CANADA

Free trade puts Canada on the block

By KERRY McCUAIG
The questions were fast and
pointed but the Mulroney govern-
ment held the cards close to its
chest as Parliament was given its
first opportunity last week to
debate the proposed free trade
pact with the United States.
International Trade Méinister
Pat Carney opened the debate with
a comforting motion intended to
draw in the Liberal opposition
which was reputedly split on the
idea.

Women's wage

For the first time since
1967 Canadian women have
lost ground in closing the pay
gap. A recent Statistics Can-
ada report reveals that women
working full-time earned an
average of $18,736 in 1985 or
64.9 per cent of what men
earned on average. That was
down from 65.5 per cent in
1984.

Employment Minister
Benoit Bouchard told repor-
ters that the Tories are rely-
ing on employment equity

with men.”

vice-president
| Working Women hit out at
Bouchard’s remarks: “Des-
pite his claims of concern he
_ clearly has no intention of
rectifying the situation.” Cit-
ing neo-conservative policy
as the reason women are
again losing ground, Lay-
cock said the Tory agenda of
free trade, privatization and
_ deregulation must be chal-
lenged. “High unemployment .
is the worst enemy of equal-
ity for women in the work-

place.”

The motion backs a bilateral
trade arrangement between Can-
ada and the U\S. as “part of the
government’s unilateral trade pol-
icy, while protecting our political
sovereignty, social programs, agri-
cultural marketing system, the
auto industry and our unique cul-
tural identity.”

Instead, opposition leader, John
Turner, gaver his party’s tacit sup-
port to the motion while introduc-
ing a string of amendments,
worked out by the party in com-
mittee. The changes instructed the
government to seek greater access
to the American market while
insisting that the U.S. stop its
harassment of Canadian exports.

Turner’s motion failed to win

support from the New Democrats

and went down to defeat 185 to 33.
NDP House Leader Nelson Riis
said his party could not back any
suggestion of support for free trade
because “there are too many risks
involved.”

In the end, the Conservatives -

were able to rely on their over-
whelming majority, forcing the
motion through 160-58, with the
Liberals and NDP opposed.

‘*It would appear that the Lib-
erals are. unwilling to commit
themselves on the issue until a
federal election draws nearer, re-
lying on their time honored strat-
egy of waiting for the Tories to
self-destruct and then walking in.
This could cost them however,

_ | the NDP is right behind,” com-
_{. mented Communist Party leader

William Kashtan in an interview
with the Tribune.

While the government has
promised Canadian sovereignty
will not be damaged in an agree-
ment, it was unable to outline any
mechanism to ensure its protec-
tion.

Carney gave her verbal as-
surances that no package will be
concluded which ‘‘will hold
Canadian workers or industries
hostage to the unpredictable
whims of American protection-
ism’’. When queried by the op-
position if the recently concluded
“‘deal’’ on lumber exports was an
example of her resolve, she de-
clined to answer.

That deal resulted in Ottawa
imposing a 15 per cent tax on

TO flights

lumber exports as aconcession to
the U.S. trade commission. It was
intended to provide the “‘level
playing field’’ the U.S. has de-
manded. Rather than creating the
regional prosperity the prime min-
ister has assured Canadians the
deal will bring, so far it has re-
sulted in at least one mill being
shut down.

Kimberly-Clark has cited the
new tax as the reason for closing

down its Terrace Bay, Ontario

Operations in mid-May. The move
will throw 100 workers onto an
already desperate job market.

In the week preceding the par-
liamentary debate, the Globe and
Mail was able to get a scenario on
the state of negotiations. It sug-

NDP convention focuses on

MONTREAL — Buoyed by its
40 per cent support in the Quebec
polls and in the hopes of breaking
through there in the next federal
election, a delicate compromise
resolution was piloted through the
NDP federal convention on
March 14 and 15S.

The resolution, which recog-
nized the “uniqueness of Quebec,”
replaced one submitted by the
newly-formed Quebec wing of the
party which called for Quebec to
have sole legislative power over
language and culture.

The resolution called for Que-
bec’s right to opt out of future
constitutional changes that erode
provincial powers with full
financial compensation; for a
Quebec veto on changes to federal
institutions affecting French lan-
guage and culture in Quebec;

and for the federal and Quebec
wings of the NDP to ‘‘explore
new constitutional provisions
whose purpose would be to pro-
tect the linguistic rights of Que-
bec’s majority while at the same
time ensuring the preservation of
minority language rights as they
now exist in the Constitution.”’

Even with the election of Mi-
chel Agnatieff of the CEQ as
associate president of the NDP
and federal spokesperson for the
party in Quebec, some Quebec
labor delegates to the convention
warned that the party’s timidity in
opting for a watered down resolu-
tion may well cost it the support
of organized labor in Quebec.

