a ee few Jen _ British ¢ Columbia CRATIC }- co NVE NTO AT¥Y oN —Sean Griffin photo In the spotlight for the last time until at least the next convention, NDP president Frank Murphy chairs the opening session of the weekend parley. He was defeated in his bid for re-election. Ottawa denies sellout in salmon rights talks The federal government has — predictably still not acknowledged any retreat on principles in reciprocal fishing rights talks with the United States, if a letter from the prime minister’s | correspondence secretary, Claude Desjardins, is any indication. Desjardins’ letter — in response to a Vancouver labor council motion adopted some weeks ago urging the government to with- draw its latest sellout proposal from negotiations — attempted to outline the government’s stand in reciprocal rights talks and to assure the council that any fear of a compromise of Canadian sovereignty was unwarranted. Delegates to the council could hardly be assured on the strength of the letter, however. It was as contradictory as it was diplomatic. The prime minister’s secretary argued that the 1971 principles RESTRAINT Cont'd from pg. 1 _ blame squarely where it belongs — on the big corporations.”’ Council president Syd Thompson was sharply critical of the Congress position in that it did not make clear its rejection of the Turner proposals and warned delegates: ‘‘Big business and government want to unload the burden of inflation on the backs of working people — let’s make no mistake about that.” He pointed out that it had been the increasing tendency of governments in the various western capitalist countries to move toward greater restrictions on collective bargaining rights and emphasized that Turner himself had already suggested that if the CLC didn’t go along voluntarily, it might face some compulsion. “The CLC should have come out with a strongly-worded statement rejecting any form of wage restraint,’ he stated. “The restraining has to be done on the other side of the table where the responsibility lies for the economic mess that we’re in.” could not be followed ‘‘because of various factors such as problems in determining value of salmon” but added; in a ‘subsequent paragraph, ‘‘...the latest proposal is consistent with the broad guidelines laid down within the 1971 principles.”’ The 1971 principles were established in negotiations in June of that year laying down the basis for a treaty designed to bring about equity between the two countries. The United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union has sought a return to those principles while the Canadian negotiators have abandoned them in recent talks. ‘The letter also declared. that there had been ‘‘no sellout’”’ at the negotiating -table and assured council delegates. that the government was ‘‘conscious of the need to reflect the broad range of interests in the country” at the negotiating table. “J don’t know. where to begin.” Fishermen’s’ delegate George Hewison commented, referring to the misleading material in the letter. He debunked the claim made by Desjardins that the latest proposals advanced by Canada “reflected the broad range of in- terests in the country” and were made ‘in consultation with in- dustry advisors.” ‘‘And it’s just so much hot air that the 1971 principles were adhered to in negotiations,’ he declared, ‘“‘Those principles went out the window.”’ Hewison added that the letter indicated that the government had not yet got the message of the UFAWU campaign against the salmon sellout and ‘urged trade unionists to continue pressing the issue. Hotel, Restaurant and Bar- tenders Union delegate, Paddy Neale, back in the council after his stint as an MP, termed the letter “the typical response of a politician.” Delegates endorsed his motion calling for the UFAWU, in concert with the labor council, to draft a . reply. By NIGEL MORGAN Premier Dave Barrett made it clear at the annual NDP provincial convention at the University of B.C. on Victoria Day weekend that he has no intention of being stampeded into a_ provincial election in the immediate future. Five hundred delegates elected by the convention were urged to prepare for the election: battle, expected next spring or summer, in an emotion-packed political speech by Barrett. “We must get ready for the fight because there are lots of people out there who are voiceless, who are nameless, but who depend upon the party to sustain the NDP govern- ment .that has given them more than they have ever had before’, he declared. While the four-day gathering turned out to be a relatively mild and low-key affair, Barrett. assured delegates in his keynote address that “‘There has been a positive shift in the mood of the people in B.C. in recent mon- tps? There was little criticism of the NDP government, and few questions of major significance or controversial nature to appear on the convention floor. Questions such as the sharp raise in recent mounting municipal taxes, the mammoth $716 million sales tax, public ownership of B.C. Telephone and the natural gas system, and overhaul in B.C.’s__ forest management tenure got virtually no attention from the May 17-20 gathering. Instead less- controversial issues and more routine’ resolutions got the main emphasis of the executive and delegates. e Launch a B.C. Savings and Trust Corporation to provide for competition with banks, and establish an alternative financial system ‘‘to make the people of British Columbia financial masters in their own house’’; e Urge the government to in-° crease welfare rates by 15% by the year end to keep up with increases in the cost-of-living; e Require companies holding land for tree-farm licenses selling such land to pay full taxes — presently held under tree-farm conditions only subject to