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the name of the party as part

‘a process to rebuild the socialist

ment in Canada on a new

‘as passed with about 70
‘ent of committee members
ing support for anew name. —

Communi

whether

n over 70 years of
proud struggle for
Canada’s_ working
people and the cause
of socialism, the
Communist Party of
Canada has earned
a place in history
and is today a lead-
ing force in Canada’s socialist left.
Canadian communists hold that the
working class and its organized expression,
the labour movement, are the key force for
social progress, for the defence of Canadian
independence and advances towards social-
ism. We stand today in solidarity with the
environmental movement, pro-Canada
movement for sovereignty, with the aspira-
tions of the French Canadian nation in
Quebec for self-determination, and those of
Canada’s aboriginal peoples, with the
labour movement, the peace movement, the
women’s movement, solidarity movements
and community-based movements for jus-
tice and democracy. In all these people’s
movements, the Communist Party is a con-
sistent’ voice linking the achievement of
today’s demands with a socialist future.

6 Pacific Tribune, April 23, 1990

st Party and a ne\

Committee’s paper sets party on af

As we enter a new decade, Canadian
socialism — like world socialism — stands
at a decisive turning point, and must
respond to sweeping changes internation-
ally. Socialism as a socio-economic forma-
tion, as a set of ideas, and as an
international movement is undergoing pro-
found change to fuse the goal of the political
power of the working people with demo-
cracy, pluralism, self-determination of
nations and a new world order, which seeks
to answer human needs and aspirations in
harmony with nature.

In contrast, imperialism and interna-
tional capital are carving the world into
global markets and new spheres of influence
which increasingly trample on the sover-
eignty of nations, endanger the planet's sur-
vival, exacerbate global problems, enhance
the rights of capital over labour and the
people, and intensify social injustice.

A party of socialism

ur decades of expe-
rience in the struggle
for social progress
and today’s realities
affirm the need fora

socialism in Can-
ada.

A party of socialism is needed that will be -

dedicated-to winning the political power of
the working people for purposes of trans-
forming society and putting an end to capi-
talist domination.

Similarly, while the leadership of the
labour and people’s movements develops in
its own way and takes various forms, a
political party of socialism is needed to gen-
eralize the rich experiences of the people’s
and working class movements; to study and
advance the most advanced theory and
merge it with the people’s struggles; to help
develop a co-ordinated socialist strategy out
of the various movements, and to propa-
gate such a strategy in the struggles of Can-
adians.

A party of socialism can best advocate
the socialist ideal, while linking this advo-
cacy to an on-going critique of capitalism. It
can also be the catalyst for political action,
organizing people in parliamentary and
extra-parliamentary struggles in support of
their economic, social and cultural needs
and democratic rights. Such a party brings
together Canadians with a passion for
democracy; opposed to injustice, exploita-
tion and oppression; and with a vision of
how fundamental social change can be
achieved and guaranteed.

A party of socialism with an internation-
alist outlook is needed now more than ever.
A party of socialism with such an outlook
must form bonds of solidarity and friend-
ship with other socialist, workers’ and pro-
gressive parties, and with liberation, social
justice, humanitarian, and democratic
movements in all countries. The party’s
relations with other socialist movements are
based on working class internationalism
which places the interests of the interna-
tional working class and the interests of
people in the first priority. This involves the
principle of non-interference in the internal
affairs of fraternal parties, combined with
the right and necessity to publicly criticize
other parties and states when the interests of
soeialism and progress are being under-
mined.

political party of

Modem scientific socialism
he basis of our the-
ory and ideology is
scientific socialism.
Its main component
parts are dialectical
and historical mater-
ialism, the labour
theory of value and
class struggle as the motive force of social
and political change.

Our socialist perspective arises from, but
is not limited to, the far-sighted vision of
Marx, Engels, and Lenin, by our ongoing,
thorough analysis of Canadian reality and
the aspirations of Canadians, and from our
own analysis of the achievements and
shortcomings of ‘existing socialism” since
1917.

We stand for modern scientific socialism,
which has the capacity to harness the tech-
nological innovations of our society and
develop them in the interests of all society.
We stand for a socialism which ends the
alienation of the producer from the product
of her or his labour. We stand for a social-
ism which embraces basic human values
such as democracy and social justice, at the
same time as capitalism deems them dispen-
sable. We stand for ending unemployment,
poverty, and homelessness, and offer new
structures for human and democratic
development that enable all people to par-
ticipate fully in society and to decide the
issues which affect their lives. '

We reject the state socialist model charac-
terized by a bureaucratic, command-
administrative system and the extension of
the state and party into all spheres of
society. We reject the model of a one-party
state, in which a single party arrogates to
itself the function of the state, and further
attempts to perform the “leading role” in all
aspects of society.

Transition to socialism

ur aim is to build a
humane, democratic
socialist Canada.
Our ultimate goal is
the elimination of
the exploitation of
labour, the pre-con-
dition for the full
and free development of the individual.

We see the achievement of a socialist
Canada as being won in a protracted pro-
cess involving multiple, political stages,
wide alliances of different classes and strata,
and a combination of parliamentary and
extra-parliamentary struggles.

Reaching this point in history will require
a substantial development in the conscious-
ness of Canada’s working class, working
people and their allies. This will be achieved
in long struggle for significant reforms lead-
ing to fundamental change.

Breaking the hegemony of the big Cana-
dian corporations, the U.S. transnationals
and the super-rich on political and eco-
nomic life in Canada, and empowering the
mass of working people to govern Canada
in a new way — on behalf of the whole
people — will bea truly revolutionary pro-
cess.

A new people’s government will have to
extend the forms and traditions of popular
struggle, guaranteeing them in constitu-
tional and legal structures, constantly
improving living standards and, through
the profound democratization of daily life,

waging constant battles against bureaucrat-
izagon= ses
We assert that Canadian realities and the —

experience of existing socialism show that
the defence and development of democracy
is at the heart of building a socialist society
as well as struggling for socialism. We base
our long-term objective of working class
power on complete confidence in the demo-
cratic will of the majority of Canadians to
embrace modern socialism. Some of the
features of modern socialism that we strive
for, include:

A multi-party democracy

socialist Canada
must be a multi-
party democracy in
which all political
and social groups
will have the right to
political expression,
including the right
to contest elections. The only limits should
be those of a democratic constitution to
protect human rights. A genuine multi-
party democracy in Canada would require
changes to our parliamentary system and
provide for proportional representation, the
abolition of an un-elected senate, political
representation to reflect the right to self-
determination of French Canada, and of
aboriginal peoples.

A multi-party democracy in a socialist
Canada would devolve decision making
wherever possible and useful to local
government, work force collectives and the
democratic institutions of civic society. All
of these must have appropriate constitu-
tional recognition. Self-management by
increasing numbers of informed citizens
must be the guiding principle of socialist
democracy.

National rights

ur vision of a social-
ist Canada is for a
voluntary union of
English-speaking
Canada and Quebec,
based on the equal
right of self-deter-
mination for both

nations, up to and including the right to
secession.

Canadian socialism must eradicate deci-
sively the legacy of colonialism and racism
which has been inflicted on the aboriginal
peoples. The right to self-determination of
Canada’s First Nations, including the
recognition of aboriginal title, the settle-
ment of land claims and self-government,
accompanied by mandatory affirmative
action programs must be fully accepted as
the only basis for the achievement of full
economic and social equality.

Economic democracy

socialist Canada
would extend dem-
ocracy into the eco-
nomic sphere using
the mechanisms of
public ownership,
public regulation
and community and

worker control over economic decision
making.