CANADA —

ew relations with U.

the inte

‘lections, _

William Kashtan, leader of the Communist Party of Canada, responds to the
bune’s questions relating to the forthcoming federal election. In this final portion
iterview he outlines what the party wants to achieve in the coming federal

Q. Earlier in the interview you indicated
that jobs and peace were going to be major
issues during the federal elections. What
other major issues would you like to see
debated that are not being addressed now?
A. Well, around all these questions,
what Stands out are Canada-U.S. rela-
tions: either subordinate Canada‘ to the
The. Or pursue an independent course.

€ Proposals being put forward for free
trade with the United States is the pursuit
34 a Policy of continued integration with
Bena: It’sa policy of continentalism

at in the end will lead to the absorption
of Canada into the United States empire.

€ have said that for some time now.

And other voices are beginning to say the

same thing.

U.S.-Canada relations have to do with

anada’s survival and peace and war

ave to do with Canada’s survival. So
this is very much a central issue which
must be debated throughout the country.

As part of our contribution to this de-
bate We advanced some time ago, the
slogan: ‘‘ Unite to Stop U.S. imperialism
— for peace, jobs, independence — Put
Canada first!”

.Y€ see this as the essential thrust of
this election campaign. In it is embodied
the main danger to Canada. U.S. im-
Perialism, and the issues around which
Canada needs to defend its interests —
Peace, jobs and independence. We say,
put Canada first, not in a chauvinist
sense. True national interests call for re-

Jecting policies which subordinate
Canada

to U.S. imperialist aims, or play
the game of U.S. imperialism at the of:
Poth. Of the People of our country.

ere Is also the question of English
Canada/French Canada relations, which
are equally vital because it has to do with

the maintenance of unity of the country.

This can only be achieved if there are
sound and just economic policies, as well
as just national policies with respect to an
equal relationship between English and
French Canada. That is why we will
campaign for the right to self-deter-
mination, for a constitutional amend-
ment that wiil include the right to self-
determination for Quebec in the constitt-
tion thereby guaranteeing these rights to
the French Canadian people. The issue
of bilingualism, while it is important,
evades this central issue.

Similarly, the rights of the Native
people must be protected — their right to
self-government, their right to their land
and what is underneath the land, their
development and the protection of their
culture.

The rights of women in all aspects of
economic and political life is an equally
important issue.

What’s underneath all of these is the
question of democracy, not as a cliché,
but genuine democracy that makes it
possible for the Canadian people to pro-
tect their interests in a real way.

Q. How do you sum up what the Com-
munist Party wants to achieve by running
in the federal election?

A. We will have 50 or more candidates in
this election, and the reason for the 50 is
that in order to be a registered party and
obtain certain limited rights, you need to
have a minimum of 50 candidates. It’s
not amagic figure; it’s a necessary figure.

The main thrust of our campaign is to
warn of the danger of a neo-conservative
majority government.

We are the only party that has come
forward with this objective in a clear,
sharp form. In our first piece of election
literature we say on the front page: Stop
the drive to the right! That is a basic

S. needed

factor in this election because the elec-
tion of a neo-conservative government
would harm Canadians, and would add
to those reactionary forces on a world-
wide scale who are out for war.

At the same time, in advancing this
program we also put forward measures
that go beyond the limits of what the
NDP advocates — for example the
nationalization of the multi-national
branch plants in Canada, the resource
industries, and the banks. A larger
nationalization would later have to be
carried through.

The two ways proposed for getting out
of the crisis, what the monopolies and
their governments will do, or are doing,
on one hand and what the people need to

do, and what the Communist Party ad- —

vocates as a means of getting out of the
crisis are distinctly different. The first is
the monopoly way out of the crisis, what
we advocate and will campaign for is a
democratic alternative.

Our party’s contribution in this elec-
tion is sharply different than all the other
parties, including the NDP. The Com-
munist Party is the only party that will
campaign, and is campaigning now, for
the achievement of a progressive elec-
toral coalition around a common plat-
form. It may include some of the things
that we advance, but it could include as-
pects of other programs that the NDP or
others might want to include. The aim is
to achieve around this the election of a
large enough progressive group to
parliament to prevent the election of a
majority government, either a neo-
conservative majority, or a Liberal
majority.

The election of a large progressive
group would ensure that the working
people have some voices in parliament
to, in part, protect. their interests.

So our participation in this campaign is
rather vital; it’s not just a question of 50
candidates. It’s based upon the
development of a fight for an agenda, if I
may use that term, and the fight for an

~ WILLIAM KASHTAN
alternative to the course being pursued
by the parties of monopoly capital.

We would like to say, and we hope,

that in the course of this campaign, the
working people will see the need to have
Communists in parliament to add to
those forces in parliament that fight for a
democratic alternative. We will work for
that, and do everything in our power to
convince working people why they
should vote Communist and help elect
communists to parliament. At this
juncture it would constitute a decisive
breakthrough, not only for the Commu-

nist Party but for the working people of

Canada, because they would have voices
in parliament that would fight for the kind
of alternative that is in their interests.

Despite the blackout the media per-
petrates against us very purposely, and
despite the limited openings we have as a
result of being a registered party, despite
the limits of our funds, it is going to be a

hard-hitting campaign.

We intend to throw everything into it
that we can to compel debate and discus-

sion on the real questions that are before
the country.