It was the coming federal elec-
tion that was on the minds of the
leadership and of 1,300 delegates
to the convention which can only

6 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, MARCH 25, 1987

be described as ‘“‘restrained’’ and
‘‘moderate’’. Shirley Carr, head
of the CLC, told the convention
the NDP should not “‘stray too far
from the middle ground’’. Ed
Broadbent, unanimously re-
elected as party leader, indicated
that fairness and honesty would
be the commitments an NDP gov-
ernment would make to the
Canadian electorate.

The convention identified
unemployment as its number one
issue and adopted policy calling
for full employment, job training
and income security for all Cana-
dians as well as affirmative action
for women, visible minorities, the
disabled and Native peoples.

On economic issues, the dele-
gates opposed transportation
deregulation, privatization of
crown corporations and the com-

In a co-ordinated action, peace activists from all
over Canada will phone NATO embassies to show
Canadian opposition to the low level testing of
fighter-bombers in Quebec-Labrador and the pos-
sible establishment of a NATO base in Goose Bay.

On April 1, NATO war games will begin again in
Canada. Low level flight testing of NATO fighter
bombers over the Quebec-Labrador peninsula will
begin for 1987. Last year more than 4,000 military
test flights involving five NATO air forces dis-
rupted the Native peoples, the environment and the
wildlife of the area. The jets which have a specific
nuclear role in NATO are practising a war fighting
doctrine known as “Deep Strike.”

__ To be sure that each of the NATO countries is

Peace groups protest NA

en

————

aware of Canadian opposition, a phone blitz has _
been organized for the first week of April. Each day
one of the NATO countries will be targetted and —
the embassy or the consul office will be called by
people from all across Canada.

Phoners can either call the embassies of the
countries listed below on the given dates or can
contact the consular office nearest them by check
ing the phone directory.

Wed., April 2, Germany (613) 232-1101; Thurs., _
April 2, Belgium (613) 236-9517/8; Fri., April 3, _
United Kingdom (613) 237-1530; Sat., April4, Uni-
ted States (613) 238-5335; Mon., April 6, Canada
(613) 996-4450 or your MP; Tues., April 7, Nether- | _
lands (613) 237-5030. ‘

same

gests that there is agreement to
put the auto pact and Canadian
culture on the free trade auction
block, despite repeated as-
surances to the contrary.

The exposure came at an inop-
portune time for the government
which is preparing for a summit
meeting with U.S. president Rea-
gan later this month.

“*It could be part of the effort of
bargaining, to build up opposition
to U.S. demands to strengthen
the hands of Canada’s negotia-
tors. Or it may be part of the con-
ditioning of the Canadian people
to the proposed sellout,”’ Kashtan
commented.

Whatever the reason, the sell-
out is sure to be extensive. The

election

prehensive free trade negotiations
between Canada and the USA.
Tax reform to increase overall re-
liance on corporate income tax,
while reducing the taxes of aver-
age and low income earners was
adopted by the delegates.

The convention opposed
NATO low flight testing over
Quebec-Labrador and there were
no changes to NDP policy on
withdrawal of Canada from
NATO.

Sanctions against South Africa
and recognition of the ANC, arc-
tic sovereignity and opposition to
Tory plans to change drug patent
legislation as well as an end to
federal government subsidies of
Canadian arms shipments abroad
were a number of the other reso-
lutions passed over the two day
biennial meet in Montreal.

U.S. is demanding that its in-

vestments be accorded the same ~
status as Canadian investments. —
This would open the door to the —

banks, insurance companies ani

brokerages, those institutions
that until now had been jealously
guarded by Canadian finance

capital. The end result would be —

increased U.S. control of the

economy with all its negative —

consequences.

Tariffs are to be phased out —
over the next 10-12 year period, —
but this could be the least of Can- —
ada’s worrires. Tariffs apply to less _
than 15 per cent of U.S. Canada —
trade. Under consideration are the —

the non-tariff barriers, the agricul-
tural marketing boards, consume
protection, preferential treatment
of Canadian companies etc. Thes¢
are up for grabs and their loss
would bring hard consequences.
etc. These are up for grabs an
their loss would bring hard con-
sequences.

As publisher Mel Hurtig, head

of the nationalist Council 9°

Canadians, recently told a Regin@

audience, ‘‘no government woul
be stupid enough to put soc

programs publicly on the bargain= —

ing table, but the end results coul
be the same as if they did”’.

Carney has also capitulated 0? —

free trade in services and ‘‘intel
lectual property’’, meaning the
Patent and Copyright Acts will be
on the bargaining table.

The United States has pressed at
GATT for these items to b®
included in the international trade
GATT members have so far su
cessfully resisted the effort Te
ognizing U.S. advantage in thes®
fields. An agreement with Canad@
would be a lever it could use in thé
upcoming trade talks.

“a