Peace and independence © highlight NDP debate By PHYLLIS CLARKE HEN the New Democratic Party convention was closed in Toronto last week, re-elected federal leader T. C. Douglas called upon the delegates to begin now to work for the next federal election which he predicted would be held in the spring of next year. The policy, as decided by this convention, would presumably form the basis of the NDP cam- paign and their bid to the elec- torate. The convention had heavily focussed on jhe ques- tion of Canadian independence. The opening days had seen the passage of the resolution which set out the economic basis they envisioned for independence. When the peace question was debated, it also took its point of departure from the need for an independent Canadian foreign policy. “The purpose of Can- ada’s policy,” the resolution on international affairs says, “must be to put people first. We must press for an end to the bar- barous war in Vietnam. We must seek to halt the drift to nuclear war; we must vastly increase economic aid; we must seek re- conciliation with the People’s Republic of China; we must strengthen the United Nations and the rule of law.” The resolution went on to call for Canada to take an initiative in calling a halt to U.S. bomb- ing in Vietnam, to stop selling arms for use in Vietnam for “helping to mobilize opinion throughout the world and in the United States itself to end the barbarous war.” It also called for Canada to pull out of NORAD, for a revised role in NATO, for one percent of gross national product.to be used for aid programs. More heat than light was generated in the debate on this Yout By WILLIAM ALLAN William Allan, Detroit corres- pondent for the U.S. Worker, covered the NDP convention for his paper, during which time he interviewed the newly-elected president of the New Democratic Youth. Allan was the only re- porter from the United States press to attend the convention. TORONTO ENNETH Nowakowski, new- ly-elected national presi- dent of the New Democra- tic Youth (NDY), told this re- porter that “the radicalization of Canadian Youth creates a potential youth organization around our program that can see. us doubling, tripling our 3,300 membership two years from now.” In a question and answer interview here are NDY leader Nowakowski’s summar- ized replies: Q. Just what will be the basis for NDY becoming the or- ganization that hundreds of ra- dical Canadian Youth can see as what they want to lead them? July 21, 1967—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 6 resolution where no one spoke in favor of the U.S. action in Vietnam. The attack centered around a proposition that the NDP should turn money, person- nel and other resources over to a standing committee on Viet- nam which would work closely with the anti-war movement. A motion to refer the resolu- tion to have this included was overwhelmingly defeated (giv- ing rise to great newspaper headlines of defeat to the left, convention moves right, etc.) by delegates who seemed more anxious to have the convention go on record on international affairs than to take the chance that once referred back, the resolution would never come to the floor again. Undoubtedly the proposal itself did not have great support but the implica- tion that anything short of this was useless was not highly ap- preciated by the delegates who in no way could be construed as being for the war. On the Middle East there was greater division. Most of the delegates who participated in the discussion felt that the emergency resolution, and the introduction of it by David Lewis, M.P., was slanted in favor of Israel and took no ac- count of the needs and aspira- tions of the Arab people. What also seemed to be true was that there was far more confusion about what really is the truth about the Middle East, than in Vietnam, and the resolution, which was introduced by the executive, carried. On internal questions the convention gingerly took a step leader: A. We speak and work for a radical change in society, to benefit the student, trade union, Indian, farm youth. We offer that, as well as a program to fight for peace, especially in Vietnam. Q. What makes you different from many other youth groups? A. We are a part of a politi- cal party, the New Democratic Party, whose convention you have been covering, which may see our party become the ma- jor opposition in Parliament if there is an election in ’68. Also some day we may be the party running the government. Q. How and what will you begin to do? A, Basically NDY is student membership. We have to change that. With the program we have adopted we must go before the trade unions, the factories, the high schools, the farm regions, to the Indian youth, open dis- cussion groups, where we can listen: and also tell them what we fight for. This is how we will broaden the membership of NDY, bring in working class of recognition that Quebec is not a province like the others in fiscal relations as well as language by calling for special status. They moved away, how- ever, from