“BRITISH COLUMBIA Council reverses policy, Odessa visit in 88 In a clear repudiation the plans of Mayor Gordon Campbell, Vancouver city council last week voted to send a delegation to the sister city of Odessa next year. Council unanimously voted for a motion from Ald. Bruce Eriksen of the Committee of Progressive Electors that council, in conjunction with the Odessa sister city committee, pick a date as soon as possible for the 1988 visit. Eriksen said later the vote shows that Campbell’s Non-Partisan Association _ colleagues are upset with the mayor’s secrecy and “arbitrary actions.” “The mayor has been making a lot of decisions lately without discussing it with them (NPA aldermen),” Eriksen noted. And, he said, council was likely sen- sitive to the 40-year relationship between the Ukrainian port city and Vancouver — a relationship that dates back to World War II and which has been honoured by Vancouver adminis- trations, including several right-wing councils, since then. Campbell was accused of lying last month by Eriksen and fellow COPE alderman Libby Davies after the mayor rejected an invitation to visit Odessa this year. A protocol signed last year between Vancouver and Odessa stipu- lated a 1987 visit to Odessa and stated the relationship is valid in promoting person-person relations in the interests of world peace. The mayor had written to the Odessa council claiming Vancouver council had already decided not to visit the Soviet port in 1987 — although no such decision had been made. Campbell also drew fire for backing a report that stressed promoting rela- tions with cities which may have an economic advantage for Vancouver, priorizing several — including non- sister cities — for visits in 1987 and 1988. Several NPA aldermen joined Davies and Eriksen in criticizing the downgrading of relations with Odessa and Edinburgh. The mayors of both cities subse- quently wrote Campbell expressing their disappointment with the decision. On Sept. 1, council adopted a motion from NPA alderman Helen Boyce that council facilitate an Odessa visit “as soon as possible.” Eriksen’s motion Oct. 6, backed by NPA alderman Jonathan Baker, pro- posed that “city council, in conjunction with the Odessa sister city committee, set the exact date for the 1988 visit ... including the makeup of the delegation and its goals.” Businessman Michael Francis, re- cently appointed chair of the Odessa committee, wrote Campbell Oct. 6 proposing that the visit take place on a day next August. Francis also stressed that the value of the sister relationship is primarily “cul- tural, not economic,” Eriksen said. Eriksen said the success of the motion shows a “clear repudiation of Campbell’s position.” Ramsey VOICE hopeful in Victoria election “Jobs, peace and equality” are the themes of the campaign waged by unemployment activist Peter Ramsey in his run this year for-a spot on Victo- Ma city council. Ramsey, president and advocate of the Victoria Action Society, says key platforms include support for a Native cultural centre downtown and keeping nuclear- armed warships out of Victo- ria’s harbour. Heis running under the ban- ner of the Vic- toria Organiza- tion of Indep- ! endent Civic © Electors (VOICE). _ All nine seats on Victoria council, including the mayor’s, are up for elec- tion Nov. 21. But other than the mayor and one alderman, most seats are held by right-wingers, Ramsey says. Other progressive candidates sup- ported by the local New Democrats may enter the race, however. The VOICE platform calls for a RAMSEY 2 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, OCTOBER 14, 1987 cleanup of the local environment, pro- motes a plan to guarantee home mort- gages for co-op housing, urges the development of light industry and calls for a revitalization of harbour facilities, particularly for the fishing industry. On broader issues, Ramsey says he opposes the generic drug bill currently before Parliament — the effect of which would raise prices for new drugs — and supports equal pay for work of equal value. A member of the Greater Victoria Disarmament Group, Ramsey calls for the banning of all warships from Victo- ria harbours that are suspected to be nuclear-armed. And he calls for renewed shipbuilding facilities. Ramsey said VOICE is counting on the support of labour. He heads the local unemployment action centre. While red-baiting unfortunately den- ied Ramsey the formal endorsement of the Victoria Labour Council, he says he has pledges of support from local trade unionists. Ramsey also notes that VOICE chair Alan Venn is president of the Public Service Alliance local at the airport. Trib: on the line againgt privatizing A postal strike is hard on everyone, not least the Tribune. We’re in the middle of our new, important, 1987 sub drive. But we know what would happen if the postal workers failed to hold the line on this one: unopposed privatization of the mails would ensue. : So it’s not surprising that, thanks to the efforts of our supporters, you'll see the Tribune being read on postal picket lines around the province. Just as the Canadian Union of Postal Workers are the latest union in the corpora- tion to fight back against the threatened privatization of Canada Post, through its . franchising scheme, so the Tribune is doing Civic New Democrats bring hope for unity The founding of the Civic New Demo- crats club is of great interest and significance to the future of progressive municipal polit- ics in Vancouver. NDP involvement in civic politics has been on and off the civic agenda for many years and in fact many NDPers have become members of the Committee of Pro- gressive Electors and have been elected to city council, school board and parks board. In the last decade, we have also deve- loped unity slates, including former mayor Mike Harcourt, former alderman Bill Yee and their Civic Independents, with full par- ticipation and endorsement of the Van- couver and District Labour Council. Civic unity of the left has certainly had its ups and downs, but we have all recognized that unity brings strength and electoral vic- tory. - The establishment of the Civic New Democrats formalizes a long-standing civic relationship between COPE, the labour movement, and the NDP and its five Van- couver civic constituencies. After the November, 1986 civic election, serious discussions about the NDP role in civic politics began in earnest. In May, 1987, a seminar on the issue explored the possibil- ities and options for NDP involvement. One of the concerns raised at the seminar was the lack of accountability of “civic independents” to any municipal policy or process of nomination. Also of concern was the need to maintain and encourage greater its part to stop the big-business backed ‘ated the need and desire for full CO-oper- Libby Davies Bruce Eriksen at move. This week, we begin our series on the effects of privatization in Great Britain — ‘effects we point out will be felt throu out British Columbia and the rest of Can- ada if the Socreds and the Tories get their way. ¥ We want more British Columbians to get the message. And Tribune readers can help, We have several prizes for top sub-getters and new subscribers, not to mention the awards for the top achieving press clubs jn and outside of Greater Vancouver. Call ys for details. And help put the Tribune on more lines, co-operation and unity in the progressive civic movement. A resolution was subsequently submitted to each Vancouver NDP constituency caj- ling for the formation of a civic NDP club, Included in that resolution was a commit- tment to work with COPE and the VDLC to restore progressive government in Van- couver. The founding of the civic New Demo- crats club on Oct. 8, overwhelmingly reiter- ation between the three unity partners: the labour movement, COPE as a broad-based progressive community coalition, and the NDP in form of a civic club with strong ties to the constituency associations. This event signals the way for the devel- opment of a powerful, broad-based pro- gressive civic movement that can challenge head-on the right wing coalition under the Non-Partisan Association. We have the potential and the challenge now to build a coalition of progressive forces to re-elect civic administrations that represent the interests of a majority of people in Van- couver. COPE president Jim Quail and VDLC secretary Frank Kennedy, who attended the meeting, sent greetings and a commitment for unity and co-operation. In the next year we will all have a lot of work to do to ensure that the progressive partnership works smoothly so that we can mount the best campaign ever to return progressive government to Vancouver.