Canada

Firms run
to Chile

Canadian firms are flocking to Chile
to take part in the “win, win, win” situa-
tion the military dictatorship provides
for foreign business. “Chile is no moral
dilemma for us,” Ian Tefler, president of
Consolidated TVX Mining Corporation
of Toronto, told the Financial Post,
deflecting comment on Pinochet’s record
of human rights abuses. The Post says
business is enamoured with Chile’s rich
mineral resources, skilled, but cheap
labour, modest taxes, fluid movement of
capital and “generous financial incen-
tives.””

Both Amnesty International and the
Task Force on the Churches and Corpo-
tate Responsibility have urged Canadian
companies to observe a code of conduct
when operating in Chile. Only one has
answered the appeal.

The federal government, which is
committed not to do business with
Tepressive regimes, refused an export
licence to Spar Aerospace Lt. of Toronto
which repaired instruments for the Chi-
lean airforce. However, this has been the
only restraint that Ottawa has placed on
trade with Chile.

Canadian
peace directory

It’s out and it sure looks good: The
Canadian Peace Directory, with 83 pages
of peace organizations, listed alphabeti-
cally and cross-indexed by geographical
location, type and special interests. For
those who thought the peace movement
was dormant, this publication will dispel
any such notion. Canadians are con-
cerned about disarmament issues and
they are active in voicing those concerns
co-operatively. They’re all here in black
in white, from neighbourhood groups to
National coalitions, in this publication of
the Canadian Peace Alliance.

There is also an electronic version of
the directory which permits the printing
of mailing labels of either the entire list,
or those in sub-groups. Lists are availa-
ble at $5 each, or on floppy disk at $30,
with discounts for CPA members.

The fetus
in court

Months after the Supreme Court of
Canada struck down Canada’s abortion
law because it discriminated against
women, the issue of reproductive choice
is again on trial. Anti-abortionist Joe
Borowski is before the court arguing
human rights for the fetus. The case is
legally complicated because, in the
absence of any existing legislation, lawy-
ers are left to argue extremely broad
“moral” issues which the court has
already informed the government it does
not wish to rule on.

Women’s groups have criticized the
solicitor-general’s department for its
lacklustre defence. It didn’t object to the
right-wing lobby, R.E.A.L Women,
intervening in the case, although the
group made its petition long after the
closing date. The Canadian Abortion
Rights Action League has called on the
solicitor-general’s office to litigate the
case more forcefully and to move for
dismissal on the basis that the legislation
in question has been struck down.

Many speculate the governing Con-
servatives want the case in the courts to
avoid taking a stand during the election
campaign.

|-€P outlines comprehensive

plan for the environment

The Communist Party this week outlined
its environmental program, calling for for
the development of a comprehensive plan,
with full public input, linking protection of
the environment with disarmament and
controls on industrial waste.

The CP’s proposals, it said, would
include:

@ International co-operation and firm
guidelines on global environmental stand-
ards, including financial and_ technical
assistance to developing countries to assist
their industrialization in a non-polluting
way.

e A ban onall nuclear tests and steps to
achieve complete multilateral nuclear dis-
armament by the year 2000. The prohibi-
tion of the testing and manufacture of
biological and chemical weapons.

@ Serious negotiations with the U.S. on
substantially reducing acid rain and other
dangerous pollutants.

@ An international ban on the export of
industrial waste to the developing countries.

@ Co-operation with northern govern-
ments, Native peoples organizations, and
other countries along the polar rim to
develop an Arctic protection program and
establish the Arctic as a nuclear weapons
free zone.

© Tough laws to reduce pollution which
would hold polluters financially responsible
for the clean-up. This must be backed with
fines and jail terms for offenders.

e Destruction of existing PCB stocks
anda ban on production. Tough, safe regu-
lations are required to increase protection
for the use, handling and transportation of
dangerous chemicals.

e A comprehensive all-Canada energy
program that includes conservation and
alternative forms of energy.

@ Research and development of pollu-
tion control. Medical research is also

On Sept. 4, Prime Minister Brian Mul-
roney called for a “collective commit-
ment of the Canadian nation in favour of
this great question of environmental pro-
tection.” They were fine sounding words
but they don’t hold up against the Tory
record.

e Environmentalists have called the
government’s main initiative, the U.S.-
Canada free trade agreement, “the grea-
test threat to the Canadian environment
today.”

@ Bringing provincial-federal relations
in line with the Meech Lake Accord, the
June, 1988 Environmental Protection

environmental protection by turning

The Tories’ sorry record

Act abrogates federal responsibility for’

that power over to the provinces.

