May Day celebrated in Toronto
2014 2014-05Read it in the scan (PDF at ETOL), page 9 →
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(Above) John Clarke, provincial organizer of Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, speaking to May Day gathering (April 26) sponsored by Socialist Action in Toronto.
... Quebec Liberals to power SOCIALIST ACTION MAY 2014 9 though some sort of cosmetic “left” turn cannot be ruled out. A new leader will soon be selected. Will the party faithful gamble on the scourge of the unions, Pierre-Karl Peladeau, or perhaps one of the veterans of the recent debacle, such as Jean-Francois Lisée, the “mod ernizer” who proposes to liquidate the legacy of the “Quiet Revolution,” or Ber nard Drainville, point man for the Val ues Charter?
However the crisis of the PQ unfolds, a recomposition of the movement for in dependence is welcome. Socialists will have greater scope to argue that not only a political break with Ottawa, but also a full anti-capitalist programme that includes nationalization of the banks and main enterprises under democratic control, radical measures to reverse environmental destruction, and withdrawal from imperialist alli ances can bring about genuine national liberation.
Faced with tripartite consensus on the need to deepen the austerity drive, many voters either abstained or turned to the Liberals as the most credible managers of this portfolio.
Although it lacks a specific mandate to do so, the new Liberal government un der Phillipe Couillard will move aggres sively on its austerity and privatisation agenda. The Liberals will lean on their For who don’t mind Ottawa’s role in NATO, should be mindful of the nar rative they are being sold by politi cians and media.
Canada just happens to be on one side of the geo-political divide. Rus sia is on the other. Considering that this whole situation started with protests against the refusal of Ya nukovich to accept a bad deal from the EU, and that the U.S. (which is no neutral party to any conflict in the world) has picked a side, there is no reason to believe this is any thing other than an inter-imperial ist conflict.
We should be calling for NATO to pull back; and for the U.S. to stop funding the ultra-nationalist, right ist regime in Kiev. Say no to inter vention from Western forces or Russia. Let Ukraine exercise its sov ereignty through democratic elec tions—and allow its regions more autonomy, outright independence, or if they wish, to choose merger with Russia. n sacrosanct majority to discredit and re press protest as they did in the student strike of 2012. But opposition there surely will be: to handing over the prov ince’s natural wealth to the rapacious mining and fossil fuel industries, to user fees for public services, to public sector lay-offs and contracting out and to further privatization of health care.
Public sector workers negotiate new contracts in 2015. Mobilizations of the labour movement and its allies will be critical in confronting this most deter mined of opponents. Only mass strug gle of the scope seen in 2012, which this time reaches the point of a general or “social” strike, will weaken the re solve of the employer class. n