|
i

Stem nia

a

r\y

/
|

SURERS
OBBY

FA 4

NDP MILA challenges

car insurance lobby

In answer to the auto insur-
ance industry’s $100,000 cam-
paign to block government auto
insurance, Rosemary Brown,
MLA for Vancouver Burrard,
went on television Saturday
evening to reiterate the govern-
ment’s commitment to a govern-
ment insurance scheme, and to
refute the position put forward
by the insurance industry.

Inaninterview later withthe
Tribune, Rosemary pointed out
that ‘‘the Insurance Bureau is
trying to mount the kind of hys-

teria against the scheme which
they were able to mount in Mani-
toba.’’ Only the voter can
decide,” she said, *‘whether he is
going to stand with the govern-
ment on this vital issue or allow
himself to be manipulated by
the industry's $100,000 public

- relations brainwash.”

““Which poses another
interesting question: Where
does the money come from?”’
she asked. ‘From your pocket
and mine, of course.”’

“One of the vital issues in this
whole matter is the fate of the
5,000 people employed in the
industry,’’ Rosemary noted.
The insurance industry has
suddenly discovered an interest
in its employees and is present-
ing the threat of their unem-
ployment as well as the loss of

free competition as arguments
against a government scheme.

“No workers in the industry
need fear for their jobs,’ Rose-
mary stated, ‘‘butone wonders
whose job the $100,000 is being
used to protect: 5000 workers or
the branch managers of the 185

companies in the insurance
field?”’

Ina sharp rebuke to the insur-
ance companies whose price-
fixing and exorbitant rates have
denied any semblance of free
competition, Rosemary Brown-
challenged the industry to
make good its claim of concern
for the motorist.

‘Tf the insurance industry is
really concerned about high
insurance rates,”’ she said, *‘I
can only say that they can demon-
Strate their concern in a
tangible way by refunding the
millions of dollars which they
collected by overcharging at
least $7 per person on no fault
insurance in the two years
between 1970 and 1972.”’

On his return from holiday
Premier Dave Barrett shrugged
off the campaign of the insur-
ance industry and confirmed
his pre-election position. *‘I’m
glad the printers and news-
papers are going to get $100,000
worth of business,’ he said,
“but we're going to have govern-
ment auto insurance.”

VANCOUVER RALLY
End Vietnam War
Wednesday January 17, 8 p.m.

AUUC Hall 805 Fast Pender St.
HEAR: BRUCE MAGNUSON

Labor Secretary, Communist
Party

MAURICE RUSH
Editor, Pacific Tribune

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 1973—PAGE 12

By MAURICE RUSH

The Employers’ Council of
B.C., which represents the
major corporations in the
province, last Saturday chal-
lenged the right of the new
NDP government to introduce
the social legislation it has pro-
mised, and warned of dire con-
sequences to the province if the
Barrett government dares to
raise corporation taxes. ;

Speaking to a gathering of the
B.C. Institute of Chartered
Accountants, chairman — Wil-
liam Hamilton, .who has re-
placed Tony Peskett as the main
spokesmanforthe Employers’
Council and is a director of a
number of insurance com-
panies, challenged the mandate
of the government with its 40
percent of the popular vote, to
bring in the legislation it
promised.

He called on the NDP to set
aside its election pledges and
warned the government not to
raise the current 10 percent
corporate income tax.

In the provincial election cam-
paign Barrett pledged that such
an increase would be one of the

~ Aid for bombing
victims rushed

A shipment of aid to the
victims of U.S. bombing in Indo-
china left Vancouver on Tues-
day, January 9 on the Soviet
ship, SS Professor Yushchenko.
Sent by the Children’s Com-
mittee of the Canadian Aid for
Vietnam Civilians, the ship-
ment contained 1,900 articles
and was valued at $7,700.

The crates contained hospital
supplies, bandages, vitamins,
clothing, blankets, and other ur-
gently needed supplies. The Com-
mittee has again issued an
appeal this week for stepped up
contributions.

End Vietnam
war rallies

Bruce Magnuson, national
labor secretary of the Com-
munist Party, and Maurice
Rush, PT editor, will address
two public meetings next week
to protest the U.S. bombing and
to demand a stop to the killing in
Vietnam.

The meetings being held under
the auspices of the B.C. Com-
munist Party will be held in Sur-
rey and Vancouver.

The Surrey meeting will be in
the Dell Hotel on Tuesday, Jan.
16. The Vancouver rally willbe
in the AUUC Hall, 805 E. Pender
St. on Wednesday, Jan. 17. Both
meetings start at 8 p.m.

