British Columbia/Canada

NDP is mista

ken if it thinks

moving to right wins elections

The provincial election pot has been boil-
ing ever since the Cariboo byelection on
Sept. 20 when the voters there handed
Social Credit a shattering defeat. Much of
the debate is centering around Premier Bill
Vander Zalm continuing as he says he is. If
he vacates will he jump or will be he be
pushed?

Not a few members of Social Credit seem
to think it’s time for him to go, especially
those who are dependent on another Socred
victory for a job or a contract or a subsidy
from the provincial treasury. And it seems
the business establishment has also now
joined the chorus demanding that Vander
Zalm get out. I doubt that big business in
B.C. is terribly worried about a victory of
what they call the “socialist hordes.” After
all Dave Barrett didn’t exactly upset the
market system when he was in office from
1972-75. That is even Jess likely with Mike
Harcourt as premier. But the business estab-
lishment is worried about the rising expecta-
tions that an NDP victory would bring,
expectations that would require a reversal
of Social Credit policies and some progres-
sive reforms.

There seems to be a feeling in the top
circles of the NDP that the best way to win
the next provincial election is to avoid tak-
ing a stand on any controversial issue; to
just sit back and wait for Social Credit to
hang itself. Some believe that Social Credit
is so accident prone, so willing to put its foot

_in its own mouth, that it will discredit itself
and voters will then automatically turn to
the NDP.

But is that really the case?

_. Disillusionment with Socred policies was

__certainly a major factor in the last five by-
elections, all of which were lost by Social
Credit and won by the NDP. But the leaders
of the NDP shouldn’t forget the lessons of

‘the 1986 provincial elections. The NDP
seemed to have everything going for it then,
including public opinion polls. Premier Bill
Bennett was widely discredited. The people
wanted a change.

Then the corporate sector, which finan-
ces the Social Credit party, worked out a

new strategy, Bill Bennett resigned and was
replaced by Bill Vander Zalm. The
corporate-owned media concentrated: on
creating a new image of Vander Zalm as a
born-again reformer, a good guy who just

‘loved the people and would always listen to

them. On the other hand, the media painted
a picture of the leader of the NDP as a weak
and confused man. It worked, Social Credit
won again.

It could happen again. Vander Zalm
could go and a new leader take his place.

_ And the media could build up this new man

and doa job on Harcourt. let’s not underes-
timate the power of the corporate-
controlled media to influence public opin-
ion.

This is why I think it’s not wise to wait for
Social Credit to defeat itself.

I think a victory for the NDP, especially if
it is to be meaningful victory that will bring
about significant progressive change requires
at least two steps.

The first is a determination by the NDP
leadership that it will take on the corporate
sector of this province, and provide a clear
alternative people’s program that is in sharp
contrast to the corporate sector program
being implemented by, the Social Credit
government today. This would have to

include, I believe, the key issues that the

people of B.C. are concerned with such as:
© end the giveaway of our forest resour-
ces to a handful of foreign and Canadian
corporate giants. End also the wasteful
practices of the forest industry;
© compel the lumber, pulp, mining and
other industries to end their destruction of

our environment with their criminal pollu-
tion practices. Heavy penalties, including
fines and imprisonment for the chief execu-
tive officers who continue to defy the law;

@ make layoffs and closures of plants
subject to public tribunals;

@ establish new industries to provide jobs
for the 10 per cent of our work force now
unemployed. =

@ repeal the discriminatory labour legis-
lation introduced by the Social Credit
government, particularly the acts previofisly
known as Bills 19 and 20.

@ a substantial raise in the minimum
wage.

@ undertake a large scale program to
build affordable housing. End the demoli-
tion of affordable housing. Establish rent
controls.

Because people are becoming cynical
about unfulfilled election promises, it might
be a good idea for the NDP to pledge that if
it does not carry. out its platform it will
resign.

Secondly, the people of this province
would like to see NDP leaders out there in
the front of all battles of the people of
B.C. — on the picket line, leading envir-
onmental battles and so on, not just talking
it up in the legislature.

Bob White, the leader of the Canadian
Auto Workers union and an executive

member of the federal NDP, made a good -

point when he said in a Globe and Mail
article “Controlling Big Business Key to
Better Tomorrow”, on Sept. 27.

“The party must articulate the concerns
and frustrations of working people, women
fighting for equality, farmers, the poor,
Native people, environmentalists and the
peace movement. We must overcome their
skepticism by fighting alongside them,
inside parliament and out, between as well
as during elections.” ..