By SAMUEL WALSH

After serious reflection, the Com-
munist Party of Canada came to the con-
clusion that the most dangerous result of
the coming federal elections would be the
election of a neo-conservative majority
g0vernment. For such a government
would willingly make itself the Canadian
agent for Reaganist policies, which are
those of the most reactionary, the most
anti-labor, the most chauvinist and most
bellicose section of U.S. imperialist
Monopolists. Mr. Mulroney has more
than once publicly taken his vows to that
effect.

Even if the federal Liberal Party does
Not follow quite so blindly Reaganist
Policies in the economic sphere and in
foreign policy, it is nevertheless a party
of big business which does not separate
itself from the interests of world im-
Perialism.

_ Hence the CPC is calling for the forma-
tion of an electoral coalition composed of
the NDP, the CPC, the labor and
People’s movements together with the
national-democratic forces of Quebec in
order to elect a democratic bloc which
could hold the balance of power in the
next parliament.

_ A common program for such a coali-
tion could include a program of full
employment; measures to put the brakes
on the control of oureconomy by (mainly
U.S.) transnationals; a peace policy free
from the strait-jacket of NATO and
NORAD; and, entrenchment in the
Canadian Constitution of the right to

self-determination of Quebec and of

self-government for the Native peoples.

The Parti Nationaliste made it known
that their future MPs (if any are elected)
would not advocate Quebec in-
dependence in Ottawa. What they would
demand is entrenchment of the right to
self-determination for Quebec in the
Canadian Constitution. Furthermore
they would oppose Cruise missile tests in
Canada and discontinued membership
in NATO and NORAD. As to its social
program, it would be ‘‘social-demo-
cratic’’.

In the light of these declarations of
intention, the Communist Party of
Canada felt it was in a position to name
the PN as a potential partner in the coali-
tion envisaged.

The ‘‘mini-convention”’ of the PN on
April 13-14, convened to adopt an elec-
tion manifesto as an interim document

» pending the holding of a founding con-

vention in the fall which would adopt a
program, appears to have beclouded
rather than clarify PN policies. This is
the case particularly with respect to
self-determination and to their ‘‘social-
democracy’’.

Their National Executive had submit-
ted a draft election manifesto to all fed-
eral -constituency organizations for
comment and amendment.

The manifesto proposed ‘‘amend-
ments to the new constitution which
would recognize the distinct existence of
the Quebec people and inscription in the
constitution of the right to self-deter-
_Mination of the Quebec and Acadian
peoples as well as of the Native peoples

| Which way for the Parti Nationaliste?

... The right to self-determination means
that the Quebec government will be able
to exercise its jurisdiction in all domains
which it considers essential for the
development of Quebec. The exercise of
this right will be found on the consent
of the people of Quebec which will freely
decide on the powers it wishes to be-
queath to the National Assembly. It goes
without saying that the exercise of this
right could go up to complete sovereignty
for Quebec’’.

_That’s fine. We’re not going to quarrel
about commas. It is an acceptable basis
for creating unity with the labor and
democratic. forces of English-speaking
Canada, which would be of prime im-
portance for winning the national rights
of the Quebec people.

But, lo and behold, the mini-con-
vention rejected this proposition! ‘‘For
the founders of the PN, it’s in Quebec
(city) that the struggle for sovereignty
must take place, the party (Nationaliste)
not substituting itself for the Parti
Québecois’’. (La Presse, April 16,)

On international policy, the draft elec-
tion manifesto said in part: ‘‘We will
support a policy of independence from
the two super-powers, we will oppose
hegemonistic policies and we will de-
nounce situations of oppression ... We
believe that we must make war on war in
fighting famine, exploitation and in-
justice, in supporting progressive dis-
armament on a world scale, in eliminat-
ing atomic arms and in banning nuclear
missile tests on Canadian soil’’. It is evi-
dent that such a policy would require

do not take place before the founding

withdrawal from NATO and NORAD.
Nothing has been heard to the effect that
the mini-convention modified this posi-
tion, and unity is therefore possible.
Finally the ‘‘social-democratic’’ pol-
icy appears to amount to work-sharing
(that is, unemployment-sharing) with
compensation by way of federal income
tax deduction, and, secondly, to ‘‘con-
certation’’ (the current catch-word in
Quebec for class-collaboration) ‘‘in fed-
eral constitutencies including the
member of the National Assembly (the
Quebec legislature), whatever his party
affiliation, to express regional needs.
The Nationalist MPs will be the real
‘concertation’ MP s’’, Mr. Léger (pro-
visional leader of the PN) declare i. (La
Presse, March 13) This is certair’ not left
social-democracy. i
Let us hope that the federal election

convention of the PN where the program
will be adopted, and that the convention,
corrects the divisive decisions, in par-
ticular the one eliminating the fight to
entrench the right to self-determination
in the Constitution, a decision which
does a disservice to the national interests
of Quebec. If the PN does not revise this
decision one can hardly blame the electo-
rate of quebec if they come to the same
conclusion as the editorialist, Michel
Roy, who wrote: ‘‘The Parti Nationaliste
.-- no longer seeks to cover up its real
aims . .. The group wants to have elected
MPs to Ottawa during the coming elec-
tions in order to promote the sovereignty
of Quebec”’. (La Presse, April 16)

PACIFIC TRIBUNE, MAY 16, 1984 e 7