Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - February 25, 1975, Winnipeg, Manitoba Printed and published Dally except sunday Richard c. Malone r. H. Shelford Pusher pros and Gen. Mgr. Peter Mclintock Maurice Western Edillor Ottawa editor r. A Malone chairman Winnipeg free press Winnipeg tuesday february 25, 1975 pages 1 5 26 Freedom of Trade Liberty of religion Equality of civil rights new Leader in assuming leadership of the Liberal party in Mani Toba Charles Huband has taken on a difficult and challenging task. He becomes Leader of a party which with the resignation of Izzy Asper As a member of the legislature loses its formal claim to party status Al though Premier Schreyer has generously indicated that the three Liberal Las remaining will not lose their formal party status at the coming session of the Legisla Ture. Like or. Asper before him or Huband takes Over the leadership at a time when he has no seat in the legislature. Nor is Mere any Prospect of him contesting a seat for some months. This once More puts the party in the position of having to operate with the Leader sitting in the gallery. I the liberals Are also being squeezed by the polarizing political scene in Manitoba. Whether or. Huband will be Able to persuade electors that there is a Clear Middle Choice Between the right Wing conservatives and the left Wing new democrats Only the next election will demonstrate. This was the Job that faced or. Asper and in spite of his most vigorous efforts he failed to accomplish it. I Manitoba liberals can take heart at the appearance of a capable Young Alert candidate who had the courage to seek the party leadership at a most discouraging stage in the Liberal party s fortunes. Or. He band has promised no miracles but has pledged that he will work hard toward the Day when liberals fortunes will be recouped. Like their Leader realistic liberals in Manitoba Are fully aware that there is no magic formula that will turn the province upside Down politically. As in any Success Story what is needed is dedication hard work and inspired leadership. The latter or. He band can Supply. The former Are up to the party rank and file. Down to Bedrock the deepening struggle Between the Republican pres ident and the democratic Congress of the United states is going far beyond the usual partisan manoeuvres of a pre election year and becoming a debate on the fundamental issues of american society. Or. Ford has retreated a Long Way from his conservative principles and reversed his entire economic policy to fight a recession which he had greatly underestimated but even his huge budget of billion with an unprecedented deficit of billion does not satisfy his lib eral critics. While the democrats in both houses of the legislature have yet to Frame a detailed alternative strategy they certainly will legislate larger expenditures and tax cuts than the president is ready to approve and they May have enough votes to override his expected vetoes. Here a Basic clash of economic and social theory emerges in Sharp focus. The president frankly asks his people to accept High unemployment and steadily rising prices for the next two years until business slowly re covers and inflation is cooled by the Law of Supply and demand. If this program assumes a High degree of pub Lic Wisdom and patience he says that the democrats various plans to pump up the Economy at a faster rate by higher spending and lower taxes would ensure hyperinflation and worse recession a Little later on. The democratic legislators supported by some re publicans argue that a Quick economic recovery would not on a reduce unemployment but increase the govern ment s revenues and curb its deficits. Should More inflation result As appears inevitable the democrats would be willing in the last resort to consider direct controls on wages profits and prices. Mike Mansfield the Senate majority Leader already has introduced the necessary legislation but has not yet pressed it to a vote. A Basic clash of political philosophy is now moving toward a confrontation or Compromise of some sort. The president though yielding More ground than he had in tended even three months ago is determined to hold the state s intervention in the Economy at a minimum. The democratic party does not fear a much wider sex party and press voices or. Bourassa faces criticism Montreal Premier Robert Bourassa even has some influential Quebec liberals upset now. Not the least among them is prime minister Trudeau who was in town a couple of weeks ago to Tell party Stal warts about the serious problems faced by the country and the world and warn canadians they would be required to make some sacrifices. He took time from his first speech to Quebec liberals since the Federal election to make a few Back hand slashes at some recent ideas voiced by or. Bourassa. When the Premier visited by Rob Bull Paris year at the end he described of last himself pension of government into the private sector of the Economy. In a groping and hoc fashion it is trying to de Vise the latest and in financial terms at least the larg est instalment of the new Deal first launched by Franklin Roosevelt in 1933. All this is purely the Domestic business of the Amer ican people but the results will be Felt throughout the Western world s Economy and affect its defence also. Perhaps the most controversial feature of or. Ford s whole program is an increase of the Pentagon s current budget by billion to a total of billion. The added expenditures he says would not represent any growth of military Power and would barely cover inflated costs. Whether a Congress mainly concerned with economic stimulation will approve such High figures is not Clear but the grave pending decisions must be awaited with anxiety by the United states allies since to their own future safety is involved. On All these arguments of policy Domestic and foreign an appointed president has begun to carry his Case past the Congress to the people and will seek their electoral mandate next year. It is too Early to judge his prospects but his risks Are obvious. While vigorously de fending his Republican views and campaigning among the grass roots like his admired democratic predecessor Harry Truman he must avoid the danger of appearing in the Public mind As a Symbol of reaction unsympathetic to the poor and weak hostile to social re form. That will not be easy when his democratic rivals Are hoping fairly or unfairly to make him look like a Sec Ond Herbert Hoover unfit for government in a new time of trouble. But the presidential election of november 1976, is some 20 months ahead. Before then the climate of politics and the fortunes of politicians will change drastically with unknown consequences Good or bad in the United states and everywhere. In virtue of act 22, Quebec s controversial language legis lation As head of the Only French state in North America. He also described Canada As a kind of common Market with Ottawa As a Mere Cus Toms officer. Or. Trudeau made the Point that Canada is More than a common Market and that the country needs not Only Strong provinces but a today s scriptures wherefore seeing we also Are compassed about with so great a Cloud of wit Nesses let us Lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the author and Fin Isher of our Faith he brews remembered words from a lecture upon the Shadow by John Donne the morning shadows Wear away but these grow longer All the Day but of love s Day is Short if love decay. Love is a growing or full constant Light and his first minute noon is night. After Strong Federal government. Then recently mrs. Yolande Dugal Taylor head of the Quebec Liberal party s policy committee discussed the climate of insecurity within the party in an inter View printed by be Devoir. Also Roger Lemelin pub Lisher of la Presse the largest French language daily newspaper in North America wrote a front Page editorial telling the Premier to pull up his socks. Or. Lemelin s credentials As a French Canadian committed to federalism have been unquestioned. He has not like some publishers Here made a habit of com menting regularly in his paper on the current scene. It was thus with a certain Surprise that Many Mon Trealer including some la Presse staff members read a climate of insecurity washes Over those who know the importance of Strong government. The vacuum deepens More and More. There is still time for or. Bourassa to reach the stature of a statesman to be the moral and not the police authority and to incarnate the common Good of All que Beers and we Hope he can do so soon. It is time that politics education and culture Are no longer treated As elements and his Basket full of Legi the liberals have 101 o 110 seats in the National As Sembly. But since As Premier o Quebec he has this in decision his Day to Day style can be disturbing. Particularly when he applies him self to such serious problems As inflation the unacceptable language legislation the total disarray in the Field o education labor relations or the comedy of financing the olympic or. Lemelin criticizes the impudently intimate Way in which the opposition treats the Premier in the National Assembly and the Way the Premier replies with the same kind of verbal Pirouette. He describes or. Bourassa As running up and Down the keyboard of political As Well As coming up with the phrase Canadian com Mon Market an expression More often used until now by parti quebecois spokes men or. Bourassa has also described himself As a social Democrat not unlike some of the More moderate nip thinkers. The editorial says the pre Mier should have put More distance Between himself and his ministers and not become so deeply involved in party affairs. He seems to give his ministers carte Blanche for dealing with major problems which the ministers Delegate in turn to the octopus like the octopus or. Lemelin writes has become omnipotent and its tentacles Are being increasingly inserted into the private life of the citizen. He joins the growing chorus of critics of the Lan Guage legislation which he describes As a pile of ambiguous which is a major Canadian company. He also noted that until now la Presse management has kept a certain distance from the news and business pages. The editorial sets a new tone. All the criticisms add up to More of a general condemnation of or. Bourassa than the description of a Premier at the Cross roads or. Roy writes. And while the criticisms of the govern ment s handling of various problems Are Clear it is unclear where or. Lemelin stands in relation to finding solutions for them. It is Worth noting that this article comes at a time when in Ottawa the most prestigious liberals Are no longer even taking the Trou ble to hide their longing to Chase or. Bourassa from his Post persistent rumours indicate that already the first Steps have been taken by the Federal liberals to find a candidate who could take Over from or. Bourassa before the next elections. There is nothing to permit the statement that or. Lemelin s move is part of this movement but his ties would surely permit him to know of its existence and Laurent Laplante wrote a front Page reply to or. Lemelin in be Jour which favors Quebec Independence. Slang and witty he said All journalism in Quebec was the better for the editorial because it is always Good to feel a distance Between political Power and the this said the question. Because you Are