(CP raps gov't, NDP on constitution Continued from page 1 e a tOransom and block progress.’ But Barrett carefully aes defending his position on the con- Stitutional package. He attacked tt and the Socreds for failing tO appear before the federal Parliamentary committee, and call- problems facing society today,”’ he said. Rush drew attention to the resolution on resource control the Socreds were planning to introduce as an example of the reactionary aims of the government in pursuing its constitutional objectives. That B.C. Hydro energy program ‘‘t dam every waterway in B.C. leiee ly for export of power to the U.S.,”’ he added. ‘‘Bennett doesn’t want resolution charged. which require B.C. Hydro to justify exports before the National Energy Board.”’ z resolution would have demanded To consent:to Bennett’s demand 8 assurances that the federal govern- for ‘‘absolute dominion’’ over 2. ment under no circumstances resources is tantamount to a blank # ““undertake nationalization of any . cheque to complete the sellout of €d for an “‘all party legislative com- Miittee” to hear briefs from British lumbians on the constitutional issue, but then admitted that the Caucus had no plans to sub- Mit its views to the parliamentary Committee. While the NDP manoeuvered to attack the Socred position without having to defend its support for the A Act , the government floundered in confusion. In the One speech the government an- hounced it would introduce a Tésolution demanding the federal 80vernment “‘confine its request to the British Parliament to the simple » Patriation of the BNA Act without Unilateral amendments.’’ But When the resolution was presented, about 10 minutes after the throne Speech, it contradicted the throne ‘peech by calling for no patriation until unanimous consent of the Provinces is given and an arnen- formula has also received Unanimous endorsement. e shrone speech ae a | } CANADIAN UNION OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES | Local 900, pore one BARRETT... second resolution on constitutional matters calling for “unanimous support to confirm that the owner- ship and control of all renewable and non=renewable natural resources in B.C. remain in the hands of those who can best manage them — the people who live in B.C.’’.A special point was made in the throne speech that fresh water must be included as a renewable resource under provin- cial jurisdiction. NDP leader Dave Barrett predicted that the resolution would never be Sere and it wasn ete For peace in 7 1981 — ! 4 cut back military spending : | not services for people. Our New Year’s Wish: A crown corporation for telephone service i Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the { Officers and members of the eas om Ss ‘Granting’ to all telecommunications workers union U working people provincial ownership of resources “motherhood” He said it would give the NDP an opportunity to take credit for the so-called Broadbent amend- ment to Trudeau’s constitutional package, affirming provincial con- trol over resources. But later reports indicated that the NDP itself struck a deal to end the session quietly if the government Side, the resolution. Questioned if he supported the demand for provincial ‘ ‘ownership and control” over all resources, in- cluding water and hydro power, Barrett responded, ‘‘Do I support motherhood?”? But when ques- tioned further if that meant sup- port for provincial control over the export of resources which could lead to a continental energy policy being established province by pro- vince, the NDP leader changed his tone with the assurance, “‘There is no suggestion anywhere that federal involvement in ~ exports would be ended.’’ However any serious reading of the Socred posi- tion on resource control leads to ex- actly that conclusion. When the Socred resolution op- posing patriation passed the house Thursday by a vote of 29 to 22, nothing had been accomplished. The NDP had succeeded in pun- ching holes in the Socred’s bravado, but they were as happy as the government to end the session and escape further debate. This week Communist Party provincial leader Maurice Rush at- tacked both Bennett and Barrett for their performances on the con- stitutional issue. Bennett’s resolu- tion was ‘‘another was of saying do nothing”’, he said, while Barrett’s support of the Trudeau-Broadbent proposal ‘‘to patriate the obsolete and reactionary BNA Act with its anti-French Canadian bias and outdated provisions, is not in the best interest of “What Canada feeds i is a new made-in-Canada constitution adopted by a constituent assembly after a full public debate, and em- bodying recognition of the two na- tion character of Canada as well as pogencns to meet the many new _ ‘ae Let’s make 1981 a year of unity and progress VANCOUVER, NEW WESTMINSTER AND DISTRICT. BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL 4500 Dawson St., JIM BIDDLE, President Burnaby, B.C. V5C 4Cl1 a3 CY SLOAN, Secretary : PHOT! UN ‘industry or segment of the 2 economy.’ ‘‘What Bennett is demanding is “ total and complete control over @ resources with absolutely no check F or controls by the central govern- ment. In other words a free hand to make whatever deal he wishes with the multinationals which now con- trol most of B.C.’sresources,’’ said Rush. The stress placed on hydro resources by the Socreds should be seen in the context of the $18 billion RUSH . resources. B.C.’s resources, said Rush. “If every province had the same power there could never be an overall Canada-wide economic policy to ensure that resources are developed to meet the needs of all Canadians.” In addition to the constitutional debate, seven minor bills were in- troduced for first reading. Con- spicuous by their absence were the controversial Financial Ad- ministration Act and the Planning Act. > . calls for. Canada-wire economic policy to develop U.S. oil companies behind separatists Multinational oil companies and resource based monopolies are behind the efforts of the so-called “‘western separatist movement”’ to build amass base in Western Canada, the Communist Party’s central committee declared Dec. 7. In a resolution adopted by the CP’s leading committee at its weekend meeting in Toronto Dec. 7-8, the party called for rejection of the western. separatist movement and for new federal policies to redress the just demands of Western Canada. ‘‘Separatism will divide working people from province to province without solving their basic pro- blems. It will enable the multina- tionals to strengthen their stranglehold on the resources of each province and open the door to atakeover by the U.S. It will pose a grave threat to Canada’s in- dependence. It’s a tactic of divide and rule,’’ said the CP resolution. The multinational resource companies,. right wing provincial governments and the federal Con- servative Party are all abetting the fledgling separatist movement, the resolution charged. “Tt is time for Canada to meet the legitimate demands of Western Canada,’’ it added. ‘‘Such action must include a new Canadian economic policy which will see the all sided develop- ment of the Canadian economy with public control of resources and the establishment of manufac- turing and processing industries under public ownership in the Western provinces.”’ The CP also called for reform of the freight rate structure which discriminates against the west, and for reforms to the electoral system to provide for proportional representation ‘‘to ensure a democratic and representative voice for all Canadians, including the west, in Canada’s political system.” Holiday greciiigs = Suet friends in the labor movement UNITED FISHERMEN & ALLIED WORKERS’ UNION LOCAL 4 _ LADNER PACIFIC TRIBUNE—DEC. 19, 1980—Page 3