Toronto civic crisis moves people to action By WILLIAM STEWART The financial crisis in the mu- nicipalities continues. This crisis is moving the peo- ple into action, which is ex- pressed in tax reform move- ments, tenants organizations, reactivization of ratepayers -or- ganizations and citizen’s groups. Committees have sprung up to defeat such unpopular projects as the Spadina Expressway and the Lakeshore Raceway. The labor movement is stepping up its activities in civic politics. All of these development im- pinge upon the undemocratic big business tax policies of the Robarts provincial government and the interests they represent in Metropolitan Toronto. In these circumstances the provincial government and mon- opoly forces are undertaking measures to head off these movements and insulate their control of Metro Toronto civic politics from them. _CIVAC (Civic Independent Voter’s Action Committee) which was inaugurated with much fanfare three years ago, is the vehicle through which the Tories hope to secure their control of Toronto City politics, which is the heart of the Met- ropolitan area. CIVAC, which, in a sense, is the father of:party politics at Toronto city hall, has succeeded in drawing both the Liberals, and unfortunately also the NDP, into running as political parties in the forthcoming civic elec- tions. Hiding behind the veneer of non-partisanship, it is: cynic- ally planning to trick the voters into turning control of city hall over to a Tory administration. It is impossible for the Tories to make a direct assault on city hall because of the disrepute of their municipal policies. How- ever there is growing alarm in Tory circles about their weaken- ing position in the major muni- cipal areas and in the first place in Metro Toronto. At the same time big business is concerned about the growing activity of labor in municipal politics and the re-election of Mayor Den- nison in the city of Toronto. In these circumstances CIVAC is being groomed as a “new ap- proach” to civic government and citizen participation. It is hoped to use it to head off the threat posed by labor and its demo- cratic allies and make the situ- ation safe for monopoly and nip in the bud the growing fight against Tory municipal financial policies through control of the most important municipality in Ontario. In these circumstances it is indeed unfortunate that the NDP, rather than seeking the broadest possible alliances, in- cluding small business, ratepay- ers and the trade union move- ment, has undertaken to go it alone and get caught in the web of sectarian party politics. It is imperative that the demo- cratic forces unite at the polls to defeat CIVAC and the Libe- rals and elect labor and demo- cratic voices on the Toronto City Council and all other Met- ro Councils. CIVAC must be given a sharp defeat at the polls, including its mayorality candidate Margaret Campbell, whom CIVAC has not officially endorsed, but will cam- paign for in this election. In these circumstances Mayor Den- nison should be returned and along with him the strongest possible block of labor and pro- gressive candidates. This is not just another elec- tion campaign. Monopoly is striking back hard in Toronto to head off the growing mass movements and to make it pos- sible for the monopolies to con- tinue and intensify their attacks on the living standards of the working people. At the same time a real possibility exists for the democratic forces, headed by the labor movement, to de- feat this threat and to extend its strengh in the Metropolitan area, and paricularly in the City of Toronto. This could open the way for Metro Toronto to lead a mass provincial movement for demo- cratic tax reform _ legislation, and a democratic restructuring .of civic government. PUBLIC MEETING The Communist Party's campaign to defeat the govern- ment’s austerity program will be the subject of a public meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 8 p.m. to be held at 1579 Dupont Street in Toronto's west end. The speaker will be the party's leader, William Kashtan who will discuss labor's alternatives to either continued inflation or deflation and recession. Subscribe now To New Subscribers Only You Save 50% by mailing this coupon Before Nov. 30, 1969 for World Marxist Review and its FREE supplement Information Bulletin : Read month by month analysis on working-class developments, national liberation struggles, socialist world and documents of the international Communist movement. You get two journals for the price of one and at half-price in this unusual limited offer. Your saving on newstand price is $2.45! The national organizer of the Communist Party of Canada, Don Currie, and the national youth secretary, Charles Mc- Fadden, are travelling across western Canada on a trip to mobilize the Communist Party in a _counter-offensive against the Trudeau Administration’s austerity program, and for a people’s program, based on the needs of the working people. Both Don Currie and Chuck McFadden were elected to lead- ing posts in the Communist Party at its national convention last spring. Both are young, and both have a history of having