Interview with B.C.
Communist Party

leader Maurice Rush

Is there a dominant issue for the
November municipal elections in
ao?

There is one major issue which
faces all municipalities, and that is
whether civic government will sur-
vive as a viable democratic form of
government, or be wiped out by the
provincial government.

We warned that the appoint-
ment of Bill Vander Zalm to the
municipal affairs ministry meant a
new attack on civic democracy,
and the warning has proven cor-
rect. The Planning Act has run into
a storm of opposition and was
withdrawn temporarily, but it is
now scheduled to be introduced.
Vander Zalm likes to do things in a
big way and that Act is a big attack
on local autonomy.

The withholding of the home-
owner grant from municipalities on
the pretext of a cash flow problem
also showed the contempt the gov-
ernment has for municipalities.
Even more important than the
money it was withholding, was the
attitude it demonstrated — an atti-
tude that permeates every action
the Socreds take which affect mu-
nicipal government.

The rejection of a ward system
for Vancouver was another glaring
example. No onein their right mind
can deny that the people of Van-
couver want the ward system. They
voted for it twice: once in a referen-
dum and again last year when they
voted Volrich out. But the Socreds
showed they will block any move
towards greater civic democracy.

Now it has announced it is plan-
ning to bring down a revised Muni-
cipal Act which, among other
things, will eliminate the municipal
voters list and replace it with a sys-
tem in which people will simply
give their names and be entered in a
poll book. If ever a scheme was de-
vised to downplay the importance
of civic government and civic elec-
tions, this is it. The cabinet is say-
ing: civic elections are not import-
ant enough even to have a voters’
list. Reducing elections to just en-
tering your name in a scribbler not
only emasculates the process, but it
also lends itself to all kinds of abuse
by “‘tricky”’ politicians.

If the Socreds are allowed to de-
stroy the level of government clos-
est to the people and most respons-
ible to their every day needs, de-
mocracy asa whole in B.C. will suf-
fer. We need the opposite, an ex-
tension of civic democracy.

What motivates this attack?

I think there are two reasons.
One is in reaction to the election of
progressives at the municipal level
who have begun to fight Socred
provincial policies from a munici-
pal base. k wants to end that by
curtailing the power of civic gov-
ernments to act on behalf of their
citizens. It’s part of the drive to cen-
tralize power in the hands of the
cabinet so that it can act freely on
behalf of the establishment. ~

Secondly, there is the economics

of the issue. The Socreds want to
subsidize their overall resource and
economic policy by dumping the
costs of social services on muni-
cipal taxpayers and then having the

ultimate power to clamp down on.

the level of services or force cut-
backs when it feels they become too
extensive. Of course that was the
underlying philosophy of the Fi-
nancial Administration Act, but
they had to back off and remove
municipalities from its Scope. But
there is no guarantee they won’t try
and include municipalities in it at a
later date.

What are the prospects for the

left and progressive forces in this
year’s elections?

It’s too early to tell definitely,
but we are aware of good chances
in a number of municipalities,
given that there is unity of the pro-
gressive forces and a strong and
clear anti-monopoly, anti-
developer program.

Alberni is one place, for ex-
ample, where a majority may be
won by the progressive forces.

But the issues are such, with
every municipality facing housing
crisis, financial cutbacks, and
growing pressure from developers
and ‘real estate interests, that
wherever unity of progressive
forces is achieved and a serious
campaign is attempted, there is a
possibility for making some gains.

One of the chief problems,
frankly, is that in too many import-
ant parts of B.C., the labor move-
ment just sits out municipal elec-
tions, and the old line forces take
the elections by default.

If unity is key for advance, what
are the main elements involved in
Sorging a united front in municipal
politics?

The decisive thing is to bring to-
gether an alliance which can chal-
lenge for power around a reform
program which, incidentally, is al-
most immediately popular in any
municipality where it is advanced.

The example of Vancouver last
year demonstrates both what it
needed and what can be accomp-
lished. There was an informal al-
liance of Harcourt and the NDP
with COPE, united in the Vancou-
ver Labor Council slate. Everyone
acknowledged the importance of
the labor council’s role. It is true
that it took 10 years for this break-
through to be made, but it only
shows that the correct united front
policy will eventually win.

The key to success is unity of the
mass trade union movement, the
New Democratic Party or import-
ant parts of it, the Communist Par-
ty, tenants groups and community
organizations, and independent
progressives. This includes not only
working class forces, but many
progressive middle class people as
well.

