TORIES’ SLICK NEW IMAGE

The high-sounding phrases"
hide bankruptcy of policy

By TOM MORRIS

Ever since they came so close,
and lost, in 1972, Robert Stan-
field and his Conservatives have
nursed an all-consuming urge
for power. For some months
immediately following that bleak
morning, rumblings of discon-
tent were heard about Stan-
field’s ability to lead the Tories
into Ottawa, but this sentiment
is now buried under statements
of unity and purpose.

The Conservative record ‘in
Ottawa has been openly and
blatantly clear—to bring down
the Liberals and take . power.
Endless non-confidence motions
and hypocritical declarations of
concern for “the little man”
‘caught in the squeeze of infla-
tion have poured out of the Tory
camp. Their contempt and frus-
tration toward the NDP which
stands in the way to toppling
Trudeau is boundless.

On this background the Con-
servatives geared up their na-
tional machine in Ottawa two
weeks ago and spent $500,000
on a well-run show designed to
give the party a new, slick
image and, hopefully, have them
emerge as a credible alternative
with answers to the country’s
ills. Their task was made all the
more simple by the incredible
record of Trudeau on the domes-
tic front. Canada has suffered a
10% inflation rate over the past
year, and people are angry. Ris-
ing food prices have been the
major factor, up 17% in one
year.

Housing, clothing, gas and

Hospital

TORONTO—More than 6,000
workers from 10 Toronto area
hospitals voted overwhelmingly
in favor of strike action to back
their demands last week.

The workers, members of
the Canadian Union of Public
Employees, registered votes
ranging from 85 to 99% for a
strike if necessary to end the
contract dispute. The union lead-
ership has set a May 1 deadline
for completion of negotiations. If
they are not completed by then,
the workers will strike, union
spokesmen said.

The union is seeking an hour-
ly increase of $1.14 on a one-
year contract but so far, they
have been offered only 22 cents
to 30 cents depending on the
hospital.

(At Riverdale, the only hos-
pital where registered nurses are
in the same bargaining unit as
other workers, more than 50%
of the RNS turned out for the
strike vote.) :

In several union bargaining
units, unsuccessful negotiations
‘were conducted with the hos-
pital administrations for more
than six months. :

Letters have been sent to the
hospital administrations asking
administration support for the
hospital workers’ demands,
which are really directed to the
provincial government. The de-
mands, which include wage de-
mands, are in essence a demand
for an increase in budgets for

heating oil, health-care, educa-
tion have all risen sharply. The
government staggered through
the “oil crisis” without a Can-
ada-wide energy policy. It is
enmeshed in a collosal rail prob-
lem without a transportation
policy. Unemployment is high
and the growing number of per-

manent unemployed has become

our way of life. Clearly, Stan-
field’s power-hungry Tories had
plenty of handles to grab at
their Ottawa policy meeting.

Thirty-seven thousand hours
went into their policy docu-
ments. The public relations
hacks worked hard to cover the
bases needed to win—hold onto
the West, greatly increase their
Quebec seats, play on the dis-
content of the “little man,” at-
tack “the socialist hordes in
government with their compli-
cated, expensive bureaucracy”
and, above all, sell the idea that
the Tories have the answer to
runaway inflation. They also
made a bow in the direction of
foreign control because it’s an
issue Canadians want some ac-
tion on.

Youth Syndrome

About their image, the youth
syndrome played its part. What
was needed was someone to off-
set Stanfield’s drab, old and
stodgy reputation. It would
seem that while little could be
done to re-make Robert himself,
they could add the new dimen-
sion considered necessary. This
miracle emerged in the form of
the 32-year old grandson of
former Tory prime minister,
Arthur Meighen. Michael

Meighen is described as “attrac-
tive, young, a fluently bilingual
bachelor-lawyer, whose people
move easily from the board-
rooms of Bay Street to the back-
rooms of Ottawa.”

For the average Canadian,
however, it’s far more urgent to
look at the policies and record
of the Tories than become trap-
ped by the admen’ who get paid
to tell people what they think.
The image of Stanfield or

*Meighen or, for that matter,

some of the front benchers and
shadow cabinet “Conservatives
is far less important than what
this party stands for and what it
offers working people.

x cd *

On inflation — It’s here that
the Tories calculate making the
most mileage. This ready-made
issue touches everybody and
especially workers and their fa-
milies, small businessmen and
people on fixed incomes. It’s im-
portant to point out first of all
that the Tory brass is almost
completely devoid of working
people. There was the revealing
comment of one delegate, Tory
MP Grafftey, who said, ‘God
damn it, there wasn’t a single
person in overalls or workshirt
at our convention . . .” The cheap
play of handling out blue con-
struction helmets at the meeting
only made that point more tell-
ing. 5

The Conservatives promise to
fight inflation with “a 90-day
‘wage and price control” legisla-
tion. For most Canadians who

have dropped behind in pur-~

chasing power and are demand-

workers vote strike

hospitals, and the abolition of
the Ontario Hospital Labor Dis-
putes Act (compulsory arbitra-
tion). At last report, eight of the
adminstrations had ~— replied,
agreeing to consider the request
at their next meeting.