the demand for a new constitution. The resolution met with a blast from British Col- umbia leader Robert Strachan, but the persuativeness of French Canadians like Laurier. LaPierre carried the day. It is not with- out significance however, that Claude Ryan, editor of Le Devoir, in addressing the con- vention the next day, suggested that they should now work out what exactly they meant by special status. Delegates had voted in favor of a proposition NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY ‘6/7 CONVENTION that still had little flesh on the bare bones. The first unanimous resolu- tion of the convention came on the statement on labor which called for prohibition of injunc- tions in labor disputes and out- lawing the use of strikebreak- ers. The statement also de- clared the NDP as opposed to compulsory arbitration which “denies to both employers and employees the opportunity to develop procedures and arrive at conclusions which are mutu- ally satisfactory.” Among other _ resolutions passed was one supporting the main proposition of the Carter Commission on Taxation, one on the rights of women (to be worked into a submission be- fore the Royal Commission), and a condemnation of the Liberal government regarding the decision that Trans-Canada Pipe Lines could route their gas pipeline through the U.S. The /I “New Image needed ! youth both unionists and those not yet union members. We will organize dialogues on campus and help lead struggles there for greater democracy on cam- pus, greater voice for the stu- dents in the affairs of universi- ties, get backing for a shift in the provincial and federal tax structure to remove the finan- cial burden of education from municipal governments. Also we will warn against ‘American cultural imperialism” being taught on our Canadian cam- puses. Similarly with farm, In- dian, and other youth, and par- ticularly high school youth. Q. If there is a federal elec- tion in 1968 as your NDP lead- er Tommy Douglas predicts, what role will NDY play? A. Well, you saw the age of the NDP convention delegates, it was not a youthful image. We say we need a new image of NDP. We will, as I said on the floor of the adult convention, not be content to go along with set images. Or old ideas. We of NDY, want to participate, to build a strong NDY, to get our latter spoke of the govern- ment’s .“‘wretched surrender of the use of our resources to private and alien interests” and urged NDP members of parlia- ment to continue to fight this outrageous decision. Many, many resolutions of the over 400 before the delegates had to be referred to the incom- ing. federal council. One deci- sion that was made: which might make possible a better utiliza- tion of time at future conven- tions was to publish the policy as now exists and that at the next convention all resolutions should be directed to amend or add to this policy. This would obviate. the need of hundreds of resolutions which restate what is already policy and allow con- centration on what needs to be changed or what is new. Newspaper, radio and TV commentators seemed very an- xious to prove that the NDP was turning right, although one large daily played it both ways with a front page on the turn right and an editorial which said there was no such turn! It would be hard to prove a turn right or left, either in the policy decisions or in the elec- tions where the only upset was the election of James Renwick of Ontario in place of John H. Brockelbank of Saskatchewan for president. The fact that the man from Ontario was over 20 years younger, most delegates said, had quite a bearing on the vote, but there seemed no policy at issue between them. To picture the handful of spokesmen for what they called a socialist caucus as a genuine share of candidates on the NDP ticket. To change the face of the Parliamentary NDP _ caucus, which is the oldest in age caucus in the House. NDP got 1,326,000 votes in the 1965 election. A number of those were youth. Last month, NDP in a Gallup poll got 25 percent of the vote, the Lib- eral Party, 37 percent and the Conservatives, 26 percent. To increase the vote and become the major opposition in 1968 means many more thousands of votes, the NDY has to be allowed to be part of winning that vote by reaching Canadian youth with our program. That’s why our NDY _ convention’s orientation was: make the NDY a youth organization of radical young people and not just an electoral machine for the adult New Democratic Party. Q. Finally, what’s your com- ments on the New Left? A. One of the mistakes the New Left is making, it seems to me, is by-passing the organ- ized labor movement, the work- ing class youth and concen- trating on students and many left would be inlusia" if inept in tactics © doctrinaire in polich F fered little of substat of the material befor gates from the mittees. Thea stand the quest!” independence aliens the beginning fro ; whelming majo” aid and at no time si ceed in placing qué port. 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