If the NDP does these two things, it could
rally the people for a positive program of
social change. That would bring out the
troops and ensure the defeat of Social
Credit no matter what new face it puts for-
ward as premier.

The Canadian Union of Public Employ-
__ ees joined. with conservationists and citi-
_ Zens organizations last month in slamming
| , the Greater Vancouver regional district’s
|, recycling plan, saying it fails to reflect pub-
lic input and will do nothing to solve the
_ region’s landfill crisis.
*.. CUPEB.C. region president Geraldine
- McGuire also criticized the district for fail-
ing to allow an “in-house” bid on the
scheme to market products claimed
through the recycling process, instead put-
ting it out to private tender.

Several groups, including the Society
Promoting Environmental Conservation,
told the GVRD at a recent hearing that its
goal of recycling 20 per cent of the region’s
garbage will only keep pace with the prob-
lem, since there will be an anticipated 20-
per-cent shortage in landfill in five years.

By comparison, both the governments
of B.C. and Ontario have set goals of
reducing landfill by 50 per cent by the year
2000, McGuire noted in a statement.

The regional CUPE president hit the

- district for not allowing a municipal bid on
marketing some of the products expected
to be gleaned from its waste recycling plan.
“In community after community, CUPE
has shown that it is usually cheaper and
more efficient to keep control of this sort

CUPE slams GVRD recycling plan

response to garbage crisis.

of function in public hands.

“So long as marketing is left up to con-
tractors, only the items that are most prof-
itable in the short term will be recycled
while the rest will end up in the dump, as
before,” McGuire charged.

She also charged that the GVRD’s pub-

CACHE CREEK DUMP ... GVRD project underscores district's inadequate —

lic process was as a result of public pres-
sure, and will not really allow public input
into the plan.

The fact that the plan is already being
implemented “highlights how little the
GVRD cares for democratic process or
the wisdom of the public,” McGuire said.

AROSS
DA

Manitoba monitors
radon gas seepage

The Manitoba government has ear-
marked $150,000 to test for radon levels
in homes and schools outside Winnipeg.

Initial surveys indicate that Manitoba
homes have among the highest radon
levels in Canada. Excessive radon levels
have been linked to five per cent of all
deaths caused by lung cancer.

The odorless, colourless gas results
from the natural breakdown of radium
in soil and rock, and enters buildings
through cracks and openings in founda-
tions.

Two recent U.S. studies indicate that
radioactive gas in homes may bea bigger
health threat than previously believed
and have urged more extensive testing.

The studies estimate that 43,000
people a year die from cancer caused by
radon — comparable to the death toll
from breast cancer.

There are no known “‘safe”’ levels of
radon. The study by the New Jersey
State Department of Health shows that
people living in environments with more
than two picocuries of radon per litre of
air have an 80 per cent greater risk of
contracting lung cancer than those in
houses with less than one picocurie.

Three picocuries is the equivalent to
smoking half a pack of cigarettes a day or
having 150 chest X-rays a year.

The Manitoba program will also pro-
duce a book for homeowners on radon
detection and control and assist compan-
ies offering radon-related services. It also
plans to change the province’s building
code to provide radon protection.

Canadian team
to assist Namibia

A team of 40 Canadian election
supervisors has left for Namibia to assist
in supervising elections to that country’s
Constituent Assembly, Nov. 7 -11.

The team is being sent at the request of

. the United Nations secretary general to

form part of the 500-member UN Tran-
sition Assistance Group.

The 40 supervisors were nominated by
the three parliamentary parties and by
federal and provincial electoral institu-
tions. They will be in Namibia for a
month and will be stationed at polling
booths to certify the elections are both
free and fair.

Union calls off
beer boycott

The union representing workers at
Molson’s Lakeshore plant in Toronto
have called off their boycott of the brew-
ery after reaching an agreement with the
company to provide transfers for half
their members.

Molson has now agreed to offer jobs
at two other Ontario plants to about 260
of its 500 employees at the Lakeshore
plant when it closes in December next
year.

Local 304 of the Brewery, Malt and
Soft Drink Workers launched the boy-
cott earlier this year following the merger
of Molson with Carling O’Keefe. About
1,400 jobs will disappear over the next
few years as Molson follows through
with plans to close seven of its 16 plants.

While other unions accepted Molson’s
severance and early retirement packages,
the brewery local had held out for job
transfers at Molson’s expanded opera-
tions in nearby Etobicoke.

Pacific Tribune, November 6, 1989 e 3