Wednesday, July 11, 1984

Newsstand Price 40° Vol. 47, No. 27

LU |

page 8

GP’s campaign
readied as vote

Solidarity activists picnic, rally one year sites Socred budget, Sonudee

Ina large pansy broadly representa-
tive of the dozens of groups and trade
Unions that make up Operation Solidarity
and the Solidarity Coalition, B.C.’s mass-

‘ased fightback movement marked the
@Nniversary of the Socreds’ first mega-
Cutbacks budget, in Vancouver July 7.

_ Some 2,000 people met in a festive air at
’chn Hendry Park on the city’s east side in
@ united vow to continue the struggle

 88aiast the ruling Social Credit party’s

attacks on trade union freedoms, human
Tights and social organizations through
Massive funding cutbacks.

As helium-filled Solidarity balloons
SWayed in the early afternoon breeze, they
8pplauded calls to prepare themselves for

- ‘Wo crucial elections this summer and fall:

the federal election, formally announced
Monday, and the upcoming fall civic elec-

Non in Vancouver.

Around the perimeter of the Rally for

Justice area were booths representing sev-
eral member groups, including tenants,
human rights and peace organizations.
Literature was available to be picked up
and read, and petitions — including the
Peace Petition Caravan and the B.C.
Tenants Rights Coalition’s call for-repeal
of a new $30-fee for tenants grievances —
were signed.

On stage, Solidarity leader Father Jim
Roberts recalled the months of struggle
against the Socreds’ July 27, 1983 budget
and the accompanying 26 legislative
bills — many of which were amended, if
only slightly, withdrawn or rendered, by
agreement, virtually impotent following
four giant demonstrations and hundreds
of smaller activities around B.C. last
summer and autumn.

The Catholic priest and college instruc-
tor hailed the birth of the newer Solidarity

movements in Alberta and Saskatchewan,

» Tesponse that happens when governments }

- parliamentary struggle.

set for Sept. 4

The Communist Party readied its cam-
paign in this province as Prime Minister
John Turner made it official Monday _
voters will be going to the polls Sept. 4 in a
federal general election.

As he made the election call, widely
expected following his trip to Britain,
Turner declared that 1.4 million unem-
ployed Canadians need jobs, that investors
need a stable climate and action must be
taken on a rising debt, indicating the direc-
tion the Liberals intend to take in the federal
campaign.

“Both the Tories under Brian Mulroney
and the Liberals under John Turner offer
British Columbians no choice but a shift to
the right” said B.C. Communist Party
leader Maurice Rush.

He emphasized that the CP campaign
“will urge voters to reject both the Tories
and the Liberals and to elect a strong pro-
gressive group from B.C., including Com-
munists to the next Parliament.”

Analysts across the country are predict-
ing a very close race, in which case the 28
seats in this province could well be decisive
to the outcome.

The Communist Party will be fielding
candidates in 10 ridings across the province.

“We're all set to go, with 10 ridings
selected and plans underway for a large-
scale distribution of the party’s election
platform,” CP campaign manager Donalda
Viaud told the Tribune Monday:

A membership rally for the Lower Main-
land has been set for Thursday, July 12 and
a drive has already been launched for a
$20,000 “fighting fund” to finance the par-
ty’s campaign.

Named to run are Maurice Rush, Van-
pation by Nelson seniors of the libraryin | couver Centre; Bert Ogden, Vancouver-
the government-axed David Thompson | Kingsway; Miguel Figueroa, Vancouver
University Centre, and in doing so drew | East; Rod Doran, New Westminster-
favorable attention to the ongoing extra- | Coquitlam; Ray Viaud, Surrey-Delta-

} White Rock; Viola Swann, Fraser Valley

Somewhat less inspiring was Solidarity | West; Sy Pederson, Comox-Powell River;
leader and B.C. Federation of Labor pres- | Mark Mosher, Nanaimo-Alberni and Ernie
ident, Art Kube. | Knott, Esquimalt-Saanich. The CP is also

While calling for the struggle to be “car- | expected to nominate in North Vancouver-
ried on, carried on, carried on,” and not- Burnaby.
ing the federation had renewed its finan- | Communist Party general secretary Bill
cial commitment to the coalition for | Kashtan said last week that the party would
another 12 months, Kube offered little in | be fielding 52 candidates across the country.
suggesting strategy for the continued | The party has already been campaigning
fightback. | across the country with its slogan ‘Halt the

NDP Provincial leader Bob Skelly hit Drive to the Right,’ aimed at Tory and right
the monetarist policies of various world | wing Liberal policies which would see

see VOTE page 7 Socred-style cuts in social services imposed
: ee at the federal government level.

calling them a barometer “of the kind of i

indulge in short-sighted restraint.”
Roberts also praised the current occu-