school taxes; e Urge establishment of a major training of para-dental personal ; e Establish fixed and mobile health clinics for school children; e Prohibit future subdivisions of all waterfront properties within government jurisdiction suitable for recreation; e Reject the idea that a simple majority is sufficient to approve. rezoning for housing developments instead of the present two-thirds majority ; e Urgethe government to enact legislation more specially to im- prove the social economic and legal status of women — par- ticularly with regard to the need for extended child care, job equality and legal rights; e Call on the provincial government to protest the U.S. government Trident missile base at Bangar, Washington; e Strict provincial gun- conbtor requiring registration of firearms and licensing of all gun-owners; e Urgethe government to move to make Crown lands available for farming; e Press the Federal govern- ment for inclusion of ‘‘chomemaker provisions” in the Canada Pension — . Plan; e Give more grants to the arts and establishment neighborhood resource centres; e Influence major cinema chains to show Canadian-made films at least 15 percent of the time; e Establish a provincial om- budsman. Heated debate which sparked the Kamloops provincial convention a year ago last September, which introduced a number of more militant resolutions, and voiced sharp criticism of the new government’s policies, did not emerge at this weekend’s con- vention. No one was spoiling for a battle, and there was no indication that Social Credit and Liberal party members had succeeded in creating the atmosphere of hysteria in any NDP circles. While the Socreds have opened more than 40 campaign, headquarters in B.C., have all kinds of money available, and have mounted a_ powerful right-wing campaign, there is still a powerful block of working people, pensioners, welfare recipients and others who are critical of certain NDP short- comings but are not going along with business circles, lawyers, developers, insurance, and the mining interests. While the full quota of elected trade union delegates (75 in all) participated in the provincial convention, a number of key trade union figures were not present this year. Notably, the president of the B.C. Federation of Labor, although previously an NDP second vice- president, did not show up. Efforts to placate dissatisfaction with trade union policies and avoid -action by employees thal “rocking the boat or criti government policy” on labor cor not be conceded. ; Labor minister Bill King, " appealed for ‘“‘better solutions # more flexibility’ and giving government more ‘“‘discretid! rights with regard to pické controls”, received one % major rejections administered the convention. Delegates” firmed support for ‘‘unfett picketing’, and firmly rej King’s proposal to ‘‘sepa organizational and inform@ picketing bacause of their troversial nature’. Considerably more is invol Dissatisfaction is recognized trade union movement inv0! in addition to picketing ™ proposed new regulations tha to give the Minister ad power to regulate the “hag certifications of councils of unions”; a broadening “strike” definition to ne designed to ‘“‘restrict OF productions: or services’; (4 _recognition by the governmell representation of the indepen” union CAIMAW. The convention wound uP annual gathering firmly in © of the executive, managing t0 7 of 10 members-at-large. Executive members-at-la¥ elected by delegates were Ash of Kamloops, Garth Bro Vancouver, Dorothy Legg@! Surrey, Carl Lidon MLA of U Harold Steves MLA of Ric Walter Peain of Burnaby, YY") Storey of Boundary-Similkam® | and Minister of Agriculture Stupich. Canada should Jesourl U.S. embargo in S.E. Asi EDITORIAL _ The announcement by the U.S. government last Friday thal willimpose a trade embargo against South Vietnam and Cam bo! is the desperate action of desperate men determined to kee war against the people of Southeast going. Having lost the mii war, the U.S. imperialists are hoping they will be able to cessfully wage an economic war. : But how stupid it is! For years the U.S. tried to impose a _ embargo against Cuba without success. Today nearly ever American country is demanding that the Organization of Ame States and the U.S. call off the embargo against Cuba becau _has proven to be totally unsuccessful. — The day when a mighty imperialist | power cuaid starve a country into submission to do its bidding is long gone. Cuba p that. Small countries today can count on the support of the soc community of nations to help them, as well as take advan _ divisions that exist in the imperialist cane itself to ee big any trade embargo. What zs does demonstrate is that the US. imperialists are : on small states. if n _ measures. - = The trade embargo paint Vielnain’ ad Gaiabpdin bees no. chance of success than the embargo against Cuba. But it is on of demonstrating their continued hostility to the peoples _ dochina, who delivered the first ee: sett to me U. Ss. 5 country’ s history. . More important for Can government stand on the | ns ‘is oe will ao Cana mbargo? | Ever since the _* Geneva Agreement we have slavishly served U.S. interests _ Southeast Asia. Although the Canadian government has now ~ nounced it will recognize the Provisional Revolutionary Gove ment in South Vietnam, it waited until Britain and France did holding off to the last minute, undoubtedly hoping not to inc : ue of the U.S. government. Canada should start disengaging from the diate : Southeast Asia policy. It should speed up establishment 0! diplomatic relations, give immediate long-term | extensive aid to peoples of Indochina, and denounce the U.S. embargo and ca : ‘the: Uz S. ella to halt its senseless policy: : PACIFIC TRIBUNE MAY 29; 1975—P.