SYR,

Editorial

Ottawa and Iraq

As the military build-up in the Middle East escalates dangerously, propelled
by Washington’s take-over of what began as a United Nations economic
embargo of Iraq and its transformation into a full-scale blockade, concems are
growing that Canada will be dragged into a shooting war without Parliament
ever discussing the issue.

Mulroney’s hasty and ill-considered decision to send Canadian warships to
the region, given the obvious American determination to provoke confronta-
tion, only points up the perils of following the U.S. military as it enforces its
self-appointed role as world policeman.

With one fighter aircraft arriving every 20 minutes and three naval battle
groups ringing Iraq, U.S. intentions are clear. To safeguard its economic
interests in the region, it seems ready to risk a major war not only with Iraq,
but against a large portion of the Arab world. (See stories pages 6 and 7).

What isn’t clear is Canada’s policy.

Given the arming of our warships with up-to-date weaponry prior to leaving
for region, assurances by External Affairs that the vessels are not intended as
part of the U.S. naval blockade sound strange indeed. Just what will they do
there if not participate?

Who will decide whether these Canadian destroyers will engage in blockade
(itself an act of war) and/or actually begin firing should events spin out of
control? What policy is in place for the safety of Canadians in Kuwait and
Iraq now that our warships are ready to sail? How do other states view Canada’s
actions? .

Who in Ottawa is interpreting United Nations’ policy in face of the massive
U.S. takeover, if it isn’t our elected members of Parliament?

Canadians have every right to be alarmed as they watch events unravel in
the Middle East and Canadian policy (including military policy) becomes
sucked into the U.S. vortex without so much as a say in our own destiny.

This is no time for MPs to be vacationing. It is no time for a handful of
people to make momentous decisions behind closed doors.

Parliament must be recalled immediately to deal with this crisis and its
ramifications for Canada and for world stability. Rather than follow blindly
behind the U.S. into a Middle East dead end, Canadians should insist our
government reaffirm our belief in the principle of collective security and the
role of the United Nations in settling international disputes.

Going to war without even a murmur or a debate on the issues is too high a
price to pay to satisfy Mulroney’s pro-U.S. appetites.

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EDITOR
Sean Griffin

ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Dan Keeton

BUSINESS & CIRCULATION MANAGER
Mike Proniuk

GRAPHICS
Angela Kenyon

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¢ jobs may be moving like south-
bound lemmings across the Canada-
U.S. border, thanks to free trade. But it
still seems American industry can spare
us a bit of its largesse — when it comes
to military contracts, that is.
Anitem in B.C. Trade, a publication of

the provincial government’s B.C. Trade
Development Corporation, reports that a
North Vancouver firm has landed a lucra-
tive contract to produce batteries for the
U.S. Army. Ballard Battery Systems
Corporation will manufacture for the
amny its reportedly innovative, long shelf-
life, high-energy products for the next five
years. According to company officials, the
work force will more than double in the
first year, which they hope will lead to
further market expansion.

Which begs a question: will the con-
frontation heating up over Iraq bring yet
more business? Or: in the post-Cold-War

era, are we going to experience more of a

drift towards the militarization of our econ-
omy?

If peace actually does prevail in the near
future, the resulting downsized U.S. mi-
litary will not be sending more business
here. All of which argues for a full conver-
sion to a peace time industry here — one
not drained by ruinous free trade agree-
ments.

RK :
omething else is crossing rhe border
with increased frequency with the

Free Trade Agreement. U.S. union-bust-
ing firms — those folks that give semi-
nars to business people on how to de-cer-
tify — are moving into Canada at an
accelerated rate, taking advantage of the

pact’s new liberal laws on professionals
working in each others’ countries. The
union-busting law firm Seyforth, Shaw,
Fairweather and Geraldson of Chicago
is merging with a Toronto group, Mat-
thews, Dinsdale and Clark, according to
the August edition of CLC Today, pub-
lished by the Canadian Labour Congress.

The same item cites the Summer, 1990
list of Canada’s top 500 corporations as
compiled by the Financial Post. The paper
of Canada’s executives notes that the com-
bined employment of the top 200 of those
companies has been reduced by 214,842.

The article reports that many firms with
the biggest workforce reductions were also
big contributors to the Conservatives’ war
chest during the 1988 election. Included
were Alcan, with 6,000 jobs cut, Weston
with 7,000 jobs, and Canadian Pacific:
9,800 jobs.

CLC researcher Bruce Campbell also
lists thousands of jobs lost after 22 plants
were shut down in Canada by major cor-
porations such as General Electric and
Northern Telecom, recently. These firms
have set up major facilities in Mexico’s
low-wage, deregulated maquiladora
zones, the researcher reports.

Among the biggest losses are 1,700 and
2,700 jobs at the St. Therese, Que., and
Scarborough, Ont., plants of General
Motors. Nine hundred jobs were cut by

People and Issues

Ford Motor Co. in Windsor while North-
ern Telecom axed 680 in Aylmer, Que.

etd

nother contribution to the CLC bul-

letin reports that, as free trade op-
ponents have always feared, Canada’s so-
cial network is now coming under
renewed scrutiny; to wit, that the Ontario
and Quebec governments are looking at
“alternative” ways to finance their res-
pective health care plans in the wake of
federal cuts to fiscal transfers. Sure
enough, plans are afoot to bring Canada
into line with the lesser social services of
the United States

Bear that in mind when considering the
record of the U.S. unemployment insur-
ance scheme. According to an item in The
Dispatcher, the paper of the International
Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s
Union, the United States is dead last in
quality of benefits among five top indust-
rialized nations.

Among those ahead of the U.S. — the
item does not mention Canada, with an
average 12 months’ benefits — are
England, with mainly 12 months’ benefits;
France, between 15-45 months for a maj-
ority of claimants; Germany with 12
months for most; Sweden, 7-15 months.

Meanwhile, only 34 per cent of U.S.
citizens receive benefits ranging from six
to arare nine months. In seven U.S. states,

four out of five workers receive no
benefits, the item notes.

RR

ni related Tory shenanigans, the Pro-

Canada Network has the answer in -

its recent booklet of cartoons on the
Goods and Services Tax. GST in the Big
Tax Picture also includes suggestions in
fighting the tax. It’s available from the
Pro-Canada Network, 904-251 Laurier
St. West, Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5J6.

aK

W: mixed names last week in iden-
tifying the people picketing the
Comox Medical Dental Centre in the
front page photo. Diane Leakey is the
one on the left, while the person in the
middle is Donna Messer.

And we note that we inadvertently left
uncredited the letter, “More thoughts on
Marxism-Leninism,” in the July 23
Tribune. It was written by Jose Kaufmann
of Toronto.

RA

message of congratulations to the
Labour Studies Program at
Capilano College in North Vancouver. It
won the national Partnership Award
this year from the Association of Can-
adian Community Colleges for its role
in uniting the efforts of the college, trade

-unions and instructors in fielding two

semesters per year with 15-20 courses
each semester.

4 « Pacific Tribune, September 3, 1990