The Communist Party has al-
ways worked to build such alli-
ances, to be a part of them and to
faithfully carry out its part of any
agreement entered into. Our role as
a party in these alliances as every-
where is to fight to advance the in-
terests of working people espe-
cially.

Since Tom Douglas, the first
Communist alderman in B.C., was
elected in 1931, there have been
many Communists elected to coun-
cils and school boards. Ald. Bruce
Yorke in Vancouver is one of the

most recent, We do not claim to be

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—SEPT. 18, 1981—Page 6

MAURICE RUSH. .
CP teader.

the reform movement in civic af-
fairs, only a part of it. But we can
say that we are a necessary part of
the reform movement if it is to real-
ly work for change.

What about the NDP’s 1980
convention decision to allow the
party to contest municipal elections
in its own name?

That decision, which provided
for NDP civic affairs committees
to be established to participate in
civic elections and which would re-
strict NDP members from partici-
pating in other organizations or
from supporting other candidates
if such NDP groups were set up, in
fact has not worked.

It has largely remained on paper

. Nov. 21 elections could see gains by progressive candidates, if there is unity, says

simply because NDP members act-
ive in civic affairs learned from ex-
perience that a ‘‘go it alone’ policy
was self-defeating. They could see
that big business~civic alliances
could only be defeated through
unity with other progressive civic
forces.

How do Communists see their
work in municipal politics in rela-
tion to their ultimate objectives as
socialists?

It is related in many ways. First,
few of the real problems at the mu-
nicipal level can be solved there
alone. The money and power to
solve many problems and to ad-
dress the issues of economic power
are at the so-called higher levels of

government. Winning elections at
‘the municipal level doesn’t in itself
mean that life in a municipality can
be transformed. The progressive
civic movement has no choice but
to continue the struggle for overall
social change.

At the same time the fight
around immediate issues in the mu-
nicipal arena, as at other levels of

struggle, helps people to see the ©

need not only for reforms but for
socialist changes in society. We
continue to advance our socialist
views at all times and attempt to
convince working people and pro-
gressives to join our party, while
fighting for every improvement in
their immediate living condition.

Progressives in North Van-
couver are hoping that the
breakthrough scored two years
ago with the election of Erie
Crist to North Vancouver District
municipal council can be extend-
ed this year in both the District
and North Vancouver city.

Crist himself is up for re-
election this year, although most
observers see him finishing near
or at the top of the poll, as he did
in 1979.

Since his election with strong
community, labor and tenant
support, Crist has been the
troublemaker on council that
both his supporters and critics
predicted. He forced the large
public debate on the North shore
over the potential chemical
disaster at Hooker Chemicals by
going over the heads of council
and revealing to the public the ex-
istence of the controversial Beak
Report.

Crist has also forced housing
issues on to the agenda and has at-
tempted to have municipal coun-
cil lease land for affordable hous-
ing rather than auction building
lots for what the market will bear.

One of two other incumbent
aldermen in the District seeking
re-election is John Lakes, the
most visible target for the reform
movement. Lakes is chairman of

Progressives hope
on Crist election in

the district housing committee
and architect of its ‘‘high land
price’’ policy, and is also the cor-
porate lawyer defending Hooker
Chemicals in an appeal against its
property tax assessments.

Two groups concerned with
Hooker will make an impact on
the election, the Chemical
Hazards Alert Committee and
the Committee for Fair Assess-
ments which has launched the tax
appeal. Chairperson of the Com-
mittee for Fair Assessments, Bet-
ty Griffin, is a possible contender
for a council seat.

In North Vancouver City,
where the entire council is up for
election, the conservative majori-
ty will face challenges from two
officers of the North Vancouver
Tenants Association, president
Richard Blackburn and vice-
president Greg Richmond.

A key issue in both the District
and the City is taxation as both
municipalities are on ‘‘Option
D”’, the worst possible taxation
formula for homeowners.

The issue has been brought toa
head with the arrival of the new
$50 million drydock at Burrard
Yarrows shipyards in North Van-
couver City which has been ex-
empted from property taxation
by the provincial government.

City alderman Gary Payne is
demanding that a public meeting

to build

ERNIE CRIST ... North Van.
alderman topped poll in 1979.

be held to discuss the distribution
of the tax burden and to demand
that the city switch to Option A,
which would force the shipyards
and other industrial properties to
pay more. Blackburn and Rich-
mond have supported the de-
mand for a public hearing.

In the District, Crist estimates
that Option D is costing the
average homeowner almost $100
per year which would be paid by
industry and business if the |
district chose Option A.

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t