red by commu-
all efforts to re-
88. He explained
Spots such as the
alliann “One sees
Ce of the indus-
: , the Pen-
8, the “actionary Zion-
act ears right, the
: ’ ean an
a Maoism ae
tum etmining of de-
4 to the cold war,
and a policy of

nin; n-
© capitalist world,
eta t is 4 be seen
an

ot *Nergy crisi financial
ly the Po Ss, the col-
ay US Stwar structure
Pehing --perialism . . .
Hose inter-imperial-
a crisis rela-
‘ Perialist and
forej, ottties. It is to
@ hanger Policy arising
Roll pecy of ‘brink-
ack Commun-
Ment’ policies.”

the capitalist
securit
“nomic ord “is to be
: Work and Social pol-
: the ok Teal wages
tinue, @Pitalist. world,

aljgy DOL
= “Wide »

to the Cana-
ie Is not im-

Beneral imperial-
a like unem-
ome a perma-

.

‘ "ae
oe S@ in the’ discussion William Kashtan (right) chats
ited § + fraternal delegate from the Communist Party

i the ing S reflects it-.

tor up 3,196%; base metals up
566%; paper and forest indus-
tries up 344%.

e Instead of rising standards,
inflation has cut real. wages by
5% with wage gains being wip-
ed out by rising prices. Increased
profits come from increased ex-
ploitation of workers, particular-
ly hard hit being unemployed,

unorganized, the working poor, .

pensioners and those on small,
fixed incomes. “What is obvious
is that laws are made for, cor-
porations and to keep working
people in their place,” the key-
note: declared. “S

e Instead of stable growth,
prospects are for a decline in
growth rates. “This situation will
be further aggravated by the
recessionary downturn in the

economy. of the USA, Japan and

Western Europe and by the
sharpening struggle for markets.
What is clear is that the work-
ing people will be made to bear
the main burden for the growing
contradictions and crisis of state
monopoly capitalism.”

New sections of workers have
entered the battle. — teachers,
white collar workers, nurses and
thousands in the public service.
“However the struggle on the
economic front, unless buttress-
ed by effective political action,
is not enough,” he said, “Infla-
tion won’t be defeated by econo-
mic action alone. It requires a
combination of militant and unit-
ed economic action and united
political action against monopoly
policies to do the job.

“Working people are at the
centre of the struggle against
monopoly. In French Canada, the
working class is increasingly
coming to the fore in defense of
their national rights and the eco-
nomic and social demands of the
working people,” Kashtan said.
“The increased support for a
mass party of labor in Quebec
shows a growing trend away
from the support of monopoly
parties.” :

Referring to the growing de-
mands by workers for autonomy
and independence of the trade
union movement, the keynote
speech said, “this was reflected

by the CLC convention where .

the majority of delegates showed
their determination to establish
full autonomy for every U.S.-
based union in Canada on the
road to a fully independent, sov-
ereign and united trade union
movement.” The Communist Par-

greeted these developments
arid indicated ‘they are only the

PHOTOS—SHANE PARKHILL

first steps towards a trade union
movement based on class strug-
gle, actively working for detente
and trade union unity on a world
scale.

Tribute was paid to the in-
creasing role of women in the
struggle for peace, independence
and socialism, and plans for
marking International Women’s
Year 1975 were outlined. The
18th convention of the Young
Communist League, scheduled
for July, was described as an
“important event for the entire
Party.” Growing interest in
Marxism by young people is
shown in the growth of activities
and size of the YCL. Kashtan
called on the delegates to give
every assistance to the continued
expansion of the youth league
and its work.

Canadian Independence

Following decades of “conti-
nentalism” persued by big busi-
ness parties resulting in a sell-
out of Canada’s interests, the
keynote pointed to a rapidly
growing upsurge in the country.
A recent poll indicated that 73%
of Canadians expect the govern-
ment to step in and maintain
Canadian control over. the eco-
nomy. “This may explain,” Kash-
tan said, “the declaration by the
government about processing
raw materials in Canada and
stronger measures dealing with
the ‘trading with the enemy act.’
What is indicated is that the ca-
pitalist class in Canada realizes
it is sitting on a ‘gold mine’ in
light of diminishing non-renew-
able resources in the capitalist
world.

“However, for the working
class and democratic forces, the
question is not whether these
resources should be taken over
by this or that imperialist power,
or by Canadian monopoly. Fhey
should be publicly owned be-
cause only then will Canadians
benefit through industrialization,
employment and rising .stan-
dards.”

