ONTARIO—a case in point
Monopolies—government—people

By BRUCE MAGNUSON

T IS doubtful if any capitalist gov-

ernment anywhere is more closely

tied to monopoly interests than is
the Tory administration of Ontario.
The obverse side of this commitment
to big business is its adeptness at eva-
sion’ and procrastination when dealing
with the public interest.

Rather than facing up to an issue
squarely and dealing with it expedi-
tiously and efficiently in a democratic
manner, Premier Robarts will handle
it behind the backs of the legisaltors,
if it is in the interests of the aims of
the private monopoly manipulators to
do so. On the other hand, if it is a mat-
ter concerning some policy commit-
ment to the public at large, there is
always some committee, judicial in-
quiry or commission set up to engage
in endless study of questians involved.

The most recent example of this ap-
proach is to be seen in the bringing
back into prominence in the Queen’s
Park hierarchy of Frederick M. Cass,
PC-MPP for Grenville-Dundas~ since
1955, as Speaker of the First Session
of the Twenty-Eighth Legislature. It
will be remembered that Mr. Cass re-
signed in March, 1964, as the scape-
goat for a piece of government legisla-
tion that has become well-known in the
public mind as the “police state” bill.
Premier Robarts at that time led his
party in support of a New Democratic
Party amendment to delete proposed
sections of the bill, and later accepted
Mr. Cass’s resignation as Attorney
General. Now Mr. Robarts dismisses
the whole matter of the “police state”
bill, as “a complete phony,” “a real
tempest,” created by the press. The
Premier claims to have the support for
the appointment from leaders of oppo-
sition parties, both Mr. Nixon and Mr.
MacDonald, and proceeds to state,
“Mr. Cass, with the concurrence of the
Legislature,” — which incidentally
does not meet until February 14, next
— “will bring to his new post his im-
mense knowledge of parliamentary pro-
ceedings, his unquestioned ability and
his completely fair approach to all mat-
ters which move before him.” Surely,
the only fair conclusion one must
reach, if the above estimation of Mr.
Cass is true, is that Premier Robarts
himself ought to have resigned in
March, 1964, instead of Mr. Cass.

Another example is the pre-election
promise made last August, as bait to
the voters based on the Smith Report
on Ontario tax policy, to take over the
responsibilty for administration of jus-
tice which has hitherto been done at
the cost of civic tax payers. Instead of
calling a special session of the Legis-
lature immediately after the election
to deal with the housing crisis and tax
reform, including the appropriate legis-
lation as our party demanded in a tele-
gram to the Premier, such legislation
will now have to be made retroactive
after the matters involved are already
dealt with by Orders-in-Council.

It is precisely this bureaucratic and
undemocratic way of handling the mat-
ter of provincial take-over of magis-
trates courts and the Don Jail, which
has resulted in a strike by members of
the Canadian Union of Public employ-
ees. Since no legislation presently on
the Statues of Ontario can force these
employees to give up their union, the
attempt to force them to give up
the right to belong to a union of their
own choice is both unconstitutional
and illegal. Since the principle involved
could be applied at some future date
to workers in other areas and public

Services, the matter concerns the
whole trade union movement.
Presently a judge has been appoint-
ed to look into the whole area of col-
lective bargaining for civil servants.
Another judge heads a Royal Commis-
sion Inquiry into the whole field of
labor-management relations in the
province. Another Royal Commission,
headed by another judge, is inquiring
into Civil Rights. In view of all this,

what is the great rush to prejudge mat-

ters involved? If these studies are to
have any meaning, and their outcome
is to be properly acted upon by a re-
sponsible government and legislature,
why not wait this outcome? Or is it
simply that these inquiries are mean-

ingless exercises in futility to allay
public opinion and fear, while govern-
ment proceeds independently of the
legislature and public opinion to act
behind the scenes as the monopoly es-
tablishment dictates? These are surely
some questions to ponder, not only for
the government, but for members of
the legislature, with special responsi-
bilities evolving upon the opposition
parties, as well as for the general pub-
lic.
e

Much is presently being said about

regional governments and regional de-

velopment. Two years ago, come next
April, Mr. Robarts presented a white
paper entitled ‘Design for Development’
towards the end of a dull legislative
session.

