currently has seven constituencies represented by two
members. However, the current move would double the
representation in 11 strongly Socred ridings; the lone remaining
target is an NDP riding.

One of the features which angers everyone but the Bill Bennett
Socreds is the fact that the electoral reform commission recom-
mending the changes was to have been appointed by an all-party
committee of the legislature. In fact, the Cabinet made the deci-
sions to its own liking.

Ontario politicians eyeing Oct. 8

TORONTO — A flurry of rumors has it October 8 will be the
date of an Ontario election call; and bettors still look to Nov. 22; as
the vote date.

Some signs were visible during a one-week grant-giving
splurge and announcements of public works, when Bill Davis’
provincial Tories came up with money for Youth Corps ‘‘minor
repair jobs’’, a new unit for a children’s mental health centre, a
fish hatchery related to tourism, theatre (Toronto Workshop
Productions), upgrading a centre for the Seveippmcgialy handi-
capped, and a marina.

No one has questioned the worthiness of the projects. The
cynicism arises from the timing.

CBC wants weekend TV channel

OTTAWA — Ina proposal filed a few days before the Sept. 4
_ federal election, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation seeks a
second network on weekends on the parliamentary cable tele-
vision channel. The CBC argues that it ‘“‘cannot respond to the
requirements of its mandate and the diversity of its audiences
with their different needs and tastes”’ with its present one channel
in French and one in English. The corporation says it is con-
cerned about viewers ‘‘whose interests run primarily to the arts
or cultural programs or economics’’.

It is arequest the new Communications Minister Marcel Masse
will have to wrestle with in view of suggestions that the sugges-
tion that the Mulroney government is thinking in terms of slash-
ing the CBC budget of $896-million a year, by $200-million.

A distinct nation. in Quebec

QUEBEC CITY — Quebec Premier Rene Levesque, leader of
the Parti Quebecois, who applauded the election of the Mulroney
government federally, said Sept. 21 that the Ottawa Tories must
recognize *‘a French nation”’ within Canada if it wants him to sign
the Constitution.

‘“‘There is a nation in Quebec which is not the same as the
nation that forms the rest of Canada,’’ Levesque said.

Up to date none of the parties in parliament have recognized
that fact. Only one party, the Communist Party of Canada, while
differing with Levesque philosophy and terminology has con-
sistently, for decades made a similar point. For example in a 1977
document on solving ‘“‘the crisis of confederation’’, the CPC
stated:

“The firm foundation for a united Canada lies through re-
cognition of the French Canadian nation and its right to national
self-determination up to and including the right to secession.”’
The CPC then makes it clear that it views secession as the least
desirable outcome: “‘It lies in establishing a bi-national state
based on an equal, voluntary partnership of the two nations —
English and French Canadian ...”’ :

Levesque called recognition ‘‘one of the basic requirements’’
now on the doorstep of the Tories, who have historically opposed
any such recognition.

Women ‘Take Back the Night’

TORONTO — Some 400 women took part, Sept. 21, in the
seventh Take Back the Night march and rally, organized by the
Toronto Rape Crisis Centre as a demonstration of women against
violence. Measures to make city streets safe for women are
among the chief demands. The rally also seeks financial com-
pensation for rape victims, and decriminalization of prostitution.

“Ttis basically a show of strength by the women in the march,”
Stacey Michener, counsellor and staff woman at the Rape Crisis
Centre told the Tribune.

While the organizers want to call to the attention of govern-
ment and police the above demands, the main focus of the annual
march (which does not permit male participation) is to keep in
focus a consciousness of the extent of sexual assault, and to press
for both legal and attitudinal change.

Presentation to Ottawa, Oct. 20

Final push for P2G2

TORONTO — After an intensive eight months
of grass-roots effort, the country-wide Peace Peti-
tion Caravan Campaign (P2C2) will take its nuclear
disarmament petitions to the door of Prime Min-
ister Brian Mulroney on Saturday, October 20.

Starting out on Friday, September 28 from the
east and west coasts, caravans will pick up the
filled petitions along the way. That means that in
centres which won’t be reached by the caravans for
some days, a further intensive, wind-up signature
collection can be carried on! (In Toronto, petition-
ers who aren’t supplied by their own group can get

’ petitions for the last minute blitz from TDN at 736

Bathurst St.)

The caravans will be launched from simul-
taneous news conferences in Victoria, B.C. and St.
John’s, Ffid., then stop in more than 70 cities along
the 7,000 km trek. During the three-week journey
they will be greeted in each community with spe-
cial events.

The Toronto Disarmament Network (TDN),
which sponsors P2C2 here, announces a week-long
string of activities, beginning with a major peace
rally on October 20 to coincide with the presenta-
tion of petitions in Ottawa. This will be heralded on
Oct. 16 when the caravan passes through to pick up
local petitions. __

The petition calls for an end to Cruise missile
testing in Canada, the declaration of Canada as a
nuclear weapons-free zone, the diversion of mili-
tary spending to fund human needs, and a free vote
on these issues in the House of Commons. The
campaign has linked these domestic disarmament
actions to the call for an international nuclear
weapons freeze. -

This will be the third consecutive year that TDN
has held a major rally to mark United Nations
Disarmament Week. Last year’s 20,000 parti-
cipants made up the biggest peace rally in Toronto
history.

