. A SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION _ National groups and the new party By JOHN WEIR (National Educational Director, AUUC) Progressive -people among the Slavic-and other national groups in Canada have been closely following the great dis- cussion now under way in the labor movement on the launching of a new party which would unite the forces of the workers, farmers and pr ogressive Canadians generally and challenge the political monopoly of the old-line parties that serve the in- terests of Big Business. Many Ukrainian, Hungarian, Finnish. and other workers have directly taken part as members of trade unions in the conferences called to dis- cuss this new party. The possibilities for prog- ress which the formation of such a party would open up are stupendous. It seems to me, however, that so far the participation in the discussion and the very conception of the new party are not as broad and dynamic as they could and should be. The participation of the pub- lic organizations of the na- tional groups in the discus- sion would provide additional strength and verve to the working out of the plans for the new party — and more breadth and power to that party when it is launched. The resolution adopted by the Canadian Labour Con-° gress convention in April, 1958, which initiated the country - wide debate, pro- posed the formation of “a broadly based people’s - poli- tical movement, which em- braces the CCF, the labor GAS HEATING SALES AND © INSTALLATIONS @ COMMERCIAL, @ INDUSTRIAL @ RESIDENTIAL Harry C. Weinstein GAS CONTRACTOR 8823 West 12 or 315 Powell AL 2991-L MU 3-5044 ROOFING ‘ . of movement, farm organiza- tions, professional people and other liberal-minded persons interested in basic social re- form and reconstruction through our parliamentary system of government.” Certainly, that definition in- cludes the progressive cul- tural and fraternal organiza- tions of the national group communities, and could also include others which today do not take a clearly progressive position but whose members would gravitate towards the new party because of their basic interests as workers and farmers. What is more, the new party (and the discussion pre- ceeding its formation) would not be complete without the participation of the national group organizations. It is true that the workers and farmers of Canada are united in their trade union and farm organizations irres- pective of national origins. It is true that the class inter- ests of, let us say, Polish or Yugoslav Canadian workers are the same as those of ‘the English or French Canadian. But because Canada is a land immigration, one-fifth of the population is of other than Anglo-Saxon or French ori- gin, and among them there are active communities with strong organizations and press. Within each national group these communities are the arena of vigorous ideological and political discussion and struggle, reflecting in their own way the basic cleavages in Canadian political life as a whole. And the progressive organizations in each national group community are the many vehicles for the propa- gation of the principles of the workers’ movement. _ To ignore the national groups in the plans for the united la- bor - farmer political move- ment would be to ignore a significant section of the coun- try’s working people who to a large extent are influenced PATRONIZE re CEDAR FUEL & TRANSFER Phone: 566-R-3 Cedar, B.C, in their thinking by the poli- tical activities in their own national group community. Moreover, it is this section that is today being most assi- duously wooed by the old-line parties and the capitalist class. The inclusion of the pro- gressive national group or- ganizations would bring the new movement strong organ- ized forces with influential newspapers, meeting halls and resources to influence and win over additional tens of thousands of adherents to labor-farmer political action— forces which even now in dozens of areas can be de- cisive for victory. Now let us look at the other side of the coin: it is. to the advantage of the na- -tional group organizations to become associated with this movement for a new political party in Canada? These organizations are not political parties, nor are they affiliated to any political party. But they have never been apolitical. Throughout all their history they have ac- tively campaigned for peace, for national friendship, for broader democratic rights, for support to the trade union and farm organizations in their efforts to improve the living standards of the work- ers and farmers. These are in essence political activities. Arising from their progress- ive ideology and their cham- pioning of the above inter- ests, their members and ad- herents have always taken a lively part in election cam- paigns and on occasion branches of the organizations also have endorsed and sup- ported candidates in parlia- mentary elections. Nor is there any question about our vital interest in the question of the new political line-up. Everything we hold dear will be tremendously af- fected by the success or fail- ure of that venture. We should do everything in our power to ensure its success. Would this mean a depart- ure from the traditional poli- : cy of non-affiliation to any ~ political party? These organizations have been officially associated with other movements in the past. Some took part in the Cana- dian Youth Congress in the 1930’s, for example, and their branches were also affiliated to the Canadian Labor De- fense League. In the postwar y some of them have b pe sociated at all levels with League for Democratic the Canadian-Soviet ship Society and the dian Peace Congress, associations did not them to anything to they themselves didn’t they simply provided a ing-place for ideas ordination of activities certain lines. If the new political is formed along similar (the and various immediate ests on a broad jointly ed program), there wo: seem to be any barr their participation. In any event they can_ into the preliminary disc particularly in local ¢@ ences called by the trade ions. The discussion in th movement has already. underway for nearly ¢ and if the national are to make their on “getting together” groups of different out cS tion to it, they should now by discussions in own , organizations joining in the public ¢ ences. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISIN A charge of 50 cents for each insertion of five lines or less with 10 cents for each addi- tional line is made for notices appearing in this column. No notice will be accepted later than Tuesday noon of the week of publication. NOTICES DEADLINE FOR COMING EVENTS COLUMN — All copy must be in the Pacific Tribune office not later than 12 noon Tuesday. 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