In announcing the two Com-
munist Party rallies, provincial
leader Nigel Morgan said ‘the
most urgent job before us today
is todemand that the U.S. sign
the October nine point agree-
ment in Paris and end the
Vietnam war. The rallies of the
Communist Party will add to
the weight of public opinion to
demand a halt to U.S. barbaric
war against the people of Viet-
nam. I urge a full turnout to
make these rallies a strong
demonstration of the people’s
will for peace.”

Scrap election pledges,
Employers Council deman

first measures an.NDP govern-
ment would introduce to raise
provincial revenues.

Holding out the threat which
the big monopolies in B.C. have
often made, that anincreasein
taxes for the corporations would
wreak havoc, Hamilton warned
Barrett that the boost in taxes
“can make or break the whole
economic picture’’ and that it
“would weaken productivity and
ultimately depress living stand-
ards inB.C.”’

After painting this bleak pic-
ture of economic disaster and
depressed living standards,
Hamilton raised the hoary
threat of ‘‘socialism.’’ He told
his. audience of businessmen
that ‘‘we face an uncertain
future in British Columbia. For
the first time in North American
history, a prosperous, indus-
trialized, resource-oriented
province is firmly within the con-
trol of a socialist government.”’

Coming on top of the $100,000
lobby launched by the car
insurance companies last week
to block the NDP government
from going ahead with its public
auto insurance plan, and earlier
warnings by spokesmenforthe
forest and mining industries
not to go ahead with new taxesor
tointerfere withforest tenure,
the broad outlines of a big
business drive against the NDP
government and to block needed
social legislation becomes
clearer.

The entry of the Employers’
Council into this fight just three
weeks before the Legislature is
due to convene on July 25 is
ominous indeed. The Em-
ployers’ Council brings together
under one roof all the major
corporations in B.C., including
representatives of the media,
such as Pacific Press.

The big business drive now
getting under way is being
coupled with moves to bring
together a new right wing
political alliance able to chal-
lenge the NDP. Recently Tory

leader Derril Warren called for.

an alliance on the right of Tories,
Liberal and Socreds. Former
Liberal leader Pat McGeer
agreed with Warren that such re-
alignment was necessary, but
didn’t think it could be done
through the Tory party.
However, he revealed that dis-
cussions were going on.

What we see emerging are the
broad outlines of abig business
challenge of the anti-monopoly
forces in B.C. which elected the
NDP government last August
30. Their aim is to shift B.C.
back to right-wing, anti-labor
and anti-popular policies. They
want to get back to the policies
of the Socred government, but

without some of its negative”
aspects. a

The only way this big business”
and right wing plot can bed
feated is through the widest”
unity all labor and democrat
forces in B.C. Such united move
ment isneededtoensure that th
NDP does'not retreat before the
big business pressure but car
ries through its election
promises, and moves on to adopt
the anti-monopoly policies B.C.
needs at the coming Legislative
session.

CITY COUNCIL

Cont'd from pg. 1

eral government for its long-
awaited statement deploring
the bombing, B.C. Federation
of Labor president George John"
ston stated that he hoped the
government would ‘‘reach t
condemn and demand. stage
very soon.”” —

He emphasized the joint state-
ment released earlier by the
B.C. Federation of Labor a
the Vancouver Labor Council ~
which ‘‘warned trade unionists
and other concerned citizens
that further insane bombing
campaigns would be launched
unless public protest was main-
tained.”’

Johnson also pointed out that
action on Vietnam would be high
on the agenda at the Executive
Council of the B.C. Federation
later this week. :

Another speaker, Lois Boyce
of the B.C. Environmental Cou
cil, noted the environmental —
concerns in the Vietnam war _

Proceeds of $357 from the ral
were donated to Canadian Aid
for Vietnam Civilians.

Ina statement issued before
the federal government took its
position, spokesmen for many
local teachers associations as
wellas several members of the
B.C. Teachers’ Federation
executive called on Prime Min-
ister Trudeau to register ©
Canada’s firm opposition to —
recent ‘‘American massive
bombing of North Vietnam”
and asked members of all
parties in Parliament to “‘joinin
a resolution expressing the
overwhelming desire of Cana-
dians that the war be ended
immediately.”

DON GUISE DIES

As the PT went to press we
were shocked by the sudden
death of Don Guise of the Van-
couver civic workers union, and
staunch supporter of this paper.
The PT will carry a tribute to
Don next week.

SURREY RALLY 4d
END VIETNAM WAR
Tuesday January 16, 8 p.m.

HEAR:

BRUCE MAGNUSON

Labor Secretary, Communist ¢

Party

MAURICE RUSH 7

Editor, Pacific Tribune

Dell Hotel sa i