he equal partnership bee AWA—Introducing his Party’s delegation to the Joint May yrommons Committee on the Constitution in Ottawa on att 7, William Kashtan, general secretary of the Communist fj Y of Canada, declared, “Events dramatically emphasize that ols Tunning out with respect to how the constitutional crisis : resolved.” mj Kashtan and Mme. Claire Demers, editor of COMBAT . 4 member of the National Committee of the Parti Commu- ‘ oe Québec, outlined for the Joint Committee the position of tion mmunist Party of Canada for a new Canadian constitu- — achieving a new Confederal Pact based on the equal volun- HE unity of Canada can best be advanced in a new Confederal Pact ‘based on the complete equality of the two national communities in a. democratic sovereign bi-national state and on their right to self-determination. el; a born, and even violent, refusal to “ognize the existence of the French- @Madian nation and its right to self- Priv . ‘ E for eoowned great corporations, eignty as t : “ople of this country, led by the work- *stablishing a socialist society. Socig Putsches Acts of te Because this rrorism. Socialism can only — Wite both da Ction of the working people of Nations. suede|s, (Summary of the Submission of the Unity of the working class being es- parts of English Canada, desirable as Ommunist Party of Canada to the sential, we oppose all national privilege a may be even touch the essence of Pecial Joint Committee on the Con- and exclusiveness on the one hand, and _— the pr oblem. Stitution of Canada.) all national oppression and discrimina- What is needed is a new Canadian tion on the other. constitution, freely negotiated by the The French-Canadian nation 15.0? constitution which is based on the com- pressed in that it is denied the right — plete equality and the right to self- to self-determination, in that it suffers determination of both. — from lower standards of living, of health, of educational opportunities, of eral-provincial conferences on the con- job opportunities than the English- stitution can make no serious progress, speaking nation, aggravated by the precisely because they are held in the fact that English has been imposed as framework of the present constitution, _. Separation would not -be in the best the language of work in the major Mterests of either nation. industries in Quebec. tiate as an equal with English Canada. united Canada would create the The British North America Act is To put itself ce a ite ae to St conditions for successful struggle the constitutional framework for the oa On ae Seer oraaiite ise Or Canadian independence from Cana- _ national oppression of French Canada —gndorse the proposal of the Parti Com- ane Monopoly and U.S. imperialism, a py Canadian and U.S. monopoly. Hence — muniste du Québec that Quebec should "uggle which only a united working the crisis in the relations between our adopt its own constitution establishing 488 can lead. two nations is expressed also as a con- control over matters affecting their ee : ituti crisis and underlines the 1 L me pe Pencipal obstacle to the creation SEE ec tar thecaenecent of your can negotiate freely with English- a 3 ° ° 5 5 St United, bi-national state is the Special Joint Committee on the Consti- tution of Canada. The BNA Act does not recognize the should be turned over to a confederal minain upto and clung ty TreseeCanding in Quabes 62 28 ECO an than 0 separation, if the majority of lon, bU : oe : é : ue 2 ion to the central Canadian This is a policy for Canadian unity, beckers so desire. same relation - a voluntary equal partnership of two Thi government as each of the provinces is was the direct cause of the which together form the territory of Use 4 Occupation of Quebec and the the English-Canadian nation. Perite be eoeicion which ebat eae ime AS or Measures Act in peace- This inevitably propels the people of into this crisis. Snihointiats 43 “ els t . ber 1970 pring the casts Quebec to assert their right to self- heidi is very iste indeed cae the Durj determination. October crisis has shown us. If the or wing the course of their struggles Because of the present constitutional poet policy sontiiues in its essen- the fe eouie and social advance—for structure each province of English- ei ae a Jnr COE ee can : ension of democracy, the curb- _— speaking Canada feels justified in Se ee cern hoe ae degree of sover- hat demanded by the one senting the French- : : ; ces- Sos : : Canadian nation. which makes neces as constituting an equal nation having . : ‘al reform difficult to achieve agin 1 “lass will come to see the necessity sary social English-speaking Canada. tae constitutional power to cope with & and ultimate elimination of the demanding an equal € independence of Canada—the province repre structure, which denies economic inequality. f the French-Canadian —_But it is not too late to act, to build ¥ ae BNA Act a new genuine Canadian unity, if it is lism cannot be won through the existence 0 conspiracies or individual nation and its right t tion, is at the heart o no formula for amendment of this Act € achi ° : : epeved by the democratic will and can solve the constitutional crisis. Nor can a policy of bilingualism in determination. of Canadas two nations tary partnership of the two nations in a democratic, sovereign bi-national state.” The brief of the Communist Party of Canada was accorded an attentive, serious hearing by the Joint Committee members in argumentation that lasted almost two hours. With Mr. Kashtan and Mme. Demers, other members of the delegation were: Alfred Dewhurst, executive secretary of the Central Executive Committee of the CPC; Samuel J. Walsh, presi- dent of the Parti Communiste du Québec and member of the Central Executive Committee, CPC; Bernadette Lebrun, member of the National Committee of the PCQ and of the Central Com- mittee of the CPC; and Denise Paquin and Michel Petit, members of the PCQ. 2 representatives of the two nations, a All experience has shown that fed- which means that Quebec cannot nego- vital national interest. Then Quebec speaking Canada what aspects of for- eign relations, defense, customs, immi- gration, money, postal matters, etc., government together with the tax re- nations, opposed to separation on the one hand, or the maintenance of less-known dangers and grave disad- vantages of separation, rather than the continuous refusal to recognize them their problems of political, social and done boldy with strict respect for the principles of national, social and eco- nomic equality and national self- SL a snoinassnvnsnoenaiugureccunvnscg TUF UTA UOUUDUUEUEEEUUOUEEUEUEOUUOUEEEOUUOUOUT PAGIFIC TRIBUNE—-FRIDAY; JUNE 4, 197 1—PAGE 9