Pattern takes shape
in new Parliament

OTTAWA — Any summary of

events of the first nine days of
Canada’s 29th Parliament, which
opened Jan. 4, must note a pat-
tern — with large blank areas.

Liberal minority Government
ministers in “promising” preli-
minary speeches touched. many
of the sensitive points in the
Canadian economy, indicating
they care — about jobs, unem-
ployment insurance, income
taxes, regional problems, and
foreign investment.

The House did unite on a re-
solution deploring U.S. bombing
of Vietnamese cities, but parti-
sanship ruled, elsewhere.

Conservatives, Robert Stan-
field,. in particular, took on the
-task of goading and needling the

NDP to try to stampede it into
joining Tory no-confidence votes.
It appeared to observers that the
Tories hoped to end Parliament
before the Trudeau forces could
lay out their table of goodies for
the electorate to see. In truth,
Stanfield’s tongue is not only
hanging out for office, but “it is
tearing at the roots.”
"~The NDP, so far, has played a
responsible role in trying to
make Parliament function, so
that the people of Canada can
derive some good from the Oct.
31 election.

While Prime Minister Trudeau
used the Throne Speech debate
to present himself as the defend-
er of French Canada, which
French Canadian workers know
to be untrue, his ministers were
at pains each to prove the Libe-
ral right to govern.

Industry, Trade and Commerce
Minister Gillespie said he had a
Ford—General Motors commit-
ment there would be no car
price increase “with respect to
economics” (?). Manpower Min-
ister Andras said he hoped to
present Unemployment Insur-
ance Act amendments “in the
‘very near future.” And Consum-
er Affairs Minister Gray was
eager for a Parliamentary deci-
sion to set up a food-price en-
quiry “at an early date.” Finance
Minister Turner promised “an
early budget,” after seeking “the
views of the provinces” at a
meeting Jan. -18-19.

“What is called for,” as the
Communist Party has pointed
out, “is a total mobilization of
the human and natural resources
of our country aimed at putting
Canada back to work, assuring a
job and an adequate income for
all Canadians as a right.” That
would be a good starting point
for Parliament.

TO
STOMACH

_ SHUDDER EMPTY WALLETS...
ENTIRE PAYCHECKS DEVOLIRED....
HEAR S GROWL....

Wary world insists
y,US sign agreement,

r get out of Vietnam

Hold hearings on living
costs CP tells Trudeau

The Central Executive of the
Communist Party of Canada at
its meeting on January 11-12,
demanded of the Government
that the proposed Senate-House
Commission of Inquiry into the
Cost of Food Products in Can-
ada be expanded to include ad-
ditional areas of clothing, rent,
housing, land and interest
charges.

The full text of .the Party’s
letter to Prime Minister Trudeau
appears below.

“According to press reports
it is the intention of the govern-
ment to establish a Senate-
House, Commission of Inquiry
into the Costs of Food Products
in Canada.

“While there may be some
value in such an inquiry it is

‘Our contention that the out-

rageous increases which have
taken place in the prices of al-
most. all commodities over the
past year require much more
drastic action on the part of the
government. What is really re-
quired is the setting-up of a
prices review board, composed
of government, labor and a

broad . spectrum -of:public “or~.

- all

ganizations, before which all
price increases would have to
be: justified.

“However, since it is the ex-
pressed intention of the govern-
ment to establish a commission
of inquiry, we respectfully urge
that its terms of reference be
broadened to include the ad-
ditional cost areas- of housing,
rent, land and interest rates
which drain away an inordinate
portion of family incomes.

“The public record over the
past year bears ample evidence
that any meaningful examina-
tion of rapidly rising living costs
must encompass, in addition to
food and clothing, the areas of
rent, housing, land and interest
charges.

“We would further request
that public hearings be held to
which all interested organiza-
tions should be invited to test-
ify. Such hearings to be held in
major centres across the
country. Failing this, the gov-
ernment should bear the ex-

‘penses for representatives of in-

terested organizations to come
to Ottawa to appear before the
commission.” « - envied

The United States’ threat t0
perpetrate a nuclear hell if
North Vietnam “if the Paris
peace talks broke down con
pletely,” revealed Washington’s
raving irresponsibility towards
mankind, whatever its changes)
of mask from day to day.

Five days before Nixon’s in
auguration, as was the case just
before the U.S. elections, peace
rumors are rampant. Again the
world hopes—while the strug:
gle goes on to compel Nixon to
sign the agreement.

Today, though, nobody trusts
the U.S. government.

In the USA, plans go forward
with addeq momentum for @
mass anti-war protest in Wash
ington—a March Against Death
—on Jan. 20, inauguration day.
Demonstrations in dozens of
U.S. cities Jan. 19-20 will sup
port it.

When Texas oil man, William
Clements, Nixon nominee fot
deputy defense secretary, said
Jan. 11 that he doesn’t rule out
use of nuclear weapons in Viet
nam, the White House tried t0
smooth it over.

But United Press Interna
tional reported the next day
fom Saigon:

“Spokesmen for the U.S. Com:
mand today refused to say whe
ther nuclear weapons are stored
within bombing distance of
North Vietnam.” :

On the other hand, millions
of people around the world are
forthright — and they demand:
Stop the war. Sign the agree
ment. Get out of Vietnam.

In London, England a mas
sive demonstration is shaping
up for the 20th. “This demon
stration,” declared the Comml:
nist Party of Britain, “must be
the launching pad for a further
upsurge in 1973 of a mighty,
united movement in support of
the Vietnamese people’s strug
gle for peace and national inde
pendence.”

In Bonn, West Germany,
Willy Brand’s government elé
vated to official policy status, @
speech by its finance ministel,
Helmut Schmidt, in which he
warned USA. If the war did not
end, he said, “the danger of
alienation might turn into real
ity and thereby deeply influenct
the development of Europeat
American relations.”

In Saigon, another U.S. ser
viceman chose to rejoin the hu
man race, saying: “‘the goals do
not justify the mass destruction
and killing.” Capt. Michael J.
Heck has refused to take patl
in further bombing.

Prominent Europeans ~ have
urged all people of Europe to
demand the war’s end. They in:
clude scientist Prof. Eric Bur
hop of Britain, composer Dmit
ry Shostakovich, Rafael Alberti
Spanish writer, Belgian Ministe
of State Henhi Rollin, actresi
Melina Mercouri, and Pasto}
Martin Niemoeller of West Ge
many. : io