(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