In support of their demands
for “catch up” contracts, the
hospital workers point to rates
in the recently concluded agree-
ment of Local 180, B.C. Hospital
Workers Union:

B.C.'74 B.C.'75 Riverdale

Registered
Nursing Assistant $165.40 $210.40 $131.39
Nursing orderly . 194.80 210.40 131.40
Cleaner 184.60 199.20 126.96
148.00 172.00 107.77

Maid

In additon the B.C. workers
won four weeks vacation after
one year for all:employees. The
contract also has a cost-of-living
provision calculated on a six-

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 1974—PAGE 6

monthly basis: on any increase

over 2% of the B.C. cost-of-liv-
ing index, workers receive the
equivalent of the amount be-
yond 2%. -

The strike vote is the culmi-
nation of two years of hard work
on a “catch up” campaign by
the Committee, spearheaded by
its chairman, George Wilson
(Riverdale), its secretary Mrs.
Cathy McQuarrie (St. Joseph’s) ,
and a number of active mem-
bers. The Committee’s splendid
job of TV, radio and newspaper
coverage has informed the pub-
lic of the hospital workers’ need
to “catch up.”

Mr. Wilson expressed the
opinion that the vote in the re-
maining hospitals would be
equally decisive in favor of a
strike.

—

ing wage increases just to stay
even, this proposal is disastrous.
Corporations, on the other hand,
could live with this. It would
freeze prices at their sky-high
levels and the profits will keep
on rolling in. The brunt of this
Tory proposal is aimed, not sur-
prisingly, at the very worker
Stanfield claims to want to pro-
tect. 4
Astronomical Profits

On the “oil crisis’ — on Feb-
ruary 5 Stanfield asked for an
inquiry into “charges that oil
company profits have been ex-
cessive.” He didn’t admit they
have been excessive, but’ again
took advantage of aroused pub-
lic feeling to get in his licks. A
public inquiry, naturally, could
start by reading the oil com-
panies’ own published profit fig-
ures which have been astrono-
mical, But at the policy meeting,
the Conservatives backed away
even from this useless proposal
and came out four - square
against taxing excess profits.
They didn’t have a word to say
about favorable tax breaks now
enjoyed the giant oil firms nor
did they offer anything in the
way of an energy policy for the
country. It has to be recalled
that Tory premier Lougheed of
Alberta is the frontman for the
U.S.-controlled Syncrude Ltd.,
which will develop Alberta’s tar
sands. Any policy to weaken
U.S. control of Canadian energy
is unthinkable to the Conserva-
tives,

On unemployment — Here the
Tory aid to the thousands of job-
less Canadians takes, the form

-of attackiag the jobless as shift-

less and lazy. They appeal to the
basest instincts by peddling the
line that “we hard-working
people reject having to pay for
those who won’t work.” They
demand an investigation of the
Welfare and Unemployment In-
surance Commissions. The red-
necks, especially the Young
Progressive Conservatives, even
got a little out of hand and had
to be reminded by MP Heath
Macquarrie that few of them
knew what it was like to be
poor. No job-creating program
emerged from the convention.

On foreign ownership -— The
Toronto Star (which looks like
it will again back the Tories)
called Stanfield’s announced
scheme “a new approach.” One
reason, perhaps, that it’s new is

because nobody else would be
stupid enough to advance it. af
They've called for Canadial
ownership of one large corp?
tion in each industry of may
significance. The theory 15 S-
the competition offered the Us ;
owned multinationals by oe

Canadian firm would force
n the

foreign-owned to “operate i
national interest.” *
The Tories, in answer to ques:
tions about the extent of fore
ownership, rejected any thoub™
of restricting foreign capital —
either old or new — and 7,
they wanted “incentives
Canadian firms rather than
strictions on foreign ones. “4
spectacle of one Canadian uy
company, for example, SY” a
ming in the school of sharkS
the many U.S. multi-natio?
which now-control our oil
gas isn’t hard to imagine.
On farmers — Remem!
that the West in 1972 ba' ick
the Tories, Stanfield was 44
to point out that his “wage ®
price controls” scheme was the
to affect farmers. “It is it i
farmer’s interests that he S° he
his problems by himself . - *
said last month. A mon
lier, the Tories criticiz
government for its ec
strategy of “every man for
self. Its national slogan 5
be,” they said, “I’m all ™
Jack.” ;
Allegiance to Big Business
The Conservative Party's *.<,
giance to big business @ its
interests still shines through pol
new image. There isn’t On€ 7g
icy coming out of the nel?
convention designed t0 ug!
working people — even tho!
their pitch is skillfully desi
to mislead and confuse thé ‘ou
age voter. No matter how 258
they attack Trudeau’s inep est
and corporation-geared 8°
ment, the Conservative’s pony
proposals are still further a eed
from answering the basic 8”
of working people. ip
Each plank is designed Le not
crease, not lessen, foreig® H
trol of our economy. and
word in this era of detente
important world develop” oo”
about Canada’s internation® ~
ligations and direction.
Examination of the real
.ing of their platform an
it to the right-wing ca” ie
offered up, reveals the Torié
monopolies’ right bower: