Wednesday, September 11, 1985 eas Vol. 48, No. 33

Newsstand Price 40°

VSB election demand given wide backing

‘The call last week by former Van- couver school trustees for a school board election this fall has the support of area trade unions, teacher groups and parent representatives.

Contacted by the Tribune, repre- sentatives of those organizations indi- cated their support either for an election, and/or support for the civic

‘group represented by a majority of trustees before Education Minister Jack Heinrich fired the board mem- bers and appointed his own trustee May 6.

Former VSB chair Pauline Wein- stein, flanked by fellow trustee from the Committee of Progressive Elec- tors, John Church, and district parent representatives, called on Heinrich Sept. 4to allow an election for trustees in Vancouver this November. The election would take place Nov. 16, when municipalities outside Van- couver head to the polls.

Ironically — or possibly deliber- ately —- Henrich had pre-empted Weinstein’s call earlier that morning with a statement that under no condi- tions would he allow an election this fall. But that sentiment may cost the Minister and his Social Credit govern- ment dearly.

Lawns around Vancouver — in- cluding those in front of some upper- class, west side homes — still carry the now-familiar yellow and black signs calling for the reinstatement of the trustees, fired for their refusal to pass budget cuts of $14 million to Vancouver’s 1985-86 school year budget.

The provincial government's “res- traint” in education was also dealt a blow when the results of its own — study, called Let’s Talk About Schools, were released last month and showed the public opposed to school

_ cutbacks.

“An election is not as good an

Option as reinstating the board. The

_ trustees were legally, duly elected and we hate to see taxpayers money wasted on an extra election,” com-_ mented Maureen MacDonald, presi- dent of the Vancouver Elementary — School Teachers Association

W ESTA). .

see SCHOOLS pede : 2

Next week The MacDonald Commission

W-Canada sets militant course

GOVT ‘NO’ TO STAR WARS IS ‘JUST THE FIRST STEP’

Craig Benson hands out leaflet at B.C. government liquor store during mass information picket Sept. 6. Organized by the Southern Africa Action Coalition. and Oxfam, pickets stood outside several stores around Vancovuer urging patrons not to buy South African wines and liquers, to protest the “legalized racism” practiced by the South African government. (South African wines are generally marketed under the Paarl label.) So far, six provincial governments have heeded the call to boycott apartheid, and are withdrawing South African products from their liquor outlets. The Bennett Socred government, however, has said it will continue to market the products. Yet the wines boycott is having its effect, with Canadian distributors suffering increasing losses in revenue.

The peace movement can take credit for compelling Prime Minister Brian Mulroney to take the first step in rejecting direct government involvement in Star Wars — but the campaign against Canadian partici- pation in the Reagan program hasn’t been won yet and activists will have to work hard to ensure that Canada does not become involved “through the back door,” spokes- men for the peace movement said this week.

“We put a lot of pressure on across the country and in the end the evidence was so overwhelming against Star Wars participa- tion that he had to reject it,” said Marchant, vice-president of End the Arms Race.

“It’s an important victory for the peace movement because we were able to move the government to say no to the U.S. invita- tion,” he said.

But Mulroney has only rejected going into the program through the front door, he

added, emphasizing that the peace ieee

ment would now have to “make sure that we close all the back doors, too.”

In making his official announcement Sept. 7, Mulroney noted Canadian opposi- tion to the project and stated that participa- tion would entail “getting involved in a situation where the parameters are beyond our control and where the government of Canada does not control the shots.”

“Upon reflection, the government of Canada has concluded that Canada’s own policies and priorities do not warrant a government-to-government effort in sup- port of Strategic Defence Initative (SDI) research,” the official letter from Defence Minister Erik Neilson stated.

The statement came as the campaign against the program continued to gain momentum across the country evidenced particularly during July’s Commons-Senate hearings on international affairs at which speaker after speaker rose to oppose Cana- dian participation.

The report of the committee highlighted the growing doubt even among members of the Conservative government. One. com- mittee member, Esquimalt Saanich Tory MP Pat Crofton joined Liberals and New Democrats in declaring his opposition to Canada taking part in Star Wars.

But in his speech Mulroney also made it emphatically clear that he supports the principle of Star Wars research, echoing U.S. arguments that it is “prudent” to pursue it “because the Soviets have been doing it.”

He also said that private sector compan- ies would be free to seek Star Wars research contracts and stated that federal govern- inent financial aid, through grant, loan and export assistance programs, would be avail- able to them.

And it is those statements which emphas- ize the danger that Canada may still become integrated with the Star Wars strategy.

“There are still many ways that Canada can become involved,” Marchant warned, citing the government's continuing political support for Reagan’s program, the financial aid to companies bidding on research, Can-

see EAR page 3