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OTTAWA—Liberal Senators have been averaging eight hours apiece, a Canadian precedent, in their filibuster against the Goods and Services Tax. The legislation faces its third and final hurdle in the upper house with the Conservatives, using their newly-appointed majority, forcing 24-hour sittings with weekends off.

If the Liberals, with support of three in- dependents, can delay the bill past Dec. 31, it will go back to the House of Commons where it faces an uncertain future.

Although Mulroney’s Tories still retain a 23-seat majority in the Commons pressure outside Parliament against the tax has been so intense that anti-GST forces are banking on backbenchers breaking ranks.

“We predict that there are enough Tory MPs, particularly from Alberta, who will find the prospect of sitting through three more readings of the bill unbearable,” said Murray Dobbin of the Pro-Canada Network.

Ifenough Tories do register their opposi- tion or do not appear for any of the votes, the legislation will fail. Prime Minister Brian

Fraternal Greetings from the membership of Local #9 Pulp, Paper & Woodworkers

of Canada to all trade unionists

and workers. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Our hope is

a New Year

filled with

peace for all humankind.

Retail Wholesale Union Local 580

8 « Pacific Tribune, December 17, 1990

Mulroney would then be forced to call an election before his mandate expires.

With the Senate as the last institutional barrier against the GST, speculation abounds as to how long the Liberals and supporting independents can last. The mainstream media is predicting the third week in December, providing the Tory majority does not break any more rules and force a vote.

Last week, the Liberals put forward a motion to adjourn the Senate sittings, an action which, if passed, would have forced the chamber to move to the top of its legis- lative agenda, putting the GST into limbo. Although the motion was expected to be defeated by the Tory majority, it nonetheless stalled proceedings an extra day.

The delay could still continue for some time since nearly 40 of the Liberal members have yet to speak.

Dobbin also brushed government predic- tions aside that the bill could be passed before year-end. “The media was saying the legislation would pass in mid-November and it didn’t. There’s plenty of variables.

“The Liberals have the moral high ground, knowing they have the support of the Canadian people. The Tories, especially the new senators, are seen as hired guns,”

__ Dobbin explained in a telephone interview

with the Tribune. Unaccustomed to a grueling schedule,

| the Tory senators are putting in 12-hour

shifts to ensure they have enough bodies in the chamber if a vote is called. “Given that Mulroney lies about every-

_ thing, we can assume he lied to the new 23,

assuring them this would be a piece of cake, that they would only have to put in a couple of weeks and then go back to their normal lives.

“Tt is these guys who demanded the deal with the Liberals to get weekends off. They’re also used to taking three weeks holidays at Christmas. They are very reluc-

_ tant to go past Dec. 13 —so all bets are off.”

The Pro-Canada Network, the coalition of labour and a social organizations that has been heading the fight against the GST, hasn’t limited itself to Senate watching. Its campaign has swung to popularizing fair tax altematives. :

Based on a study by Osgoode tax law professor Neil Brooks, the PCN has produced a series of “Tax Facts” highlight- ing why government coffers are bare and who has, and has not, been paying their share.

“Mulroney and (Finance Minister) Wil- son are using the same ’TINA’ argument that they used during the free trade debate with some success. They’re saying ’There Is No Alternative’,” said Dobbin.

“Tt’s the big lie technique. The more they say it the more we feel beaten and conclude that this is as good as it gets.”

Anti-GST forces predicting doom for unpopular Tory tax

The PCN contends that the GST is a “free trade tax.” It will take in $7.5 billion more than the Manufacturers Sales Tax it was supposedly designed to replace. That extra revenue is needed to replace the taxes the corporations will not be paying as Canadian corporate tax policy is harmonized with that of the United States.

Even before free trade was implemented in 1988, and before the GST was announced, the Tories had taken steps to reduce cor- porate tax rates.

Their tax policy has been very successful at creating billionaires, PCN briefing notes point out. Since the Tories took office, Canada has eight new billionaire families, the highest per capita of any country in the world. In the meantime taxation has in- creased by 44 per cent on the lowest income earners.

Getting this message out can play a major role in defeating the tax, and defeating the Tories. PCN affiliates have been picketing large corporations who have paid little or no taxes to publicize how warped Tory tax policy is.

Civil disobedience has also become part of the response to the GST. With less than three weeks until its implementation, 70 per cent of businesses have not registered. Towns have declared themselves GST Free Zones and have served notice they will not collect the tax, regardless of the consequen- ces.

The PCN rep also sees a split in business that GST foes should use to their advantage. Small business, which has traditionally seen itself as part of the business community, is seeing the difference between itself and the corporations, Dobbin noted, pointing to the number of small business operators who have contacted the PCN to join in the cam- paign, furious because local business federations are inactive.

That, and more, has to become part of a Strategy “to make the country ungov- ernable,” said Dobbin in an oblique refer- ence to a slogan used by the ANC to bring down apartheid in South Africa.

Despite a cross-country tour to “meet the people” coupled with new commissions, the prime minister’s popular support remains below 15 per cent.

Dobbin pointed to a perceived change in the media indicating the Tories’ days may be numbered. Pundits such as the Globe’s na- tional affairs columnist Jeffrey Simpson, “a Tory sycophant” has come out with his sixth column attacking the prime minister.

“The ruling class is wondering if Mul- roney can represent their interests. The only sector of business that has benefited by Tory policy is the banks, insurance and trust com- panies. All others have been hammered by this government,” said Dobbin, adding, “They’re not only evil, they’re incom- petent.”

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