New policies needed for economic recovery, jobs not bombs

Communists advance emergency program

Fellow Canadians:

Parliament is now in session. Will it act
in the interests of the corporations or in
the interests of the people?

Will it continue policies which have led
to mass unemployment and lowered liv-
ing standards with no prospects for the
young generation, or undertake policies
to Put Canada Back to Work through the
systematic development and strengthen-
ing of the Canadian economy, particu-
larly secondary industry?

Will it annul the Cruise or go along
with the dangerous first-strike nuclear
strategy of the Reagan Administration
with all its disastrous consequences for
Canada and world peace?

These questions must be answered
and soon by the actions of the people.

One-Sided Recovery

It has become increasingly clear that
the much vaunted recovery has shown
itself to be one-sided.

There is recovery for the multi-
nationals, the corporations and bank
but not for the people.

Present day unemployment remains at
an all time high while living standards
continue to decline. The 6 and 5 per cent
wage restraint program, the federal and
provincial austerity programs, curtail-
ments of trade union rights, none of those
monopoly-inspired ‘‘solutions’’ has
brought real recovery to the Canadian
people. On the contrary, while they have
brought increased profits to the corpor-
ations and banks, they have stood in the
way of genuine recovery.

Capitalism is showing itself unable to
cope with the problems of the people. It
doesn’t work for the people, only for the
corporations and the rich.

There can be no genuine recovery for
the people based on the policy of reduc-
ing living standards and creating per-
manent unemployment. These policies
must be ended.

Dynamic Strategy Needed

Canada needs a dynamic industrial
strategy directed to create jobs, raise the
purchasing power of the people and
strengthen the independence of the
country.

It has all the resources and manpower

to expand production and make the

economy work for the people.

What stands in the way is multi-
national and monopoly control of the
Canadian economy.

U.S. imperialism is clearly determined
that Canada remain a resource hinterland
for the U.S. It seeks in every way to
undermine the pursuit of an independent
course by Canada be it in economic poli-
cy, foreign policy, culture. As long as
Canada is tied to the U.S. economy and
accepts a policy of integration with it, it
will suffer the consequences in a dis-
torted economy and large scale
unemployment.

Thus, no basic change in the economy
is possible without a decisive struggle to
bring an end to U.S. domination and con-
trol over the key sectors of the Canadian
economy. And no economic revival is
possible without ending such control
through democratic public ownership.

End U.S. Control

Bringing an end to U.S. control over
the Canadian economy would enable the
major economic decisions to be made by
the people. Social need, not maximum
profits, would have priority. Buttressed
by a public investment policy, by in-

COMMUNIST PARTY STATEMENT

creased purchasing power, a reduction in
hours of work with no reduction in take
home pay and further improvements in
social benefits — combined with an in-
dependent foreign policy of peace —
these would open the door to achieving
full employment.

Peace and jobs go together. An arms
program does not lead to prosperity but
to destruction. Investments in the mili-
tary sphere create fewer jobs than
investments in the peaceful sectors of the
economy. In short the arms program is a
job killer, not a job creator.

Permitting the testing of the Cruise
missile on Canadian soil ties Canada to
the first strike nuclear arms program and
war policies of the Reagan ad-
ministration.

Cruise testing in Canada must be an-

nulled. Canada should declare itself a
nuclear weapons-free zone. The um-
brella agreement should be annulled and
Canada’s voice must be raised against
any new missiles in western Europe.

Answer Lies with People

Instead of spending billions for arms
Canada needs a program to create jobs
for all.

Will Parliament undertake such a pro-
gram?

The answer lies with the people.

It is not enough to say as the Tories do
— “jobs, jobs, jobs’? without coming
forward with a program that would lead
to jobs. Their neo-conservative ‘anti-
people’s program would throw open the
door of Canada to uncontrolled U.S.
investments and to further U.S. take-

Capitalism is showing itself unable to cope with the problems of the people. It
doesn’t work for the people, only for the corporations and the rich. . . . Peace
and jobs go together ... An arms program does not lead to prosperity but to

destruction.

Prize-winning cartoon by V.M. Martikainen, Finland: “No to war!”

overs of the Canadian economy. Ex
perience has already shown that this road
does not lead to jobs but to the under-
mining of the ability of Canada to make |
its own decisions in its own interests. |

Nor is it enough to say, as the Trudeau |
government does, that “‘high tech” and
‘freer’ trade with the U.S. will solve
unemployment when in fact it adds to it.

These policies have proven them-
selves bankrupt.

A policy of Canada-U.S. integration,
of continentalism, of free trade, a cus |

‘toms union, no matter what you call it, i8 |

a recipe to disaster for Canada and het |
people.

The path to jobs and full employment
lies through independent economi¢
development based on public ownership
under democratic control of the key sec |
tors of the economy, coupled with a? |
independent. foreign policy directed 10 |
strengthen Canada’s voice as a voice 0
peace in the world.

An Emergency Program |

The Communist Party of Canada prop’
oses that as steps towards a full employ-
ment policy the following emergency pro
gram be adopted by Parliament:

e A ban on closures and layoffs.

e Takeover of closed factories by thé |
government. ;

e Unemployment Insurance. pay- |
ments to commence fromthe first day of |
layoffs and continue for the duration of |
unemployment at 90 per cent of earnings: |

e Anend to the 6 & 5 wage restraint
program and other austerity programs |
and the restoration of collective bargail |
ing ‘and right to strike: © it

e Training and retraining of youné |
people to meet technological change. |

e Reduction of hours of work to 3
with no loss in take-home pay. i)

e Nocuts in public spending. A mas" |
sive investment program of publi¢ )
works, housing and other job creatiné
programs. =a

e Expand ‘spending on’ health, ed” .
ucation and on cultural'development. |

e Nationalization under democratl¢ |
control of all multinational corporations: |
bank and other financial institutions. , |

e Defend the family: farm. Defend
present Crowsnest rates. ald

e The further expansion of econom’ |
relations with the socialist and develo’ |
ing countries on a mutually satisfactory |
basis.

e Funds for such programs to come
out of the arms program and through 1
creased taxes on corporations, banks |
insurance companies.

Unity of Action

To win such a program of jobs will
require great effort. It will require abo™’ |
all, the unity of action of the organiZ®
labor and democratic movement, the U®
employed, and the allies of labor in cil
and countryside. People’s coalitio® |
headed by organized labor should be
built everywhere, as in British Columb
to undertake such a massive campaig® i
Put Canada Back to Work. Only sv¢,
massive public action can com
parliament to begin to act in the interes
of the people, not as up to now int
interests of the profits of the corporatiO
and the rich.

A policy of full employment ca? me
won. But it calls for new policies and
new direction for Canada.

-

ns

Central Executive Committe
Communist Party of Cana
September 14, 1

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—SEPTEMBER 21, 1983—Page 8