BRITISH COLUMBIA

EAR launches Phase 2 of campaign

Continued from page 1
adian participation in a new integrated
NORAD structure — known as the Uni-
fied Space Command — and participation
in the North Warning System which has
been linked to Star Wars strategy.
Mulroney’s statement on financial aid
indicates that various programs, particu-
larly the Defence Industry Productivity
Program (DIPP), under which companies
such as cruise missile sub-contractor Litton
Industries have received financial incen-
tives, would be available to companies bid-
ding on Star Wars research.

GARY MARCHANT. . .second phase of
“Stop Star Wars” launched.

That, coupled with the U.S. branch plant
nature of most of Canadian high-tech
industry, would tie Canada more closely to
the U.S. military — unless the federal
government states clearly that financial aid
will not be avilable for Star Wars-related
work.

At the same time, Canada’s role in
NORAD and the development of the North
Warning System have increasingly been
linked to the Star Wars program throygh
the development of satellite-tracking and
anti-satellite weapons testing, opening the
way for Canada to become part of an anti-
ballistic missile system — in spite of Cana-
da’s official position on Star Wars.

It’s to close these “back doors” that the
peace movement will be concentrating its
efforts following Mulroney’s announce-
ment.

“We want to make sure that no taxpay-
ers’ dollars will be going to support private
sector Star Wars research and to make sure
that all the back doors — the NORAD
agreement and the North Warning System
— are’ closed to participation in Star
Wars,” Marchant said.

EAR was set to kick off the second phase
of its “Stop Star Wars” campaign with a
press conference Sept. 9.

The campaign will be aimed not only at
the federal government but at various com-
panies which might seek Pentagon con-
tracts to carry out Star Wars research.

EAR will also be mounting a “massive
educational campaign” to publicize the evi-
dence against Star Wars and Canadian par-
ticipation.

In an immediate response to the Star
Wars announcement, leader of the
Communist Party of Canada William
Kashtan criticized Mulroney’s “back
door operation” to get off the hook of
the Reagan program.

“Public pressure imp
ister Brian Mul- |
roney to say no
to direct govern-
ment participa-
tion in the US. f
Star Wars pro- |
gram,” Kashtan |

- said. “This, how-
ever, does not
mean the govern- |
ment won't par- ”
ticipate. It will
do so indirectly
through various private companies, all
financed by the government. This is all
the U.S. government wants at this time.

: lied Prime Min-

WILLIAM
KASHTAN

Mulroney ‘opens back
door’ to SDI research

“This back-door operation,” ° the
Communist leader charged “will set
Canada into the Star Wars program with
all its serious consequences.”

He said that “thanks to the Mulroney
government Canada will no play a role
of merchant of death.

“It is unfortunate that some political
leaders in Canada saw fit to welcome the
Mulroney decision rather than warn
Canadians against it.

“As far as the Communist Party of
Canada is concerned the battle against
Canadian involvement directly or in-
directly in the U.S. program is not over,”
Kashtan said.

“New ways will be found by the peace
movement to disentangle Canada from
the U.S. Star Wars program and from
the attempt through NORAD to bring
about the total integration of Canada
into the U.S. first strike nuclear stra-

tegy.”

Affordable phone service still under seige

Telephone users won a victory with the
Aug. 29 decision of the Canadian Radio-
television and Telecommunications Com-
mission not to allow CNCP Telecommuni-
Cations to compete for a long distance

rates — but it is clear that theyll have to —
fight to maintain it and prevent localservice
_ consequences — in the U.S. :

___CNCP hada champagne party set to go
~ on the eve of the decision and had reserved
space for full-page ads referring toa = :
mark CRTC decision. ~~ :

costs from going up dramatically as they
have in the U.S.

The CRTC ruled Aug. 29 that the apo
cation by CNCP to compete with B.C. Tel-

ephone and Bell Telephone on lucrative

long distance service was “ulin

and rejected it.

B.C. Tel and Bell Telephone had « coun-

tered CNCP’s bid with their own applica-
tion to “re-balance” their rates — to

increase local service while reducing long

distance rates to a level comparable to that
offered by CNCP — but they, too, were
turned down. The CRTC noted that the
increases in rates for local services which, in
some cases would have tripled, would make
service inaffordable for many.

But at the same time, the federal regula-
tory agency said that competition was
worthy of merit and stated that local service
rates would have to rise to pay for reduced
long service costs — the very trade-off that
consumers’ groups, unions and others have
rejected.

Debbie Hughes-Geoffrion, a representa-
tive of the National Anti-Poverty organiza-
tion called the decision “‘a stay of execution,

nota reptieve,” a statement that is probably

accurate in light of the efforts that the tele-
Phone companies will likely mount to boost
local service charges in the near future.
“The companies are certainly going to
take another kick at it,” said Telecommuni-
cations Workers Union staff researcher Sid
Schniad, adding that his union would keep
working with the community groups and
others to oppose increaesd phone rates.

He noted that as a result of the CRTC
freeze of long-distance rates, B.C. Tel would
probably try to make up revenue by increas-
ing local service charges.