now As far advanced As the English who have rejected Robert Bourassa for the last Little while what will you do will you like them deplore the fact that the Quebec political horizon is closed will you too dream of a Quebec conservative party i Hope East and West disappointing talks by Leo Ryan b Brussels no amount of window dressing has been Able to disguise the fact that the recent first formal discussions Between Western and Eastern Europe s main trading blocs the dec and com econ have been a disappointment for both sides. The soviets Are clearly anxious for the talks to reach Summit level. The Western europeans clearly Are much More cautious. One reason they and Vance Here is that they want to make sure such a meet ing will accomplish some thing. Speaking to the press after leading a delegation to mos cow this month Edmund Wallenstein director general of the dec external rela t i o n s department blame the Lack of Progress on in sufficient preparation. As far As the Eastern eur r o p e a n s Are concerned some sources affirm the dec is guilty of discrimination. Usually they Point out the european Community adopts a very positive attitude establishing regards is contractual links with world regional group Ings but it has been drag Ging its feet with com econ. There seems Little doubt that the West european trading bloc remains suspicious of the Eastern euro Pean organization s right to present itself As an equally competent body. Com econ does not have the Trade policy authority of the dec. Neither does it have convert Ible currencies a payments Union nor a realistic Price fixing system. Com econ s jurisdiction in negotiations with other organizations appears for the time being to be limited to hardly Stra such As trans port and environment. The Eastern european body exists essentially to further a la carte collaboration Between the soviet Union and its satellites particularly in planning and Indus trial specialization. The commission s Reading of the situation is that the satellite states prefer to negotiate separately in order to have greater Freedom vis a vis Moscow it realizes moreover that if the East Ern bloc states really intend to conclude commercial agreements with the dec they will have to recognize the existence of the Europe an common Market which they have failed to do officially up till now. Since Jan. 1 of this year the Community alone is responsible for Trade deals with state trading countries. Under pressure from mos cow the satellite countries have not yet replied to an invitation from the Brussels Headquarters of the Europe an Community to negotiate directly with the dec. Observers take this As a sign that the soviet Union through com econ wants to reinforce its hold Over the foreign commercial policies of its neighbors. On the other hand it would appear that the Satel Lite countries Are prepared to accept limited links be tween the dec and com econ to Deal with such matters of common interest As Industrial standards and Environ mental problems. East West Trade makes up about one Quarter of the total foreign Trade of come con countries. This Trade is of far less significance to the Western Industrial coun tries though it is growing steady. The underlying interest for the european Community in being recognized by come is that otherwise it could eventually be left out Al together of the wide ranging co operation agreements being sought by the soviets. For the moment this kind of negotiation goes on at the National level and superpowers like the enjoy a big United states advantage in major projects. However whether the nine member states of the Community Are ready to sacrifice their individual privileges on co operation agreements is today highly questionable. Delegating this Power would make it easier to Unity consortia get com together but most member countries prefer to play their cards themselves in much the same Way As they do with Oil producing countries. Further Progress mean while in the dec Corn econ dialogue could depend to some extent on develop ments at the european Secu Rity conference in Geneva. The last of a conservative ritual eating leaders is Messy in a pain merchandising and that the Cam daily practice of indecision stops. We Quebec Are waiting for a prime minister. Or. Bourassa is at the Cross or. Lemelin used the solid old Quebec Vord far Inage Shilly shalling o r in decision repeatedly when applied to or. Bourassa. The Premier he said could Well devote himself to his task of leading the party with its Active supporters m r Lemelin does find some positive things to say about the Premier. He is Young healthy and intelligent. At a time when governing requires almost superhuman qualities or. Bourassa s endurance and experience Are rare Trump cards for the Premier needless to say does not have the time to Start answering news paper editorials particularly when he is getting a lot of flak from most of the prov Ince s dailies on a wide Vari Ety of issues. But from at least two newspapers be Jour and be Devoir came a reaction Al most along the lines of Wel come aboard. Michel Roy in be Devoir said the editorial was a political event of singular importance. He noted that la Presse is owned by Power corporation which is in Al most daily Contact with the provincial government and h i l e conservative Leader Sidney Spivak a suffering a Campaign that carries All the signs of tie traditional change of Leader hip bloodletting common to his party he May take pome Comfort in the fact that Pri Marily because of his of Orts willing or otherwise he present Campaign will probably be the last of its and in the Manitoba conservative party s history. Next Ime around party members ill probably take Adan a