played an active and_ leading role in the mass struggles of the people. Mr. McFadden will be seeking out working, farm and student youth in preparation for the founding convention of the Young Communist League to take place in March, 1970. His report to the Central Committee was a highlight, when he report- ed on the successful establish- ment of YCL branches in Tor- onto, Edmonton and Regina, as well as the founding convention of the Ligue des Jeunesses du Quebec in Montreal. Mr. Currie will be discussing the development of a campaign on the prairies for the Commun- ist Party's farm emergency pro- gram, (carried elsewhere in this paper) and to arouse interest in the sending of a mass delega- tion of farmers to Ottawa to present their demands, At the recently. concluded meeting of the Party’s Central Committee, Mr. Currie centered his report on party organization, on industrial organization, the Canadian Tri- bune, the fight to form a Young Communist League and_ the municipal work of the Commun- ist Party. “From this meeting of the Central Committee,” he _ said, “will begin an independent cam- paign beamed to the working people around a program of ac- tion” to defeat the austerity program. “We will campaign to carry forward the fight to defeat Trudeau’s wage freeze policy.” “An emergency farm program of action to provide federal cash payments to farmers and to step up the sale of wheat will be com- bined with a demand for a new deal on the prairies. We will step up our campaigning in the cities around the slogans, New Tax Deal for Homeowners, a Tenant’s Bill of Rights, a federal program of urban renewal .. .” he said. “We will continue our cam- REGULAR PRICE $3.50 a year NOW $1.15 PROGRESS svascripTion SERVICE , 487 Adelaide St. W., Toronto 2-B, Ontario, Canada , Phone 368-5336 Communist © paign to end Canadian compli- city in the war in Vietnam and for Canadian withdrawal from NATO and NORAD. The party will mobilize and work in co- operation with the peace forces organizing the nation-wide dem- onstrations. on November 15,” he said. Mr. Currie said that the party pledges to guarantee the suc- cessful founding of the Young Communist League in March of 1970, in honor of the 100th anni- versary of the birth of Lenin. We live in the age of sweep- ing revolutionary change, said Mr. Currie, into which Canada is being drawn every bit as much as any other country. He point- ed to the upsurge of mass pro- tests and strikes of the working people across the country, in the struggle against monopoly’s at- tempts to foist the costs. of Gromyko's visit aid Canada-Soviet ties The Soviet press believes that closer relations with Canada, which will be mutually benefi- cial to both countries and serve to ease international tensions, are in the offing as a result of the talks USSR foreign minister Andrei Gromyko held with Canadian government leaders in Ottawa earlier this month. On October 5 Pravda publish- ed an artile by its Ottawa’ cor- respendent K. Geivandov, which reads in. part: © “In the past years there took place a certain revival and ex- pansion of mutually beneficial Soviet-Canadian relations in the economic, scientific-techni- cal and cultural fields. As a result of the reciprocal exchange of visits of prominent leaders of both countries good foundations have been laid for expanding political contacts between our states. ‘ “True to its peaceful foreign policy the Soviet Union comes out for the promotion of rela- tions. with Canada. When leav- ing Ottawa Andrei Gromyko ex- pressed the conviction that prerequisites exist for Soviet- Canadian relations to grow steadily stronger and become good neighbor relations in the full sense of the word. Canadian Minister of External Affairs M. Sharp also came out-in favor of the promotion of Soviet-Cana- dian relations. “During the Soviet-Canadian capitalism’s economic ills on backs of working people. a0 He underlined the imp? rol of the Communist Part sig in the development and } of these movements. eee ists active in the mass ments of the people havt iy communist attacks, knoe well that the mass ne nf were on the rise. As 0 movement arises it dé conscious revolutionary ff perspective. It is such @ that we are entering nov el our party faces the challe 0 fighting for a mass bas@ © the working people, We" party will come into its o” 92 In the months ahead & will aim to bring about a all improvement in the of y fighting strength of the pa talks it was agreed tO aie jer the near future at a PFOF 9 (0 concrete questions Per’ a 0 the state and develop’ aii economic relations, se ont technical and cultural He ; tion between our count “In the course of thé’ Ottawa a fruitful exch, views took place on @ of international problé favor of a relaxation the national tension, against twee of force in the relations i states, for the affirmallO? principles of peaceful ence, for the solution lems that divide the © “Consolidation of © peace is the urgent t85? coi days, The adjustment ° Canadian cooperation 4” h lishment of mutual trus fulfil this task and C0? the interests of both ° tries and° all the Pe peoples.” a PACIFIC TRIBUNE—OCTOBER 17, 1969—Page 4