@ The Tories have neglected the
environment both fiscally and politically.
By 1985, after only a year in office, the
Mulroney government had slashed $46
million from the environment budget
and eliminated 511 jobs. A further 361
jobs are due to be axed. It has refused to
get tough on polluters, rejecting a ban on
cancer-causing pesticides and dioxin.

® Further proof of the Tory agenda
was seen in the appointment of the
environment department's chief of staff
— ascientist on loan from Imperial Oil.
As Canada’s largest oil company, it has
less than an exemplary record on envir-
onmental concerns.

required the study and treatment of
environmentally-induced illness.

® Opposition to redirecting the flow of
any waterways for any reason, including the
export of water to the U.S.

® Policies to stop the process of ““decerti-
fication” of the southern prairies through
soil destruction and erosion. This also
means assistance to farmers to find alterna-
tive to chemical pesticides and herbicides. A
ban on the urbanization of prime farmland.

e A moratorium on the expansion of the
nuclear industry including a ban on’ the
export of uranium, tritium and nuclear
waste.

e Tough Canada-wide standards on
health and safety regulations in the work-
place with laws and inspectors to enforce
them. :

eA major reforestation program to
rebuild depleted timber reserves and a ban
on clear-cut logging.

@ Canada-wide regulations and federal
initiatives to find environmentally safe
methods for garbage disposal including re-
cycling in every community.

© Restoration of the full budget for
Environment Canada, together with increa-
ses in funding and staff, including the rehir-
ing of staff cut by the Tories.

“The environmental problem ‘is immense,
and requires a common approach, both
domestically and internationally,” the CP
program emphasizes. “While the costs of a
clean environment are high, the cost of
allowing the environment to be damaged
further will be even greater.”

Two arrested for questioning PM

By KERRY McCUAIG

TORONTO — Speak before you’re spo-
ken in front of royalty, and it’s unlikely
you’ll be invited back to a palace tea. Speak
out of turn to Canada’s prime minister and
you might find yourself under arrest. That’s
what two peace workers discovered when
they attempted to ask Mulroney a question
about his $8-billion nuclear submarine
plan.

David Kraft and Bob Penner were force-
fully removed from a Etobicoke hall where
the prime minister was addressing a crowd
of the Tory faithful Oct. 12 and held by
police for several hours.

About 25 members of the Toronto Dis-
armament Network attended the rally as
part of the Canadian Peace Pledge Cam-
paign, a cross-country effort aimed at ensur-
ing peace is raised as an issue during the
election campaign.

According to Penner, Kraft questioned
Mulroney but was drowned out by partisan
yells. The protesters replied by chanting
“scrap the subs”, and attempted to unfurl a
banner before being seized by burly Tory
organizers and roughly hustled outside.

Kraft and Penner were pushed to the
floor and dragged outside where they were
handed over to Metro Toronto police and
arrested for breach of the peace.

Under some criticism from the media for
“disrupting” the rally, Penner angrily
responded: “We were arrested for asking a
question!” He acknowledged that it “wasn’t

BOB PENNER

‘With Mulroney, there’s never
been an opportunity to discuss
disarmament issues. He’s
consistently refused to meet
with the peace movement.’

question period,” but maintained that
voters have the right to confront candidates
on the campaign trail.

“With Mulroney there’s never been an
opportunity to discuss disarmament issues.
He’s consistently refused to meet with the
peace movement. He’s refused a debate on
foreign policy. He’s obviously doesn’t want
peace to be a subject in this campaign,”
Penner said.

Penner also defended the group’s right to
be in the hall. We phoned the day before
and were assured it was an open meeting.
We asked if a Conservative membership
card was necessary to get in, and were told it
wasn’t. We were told to ‘come on out,’ so
we accepted the invitation.”

Mulroney lectured the protesters on
democracy and freedom of speech as they
were being dragged from the hall. “Free-
dom and tolerance are what this country is
all about,” he said before reiterating his
stock put-down of all the demonstrators he
has encountered on every stage of tour:
“You know the NDP. They can’t draw flies
themselves, so they come to our meetings.”

TDN co-ordinator Wendy Wright, who
was also present at the rally, called Mulro-
ney’s statement “outrageous. He is really
talking out of both sides of his mouth. Here
is a prime minister who won't discuss
defence issues during an election campaign.
We are forced to go to these extremes to
even get an audience.”

Pacific Tribune, October 24, 1988 » 5

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