‘‘We want to ensure that Brian Mulroney and his —
new government recognizes that there is broad —

support for specific action on disarmament,” said _
Robert Penner, a spokesman for the cross-Canada —

campaign.
While more details will be provided later, those

wanting to take part in Toronto events should note:
On Oct. 16, the caravan will be welcomed at

Nathan Phillips Square (city hall) at 4:30 p.m., by

performing artists and every peace supporter who |

can get there. Children in large numbers are spe- —

cially invited.

The Oct. 20 march and rally starts at University

Ave. and Dundas St. at 11:30 a.m. and proceed to
Christie Pits. (Speakers: Bob White, UAW; Anne
Anderson (TDN); and Beth Richards (Metro To-
ronto Labor Council), will be featured speakers.

On Thursday, Oct. 25 there will be a forum on
the Peace Movement and Solidarity. A concert by
Stringband is scheduled for Oct. 26; and on Oct. 27
there will be a dance.

Metro Toronto Labor Council, which is calling

for a big labor turnout to the Oct. 20 events, urged —

at its Sept. 6 meeting, that locals invite a P2C2
speaker (Beth Richards, 445-5819) between now

and that date. Council also called on locals for

circulation of the petition, endorsements and
contributions to the campaign, and formation of
peace and disarmament committee that will remain
working in locals after the P2C2 campaign.

OTTAWA CALENDAR

ment is saying, doing, and enacting.

A Chronological record of what the federal govern- # ok x

function should be sold to the
private sector ...”

Sept. 23: The Prime Minister’s
Office, in a one-paragraph

Sept. 21: The Canadian Sports
Pool Corp., lottery is axed by MPs.

the government, after losses of *
$1-million since May. It was Sept.

Parliament meets Nov. 5

extolling the virtues of Liberal Sept.

. 21: The Tory govern-

_ Statement, informs Canadians ~
that the first session of Cana- -
da’s 33rd parliament will open —
Monday, Nov. 5.

Re Ene

24: Finance Minister
Wilson has withdrawn Cana-
da’s nominee for the job of
Canadian executive director of

*

set up last spring to raise part of
the $200-million Ottawa
pledged to the 1988 Winter
Olympics in Calgary. Health
and Welfare Minister Jake Epp
and Amateur Sport Minister
Otto Jelinek, announcing its
wrap-up, say its closure is for
reasons of improved federal-
provincial relations and
financial prudence.

* * *

Sept. 21: Conservative Party
president Peter Elzinga tells an
interviewer that Prime Min-
ister Mulroney will soon ap-
point a series of task forces to
investigate ‘‘ problems with the
Canadian way of life’’. No de-
tails are given.
fo RSS

Sept. 21: PM Brian Mulroney
issues a news release saying
that the Canadian Unity In-
formation Office, created by
the Liberals to provide infor-
mation to the public on federal
government programs and to

_ gather information on the state

of Canadian unity, has been
shut down. The Tories say the
CUIO efforts went too often to

ment accepts the resignation of
Maurice Strong, chairman of
the Canada Development
Investment Corp. and former
chairman of Petro-Canada.
Strong was a Liberal appointee
who received a fee as a board
of directors’ member, but no
salary as chairman.

* * *

Sept. 21: Revenue Minister
Perrin Beatty says he has
ordered the withdrawal of the
film Investigative Audit Ap-
proach used by Revenue
Canada to train tax collectors.
He says he scrapped it because
it encouraged ‘‘fear’’ among
taxpayers. New materials will
be introduced.

ee ae

Sept. 22: In an interview pub-
lished today, Finance Minister
Michael Wilson says jobs are
his main economic worry, but
‘jobs and the deficit cannot be
totally divorced ...’’ On his
election threat to sell off some
crown corporations — Air
Canada, CN, etc. — he says,
“I still hold by that overriding
principle. Crown corporations
that no longer perform a policy

the World Bank, at a salary of |

$72,600 U.S. a year. Nathan
Laurie, a Trudeau appointee
has temporarily been replaced
by asenior civil servant for the

term which starts Nov. 1, until

a Tory appointee is selected.
* * *

Sept. 24: Treasury Board pres-
ident Robert de Cotret an-

nounces a freeze on govern-

ment hiring and spending to
allow new cabinet ministers to
“take stock’’ of their depart-
ments. He says the freeze
would be lifted by Nov. 5.

* * *

Sept. 24: Employment and
Immigration Minister Flora
Macdonald promises to create
47,000 jobs over this winter
and next with $250-million

pumped into Canada Works —

which Treasury Board Presi-
dent de Cotret says he’ll try to
shave off other programs.
Another 21,000 jobs are prom-
ised over two years by re-
directing $100-million in
unemployment commission
funds. Another $80-million is

to come again from other ~

programs.

6 © PACIFIC TRIBUNE, OCTOBER 3, 1984 —