ACADEMIC

The Communist Party of Canada de

easures Act was invoked, demanding its immediate a

Advertisement in Vancouver's two daily papers by the B.C. Comm

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1970

monstrated before the House of Commons in Ottawa soon after the War
nnulment. The demonstration, shown above, was

leaded by members of the Parti Communiste du Quebec, whose banner leads the protest. Last week a large

unist Party, demanding repeal of the war

Act and restoration and extension of democracy, received wide attention.

NPA-TEAM aldermen gang-up

to attack citizens rights

Reactionary NPA and TEAM aldermen at city
hall have brought in their own version of the War
Measures Act. At Tuesday’s sitting of council
they approved, with one dissenting vote
(Alderman Harry Rankin) to turn the right of
free assembly on city streets over to the police.

Headed by Alderman Halford Wilson, the
aldermen first approved the federal
government’s War Measures Act, then moved to
Put approval or rejection of public
demonstrations in the hands of the city police
force — a move which every democratic citizen
will condemn.

The long record of Halford Wilson as a racist
Was brought to light by Alderman Rankin who
quoted from newspaper reports of 1941 and 1942
to demonstrate the NPA alderman’s lead in
advocating the abrogation of rights of Japanese
and Chinese Canadians.

This week Wilson is quoted as saying, “We
Cannot allow the province of Quebec to separate
Without taking some action,” which obviously
Means the alderman gives full approval to the
Police-state methods now being used in Quebec.

The Vancouver Central Council of Ratepayers
Moved quickly to protest Wilson’s resolution
Which called for banning demonstrations on
“public property.’’ The ratepayers group called

the motion ill advised and hysterical. They
pointed out the Criminal Code covers any
eventuality if properly enforced.

At UBC Tuesday more than 400 students
gathered to protest the War Measures Act, the
provincial order-in-council directed specifically
at teachers, and ‘‘any measures which restrict
civil liberties.’’ Wires to that effect were sent to
federal, provincial and city governments.

It is obvious that city council, dominated by the
most reactionary elements of Big Business in the
city, has chosen, under the umbrella of the War
Measures Act, to clamp down on the right to
protest on the part of all citizens. Only the most
concentrated efforts of concerned citizens will
reverse this dangerous situation.

NO POLICE STATE
LAW!

_ —See page 5

Vol. 31, No. 44

om 10¢

DS STRIKE AT
FREEDOM

Order-in-council
must be repealed

By MAURICE RUSH

The Socred cabinet moved last Thursday to
introduce its own little War Measures Act by bringing
down an order-in-council aimed at outlawing academic
freedom and to create an atmosphere of fear in our
schools and among B.C.’s teachers.

Announcing the order-in-
council, Attorney General

Peterson declared it was based

on the Federal War Measures
Act. The edict states:

“Tt is declared as public policy
that no person teaching or
instructing our youth in educa-
tional institutions receiving
government support shall
continue in employment of the
institution if.they advocate the
policies of the Front de
Liberation du Quebec, or the
overthrow of democratically
elected governments by violent
means.”

The Socred government’s
undemocratic edict came under
immediate fire from wide
sections of the population,
including a Socred MLA. Some
critics have pointed out that
since the War Measures Act
already outlaws the FLQ why
was a special B.C. order-in-coun-
cil necessary?

The reason for the cabinet’s

action has not been lost on B.C.’s.

23,000 teachers who are in the
process of taking a province-
wide strike vote on tHe issue of
pensions. The order was timed
for one week before the October
31 deadline for the vote. Teach-
ers have been showing increas-
ing militancy over pensions,
wages and having a say in the
educational system.

There is.a very strong likeli-
hood that the cabinet had its eyes
on the teachers and _ the

wide-ranging discussions in
high schools and universities on
current questions when they
rushed through the edict, taking
advantage of the War Measures
Act. The aim is to strike fear

into the teachers and curb the’

democratic discussion in high
schools and universities.

Legal experts have hastened to
point out that the order-in-coun-
cil is illegal, cannot be enforced,
and violates the Public Schools
Act passed by the legislature
which provides for dismissal of
teachers only on grounds of
gross conduct, and only after a
hearing.

The Universities Act, also

passed by the Legislature, does
not give the provincial govern-
ment any authority in relation
to hiring or firing of faculty
members.

By passing the order-in-coun-
cil the question immediately
arises: Has the cabinet taken on
itself the power to supercede
laws adopted by the Legislature,
and do they now intend to
dispense with the Legislature
and rule by cabinet edict? This
seems to be the direction in
which Premier Bennett and his
cabinet is moving, using the
War Measures Act as_ justi
fication.

If Premier Bennett can put
through such orders-in-council
affecting our schools, why not

See SOCRED, pg. 12

B.C. Fed calls

for WMA repeal

On the eve of the B.G
Federation of Labor convention,
opening Monday at the Bayshore
Inn, its officers last Tuesday
issued a strong statement
calling on the federal govern-
ment to repeal the War
Measures Act.

The statement said in part:

“It has become increasingly

SEE SPECIAL ARTICLE
ON B.C. FED. PARLEY, PG. 3

evident that fears expressed by
NDP Members of Parliament
and other Canadians regarding
abuse of the War Measures Act
were well founded.
“Unfortunately, the desire of
many Canadians to give full
support to the federal govern-
ment in this crisis has obscured
the fact that enforcement of the
Act is not in the hands of the
federal government, but is in
the hands of ten provincial

’ Attorneys-General and their

governments: Not all of the
provincial Attorneys-General,
nor all of the governments they

See B.C. FED.,.pg..12

x