“We've just heard that B.C. Tel plans to
introduce Local Measured Service — under
which users pay for each call — in the

knew what the issue w

Duncan area on a.tnal basis,” he addede,
“For the wmion, as for CNCP, obviously
the decision of the CRTC came as some-

thing of a surprise, since the agency was
widely expected toendorse CNCP competi- _
tion, beginning the ‘process of deregulation —

that is already underway —_— with disastrous

government was \

wanted to avoid a

tion for de-requlalien | of telephone service...

by consumer advocates, municipal councils,
the Communist Party and the NDP and
particularly telephone workers’ unions was
very effective in demonstrating t that compe-
tition for long distance service would in-
evitably result in perce rates for local

was,” said Schniad._

But there is likely to be increased pressure
from business groups, many of which have
accepted right-wing, free enterprise notions
of de-regulation, and from big corporations
such as CNCP which want in on the
business-oriented market for long distance

~ services which has grown particularly asa
~ result of widespread computer use. _ .
The Canadian Federation of Independ- _

ent Busimess, for example, has called on the
federal cabinet to overturn the CRTC deci-

sion. A mew business group, Canadians for

Competitive Telecommunications, =“
objected to the ruling. -

Although the current application osten-
sibly pitted B.C. Tel and Bell against

CNCP, the opposition is illusory. B.C. Tel -

has not opposed de-regulation but sought
to have the decision put off for a time witil it
could re-structure its rates so that the local
phone users pay much more. At the

that had resulted fon the ‘de-indexing of
pensions — a move that highlighted the
pro-business bias of tl 1e 2

and other services which, under
regulation, the telephone cor: panies have

» local service 1s subsidized by
revenues from long distance service — the
system of “cross subsidization” in existence
for mpst of this century.

~ The October, 1984, application by B. c.

Tel for substantial increases in rates for var-

ious local services and a reduction in long
distance rates was, in fact, an attempt to
launch the process of “‘rate rebalancing” —

which likely accounted for the CRTC’s

action in cutting B.C. Tel’s request for a 15
‘per cent hike down to three per cent and
ordering a four ne cent increase in jong

distance rates.

The: private telephone vabaopeties have
made it clear that they are not opposed to.
competition but have coupled those state-
“ments with the condition that, if competi-
‘tion is opened up, they won't continue to
provide the current combined telephone _
service at a flat rate. Since the companies —

seeking to compete want in on the most
lucrative services, the telephone companies
will provide competitive pricing for those
services while jacking up the cost of the
other, mainly local services.

~That’s what happened in the U.S. and the

~ result is a continental horfor Story,
“It’s just gone wild down in the U.S.,”
_ said Schniad. “They've chopped up the

phone system into SO different pieces and

~“nobod wants to provide end-to-end service.
_ They just want.the profitable parts.”

He cited his experience with a Washing- -

ton state pay phone. After first dialling

unsuccessfully several times, he then had to —

go through three separate companies’ net-
works to complete a long distance call.

In addition, U.S. local callers tace a tor-
midable and costly array of separate

charges for access, installaticn, local calls
de-

succeeded in splitting up. In some outlying

communities, many have simply had to do

without service because of the cost of instal-

ling has now become utterly prohibitive.
And there is an even more dangerous

aspect to de-regulation of the telephone sys-

tem, Schniad warned.

“The reason the giants don’ t fear compe-
tition ts that they can dominate the industry
anyway,” he said. “‘The real danger now in

_ the US. is that AT&T, which was the target

of competition, is going to push the compet-

-itors out of business and come back as an

even more dominant monopoly.”

Unlike the situation that existed before
de-regulation, it would be an unregulated
monopoly, he warned. And that could also
happen here if the Tories and the CRTC
take us into the de-regulation trap.

Schniad emphasized that a publicly-
owned and controlled telephone utility was
the best option for telephone users. “But

until we get that, a regulated monopoly is

far better than an unregulated private com-

“pany in order to maintain access to afforda-

ble service,” he said.

Clearly the thousands or signatures col-
lected on the petition circulated last year by
the TWU against de-regulation and the

_ campaign mounted by various groups had a

significant impact on the Tory government
and the CRTC.

On Aug. 22, six Vancouver aldermen and
city manager Fritz Bowers met with federal

- Communications Minister Marcel Masse to

present a petition signed by 25,000 Lower
Mainland residents and to press the
demand for a universal, flat rate local ser-
vice. According to a report circulated by
Ald. Bruce Yorke, Masse acknowledged
that a distinctly Canadian solution is
required and added that the issue was the
“hottest one” he was likely to have to deal
with over the coming year.

The federal, munister also noted that a
Commons committee would probably be
hearing representa ion on the issue some
time this fall or next year and in the mean-
time, he would “‘attempt to ensure that the
maintenance of affordable telephone ser-
vice for all Canadians.”

Given the Tory government's record on
pledges to maintain services — and its ready
compliance with demands from big business
— Canadians will have to keep up the cam-
paign to maintain a telephone service they
can afford.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE, SEPTEMBER 11, 1985 e 3