On November 8, last, Premier Rob-
arts told the Annual Meeting of the
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
about, “. . . agencies to formulate
plans, forums in which to discuss plans
and bodies to implement plans.” The
Premier claimed that ‘Design for Deve-
lopment’ had moved ahead rapidly:
“We are now deeply involved in a de-
tailed analysis of all programs and poli-
cies of the departments of the Ontario
government as they relate to regional
growth. We have commissioned more
than 20 specific studies. Out of this

detailed probing will come a respon-

sible and meaningful program that will
encourage a more uniform rate of eco-
nomic growth in each region of Ont-
ario. While the complete regional de-
velopment program of the Ontario
government will require some months,
perhaps years to complete, it is quite
clear that the program will deal with

JANUARY 26, 1968—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 6

several basic ‘problems.” There  fol-
lowed the usual cliches about ‘consoli-

dation,’ ‘restructuring,’ ‘streamlining,’
- and so on, ad infenitum.

The treasury department is being
split up into two components, Finance
and Economics, and Provincial Reve-
nue. The Chief Economist, Ian Mac-
donald has been moved from the De-
partment of Economics and Develop-
ment to become Deputy Provincial
Treasurer and to head up the Finance
and Economics wing of the Treasury
Board. Former Queen’s University
Teacher, R. S. Thoman heads up the

Regional Development Branch, which .

has been moved from Randall’s Depart-
ment of Economics and Development

to Mr. MacNaughton’s Treasury Board.
In fact, it means that the bureaucracy
is being consolidated in preparation
for implementation of the retrogressive
recommendations of the Smith Report
on Taxation and to place additional
economic burdens on local govern-
ments.

A new Policy Planning Division will
be on top of government’s fiscal and
economic policy, including the imposi-
tion of a new tier of regional govern-
ment super-imposed on the highly frag-
mented structure of local municipal
governments in the province. It will see
to it that new asssessments and more
taxes are levied on property, and that
the tax base on consumption and all
kinds of services is expanded in every
possible direction, along with elimina-
tion of any property tax exemptions.
The provincial grant on the first $2,000

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of taxable assessment will be eaten up
many times over by a tripled property
assessment. Deputy Treasurer Ian
MacDonald and Regional Development
Director: Richard S. Thoman will be
the team working on this new frontal
assault of the local taxpayer and muni-
cipal democracy.

In. the meantime it looks as if the
Department of Economics and develop-
ment will be some kind of industrial
and trade liason squad, with Mr. Ran-
dall as the Minister of “Industry, Trade
and Foreign Affairs.” It is now sug-
gested that the government spend
some $40,000 to woo business and
businessmen from California to Ont-
ario. A 21-member delegation, includ-
ing Premier Robarts, Economics Minis-
ter Randall, his Deputy Minister, S. W.
Clarkson; Deputy Provincial Treasurer
Ian MacDonald; Oakah Jones, President
of the Consumer Gas Co. etc., will leave
for Los Angeles, California on January
21. The ostensible purpose is to draw
more U.S. industry and business to
Ontario, persuade professionals to
emigrate here, and to try and sell more
Ontario products in California. The re-
sults may not be too rewarding in the
context of current political and econo-
mic developments. But we must agre&
that it will be a break to get away
from the cold weather for a couple of
weeks at the taxpayers expense, and
rest up for the new session on Febru-
ary 14.

The mission to California has been
christened ‘Ontario Unlimited.’ Ontario
Trade and Industry Branch of Ran-
dall’s department will open a trade
office in Los Angeles. Economic poli-
cies, especially as they pertain to U.S.
investments, will be discussed. Direc-
tor of immigration, A. S. Clark will
interview professional persons who
have shown an interest in Canada, par-
ticularly chemical and mechanical en-
gineers, computer programers and, phy-
sicists. A costly advertising campaign
will be developed around the project.

Conferences will be held with cor-
poration executives, bankers and civic
leaders. Lavish financial incentives and
grants will be offered to business and
industry through the Ontario Develop-
ment Corporation. This will include
full use of research facilities available
at the Sheridan Park, Ontario’s $11
million government and industry-sup-

_ ported research centre, west of To-

ronto.

With such a program and perspec-
tive, U.C. control, Ontario’s econo-
my will expand and a greater econo-
mic squeeze will be applied to wage
and salary earners to subsidize big’
business. Perhaps Mr. Robarts’ vision
of tomorrow’s Confederation includes
Ontario’s absorbtion of California as
compensation for the Alaska panhan-
dle, which rightfully ought to belong
to British Columbia.

(CouGH) THE

PY THE MEANTINE

HOWEVER, WE ADVISE

yh EYERYONE T0-