Such a new Canadian policy,
which Communists have advocat-
ed over the years, is long over-
due. A one-sided dependence on
the USA must be replaced by 2
policy of independent contact
with the international communi-
ty, especially the socialist world.
“This is more urgent today when
trade and jobs are so bound to-
gether,” emphasized Kashtan.

“All these issues will find ex-
pression in the election cam-
paign we are now waging;
said Kashtan. But he stressed
that the central issue will-be in-
flation and rising prices together
with energy resources. “If one
Icoks underneath the surface of

these issues, he will see how di- |

rectly related they are to the
role of monopoly, 5
‘of democratic control, to the
problems of farmers, to prices
and standards, excess profits,
tax reform and price controls.”
He warned that the more re-
actionary forces will try to direct
politits to the right, to institute
wage controls and build up @
backlash against the working
eople around the theme of ille-
gal strikes, abuse of unemploy-
ment insurance and excessive
government spending. “Our main
fire should be directed against

these more reactionary forces,-
critcism of Ca- |

without foregoing
pitalist policies in - general and

of right wing Social Democracy.”
The Communist election slogan
is, “Vote Communist, Elect a

to measures |

large progressive group to Parlia-
ment.”
The. Communist Party

“In the final analysis the deci-
sive question of all questions for
us is the building of the Party,
its fighting morale and links with
the working class and demo-
cratic. movements through the
country,” begins the final section
of the keynote speech.

Strengthening of the ideologi-
cal work by the Party was em-
phasized. “The ideological strug-
gle is a never ending one,” Kash-
tan stressed. ‘“Detente has led,
not to an ending of that struggle,
but to its intensification. At bot-
om, what is involved is an ideo-
logical struggle between two so-
cial systems, socialism and capi-
talism.
_ “We need to step up this strug-

gle against right wing Social

George Harris, candidate in
Toronto's York West, at the mike.

Democracy, Trotkyism, Maoism
as well as right and left revision-
ism and opportunism . . . We
need a consistent criticism also
of the Waffle position and its
petty bourgeois nationalist garb,
combining this with a dialogue
on the path to socialism in Can-
ada and proposals for united ac-
tion against monopoly.”

Dealing with the question of
alliances, Kashtan quoted from
the Party Program:

“This new political alliance
based upon the winning of poli-
tical power by a democratic
antiemonopoly coalition will be
faced with the task of introduc-
ing far-reaching social and eco-,
nomic reform . . . replacing of
private monopoly property by
public property . . . Such a de-
velopment would open the door
to socialism.” ; d

the Communist Party

Kashtan went on to explain
that “the essence here is that
such a government will not eli-
minate the property rights of the
capitalist class as a whole but
only those of monopoly, that is,
it would not be anti-capitalist,
but anti-monopoly. The second
essence is that it will eliminate
the property rights of the U.S.
multi-national corporations in
Canada.

“Here we have the elements
of democratic, anti-monopoly
and anti-imperialist alliance we
call for.

“Why do we call it an alliance?
We call it an alliance because it
embraces different classes, not
only the working class. It in-
cludes the farmers or sections of
the farmers. It includes sections
of the middle class in the cities,
the non-monopoly bourgeoisie,
the national, democratic forces
in French Canada.

“In working for the united
front it is inevitable that varying
tendencies would arise which
‘veer towards opportunism of the
right and opportunism of the left.
This finds particular expression
over the relationship of our Par-
ty to the united front. The united
front is not a substitute for the
independent work of the Party,
indeed, it is an integral part of
the independent work of the Par-
ty. It is through the struggle for
unity and its achievement that
the Party advances its indepen-
dent work, and exercises its van-
guard role.

“Our aim must always be to
find a common basis, a minimum
program around which to unite
against monopoly, at the same
time maintaining our ideological
positions and striving to win peo-
ple for them. This demands flex-
ibility of approach while making
no concessions on questions of
principle.”

In closing, Kashtan appealed
to the delegates to build the Par-
ty and-the Young Communist
League as “the key to advance
on all fronts” at this crucial
time. “Changes shaping up inter-
nationally and in our own coun-
try show the need to boldly
strengthen the work of the Party,
overcome timidity, conservatism
and routinism which get in the
way of advance.

“We are confident the Commu-
nist Party will fulfill its respon-
sibilities to its class and country,
to the unity of the international
communist movement and the
anti-imperialist forces — to the
cause of peace, democracy, in-
dependence and socialism.”

Left to right: Pat Case, Toronto; Joyce Turpie,
Elizabeth Hill, candidate in Toronto’s High Park riding, voting.

“PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, MAY 31. 1974—PAGE 7

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