g e of constitutional changes which produce a Egal and open Opportunity o Challenge the leadership. M r Spivak s particular problem stems from the fact that he out manoeuvred his own chosen method of get Ting leadership fights out of the Backrooms and on to the convention floor. The conservative party in Manitoba like the provincial liberals until their constitutional change last year had no civilized Way of removing a Leader once he was Cho sen. Both liberals and conservatives traditionally believed that the Man himself was the Best judge of when he should step Down. For the liberals the system worked because leaders seemed to get the message in time to prevent a Public night of Long knives but the tories both provincially and be d e r a 11 y Seldom have changed leaders without bit t e r n e s s tory caucus members often have complained that they were required to face their own electors at each election but the Leader had the advantage of his position in an election in addition to the by Fred Cleverley what appeared to be a Stab in the Back while opening the Way for his own Assumption of Power from Walter Weir. These same caucus members however waited in Confidence for a meeting held two years ago when or. Spivak s own leadership would be caught in the automatic review clause. At a particularly bitter Conven Tion in watched Brandon or. Spivak they gain enough support to postpone any action on a leadership convention by pleading the possibility of an Early elec Tion and in effect demand ing the right to Lead the party in at least one election before being removed. Immunity he enjoyed from a Challenge to that position. The new democrats have never faced such a problem. From the beginning the party s Constitution provided an Opportunity for an annual Challenge of the leadership. Without this Legal base it is unlikely that Sidney. Green then a relative newcomer to the party s legislature caucus would have challenged a. R. Paulley so soon after his entry into Provin Cial politics. But or. Green exercised his constitutional right and although he was Defeated there was no stigma of backstabbing and his action was sufficient to warn the party that the time for change had come. De. Schreyer emerged a year later and was chosen in a convention where or. Paul Ley had the Opportunity to step Down gracefully. The liberals until a year ago were in the same constitutional position As the conservatives with no method of challenging a Leader. The Liberal party had been fortunate in the past in the departure of former Premier Douglas Campbell to retire ment and of former Leader Gil Moi at to the Senate As Well As the present depart ure of Izzy Asper to return to business in 1hat All the men left without being asked. Last year or. Asper moved an amendment to the Liberal Constitution which Calls for a Resolution to be put to the annual meeting every two years calling for a leadership convention. If the Resolution is passed the amendment prescribes that the convention must be held within six months. Four years ago at a meet ing presided Over by or. Spi Vak who at that time was president of the party the election everyone expects in this will make the Chal doubt edly Hurt the party during the forthcoming legis lature session most caucus members feel the benefits of a Long Campaign will out weigh the disadvantages. The conservatives have no desire to be caught As the liberals were in the trap of having to produce a Candi Date at the last minute. Those interested in seeking the conservative leadership will have ample time to Sam ple their support and there will Likely be few candidates at convention time who Are race simply to provide numbers. Since caucus members have a first hand knowledge of the problems faced by any leaders but also have Well established ideas of what can be accomplished it is not surprising to Sec names like Harry Enns Don Craik Frank Johnston and Warner Jorgenson cropping up As potential candidates. But if or. Spivak is re placed the eventual removal of his successor will not like o v e r the opposition of Many caucus members the party decided or. Spivak should have the right and approved the postponement in spite of the plea of one member not to provide a spectacle of the party flout ing its own Constitution. Or. Spivak was not challenged when the postponed convention was held after he had unsuccessfully led the party through the elec Tion Campaign simply be cause those anxious to see a change Felt it would be More opportune to wait two years giving the new Leader just sufficient time in office to gain the momentum he at least three months ahead needed hopefully to win the Holthe review Date. By be accompanied by a Palace revolt atmosphere. The conservatives adopted a challenger system when they changed their Constitution and if a proposed tidy up amendment is carried this year will have a Clear method of challenging the leadership. The existing amendment calling for a leadership re View every two years in opposition will remain but in addition will be a clause re Quiring any potential Chal Lenger to Issue his Challenge conservatives adopted a constitutional change which called for an automatic review of the leadership after two years in opposition. Some tory caucus members still refer to this change As or. Spivak s method of avoiding 1977. But because of or. Spi v a k s manoeuvring two years ago the Campaign has started with a vengeance some ten months ahead of the convention opening. Al though the timing will in Lenger not the party responsible for any fight that ensues and should remove one of the More colourful if not the More pleasant traditions of the political scene the ritual of watching a party eat its Leader ;