Cooperative Commonwealth Federation
ANDRAS, A.
Cooperative Commonwealth Federation An Analysis of the Recent Canadian Elections By A. Andras Canadian Correspondent of The New Leader OTTAWA, Catuuine-The "vwtfeal" iinnk inK which • federal...
...Tha Government has on seversl occasions made it clesr t hat it is not going to help labor...
...The popular vote, foe instance, was good in every province...
...Oi that and the ability of the CCF U) prepare for the next bid for power resti the destiny of the Canadian people...
...On the contrary it is pretty evident that the more extreme anti-labor elements in the cabinet are at the helm...
...Th* Labor-Progressives (Csmmuaktu have effected their latest party line IK Sop somewhat more expertly than tksh confreres in infamy across the border The Daelos letter caussd the usual sett, castigation and self-criticism but us party bureaucracy is too firmly en...
...Unwittingly (some thought it deliberate) the Prime Minister recently addressed CCF leader M. J. Coldwcll as ' the Honorable Leader of the Opposition...
...Another ia the failare to sell- the really excellent accomplishment* of the CCF government Im Saskatchewan to the people ef Canada...
...Canadians, it appears, still think in be...
...The Conservatives, who are tha official opposition, are giving a vary characteristic display of sterile, obstructionist tactics...
...It has missed no opportunity to expose the government's disincline...
...Labor, therefore, must Aght to protect the wage levels attained during the past aft years and for anion security...
...Finally, the CCF...
...The legitimate Leader of the Opposition is a roloi less snd inept parliamentarian...
...On the ether hand, it became the efneltl'opposition since the Conservatives Were, completely eliminated froaw the Legislature...
...At the time of writing, a strike of Ford' workers for both ef these demand is dragging itself into t>" «¦'--"-Mi T*-» s'i»h»r of organized workers just about doubled during the war but the real test will ccnte during the next few months...
...The result is a hodgepodge which tends to satisfy management mora than any other class but no one very much...
...Through-rationalising, it would not be too difficult to write off some of the less pleasant results of these elections...
...No two were alike in their results...
...But 'the "vanguard of the proletariat" prosi-bly derives satisfaction from the'tad that its splitting the vote caused the de eSt of st least one of the ablest ef the .CCF representatives in the BC I .egtela t tire...
...Behind this ia the lack ef reali i« i ion an the part ef rank and file that a party like the CCF aeeda far greater physical aad financial support than the old-line parties...
...The CCF is persistent in its insistence on 'basic planning and effective action to solve the great problems which are vexing the Canadian people...
...Employers appear to be determined to bring wages back to the prewar level and at tha same time io destroy as much of the organised labor movement as they can...
...Whatever the party line, the overall strategy remains the same: to obstruct the CCF in every way and besmirch democratic Socialism at every oppor...
...Within*a fortnight, elections took place hi \..\« ' Scot ia on 1 he* Atlantic roast, Manitoba on the'Prairies, and British Colombia on the Paelflc coast...
...The Liberal government, haunted by a narrow and unstable majority, is torn between its sllegiance to capitalism and the rapidly mounting, vociferous demands to do something about housing, veterans' problems,.......version, wagea, jobs, agricultural prices...
...trenched for any major shakeup...
...In the...
...3'to » seats, bromine here also the official opposition snd piling up an extremely good popular vote, apeiast a coalition a/«te...
...One ef these ia si ill a lack ef basic organlsalion...
...Yet tta work is hardly, known outside the province—even to the CCF...
...With ik of Its 28 members in the House of Commons there for the first time, the CCF is nevertheless furnishing the only constructive opposition to the government...
...ion to do anything ' worthwhile for labor snd agriculture or the people as a whole if that meant impinging on the sacred rights of private enterprise...
...It may be argued that the CCF is a young party, only 13 years old compared to the 40 or so of the Labor Parties of Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand...
...T.H E close of the war has brought with it the contractions in employment snd ^pther dislocations which the CCF so accurately prophesied...
...War plants have released thousands who either have nowhere to go or are asked to take jobs at a fraction of what they were getting during the war...
...two provinces where the CCF had to oppose coalition candidate*, it had u> obtain clear majorities, where formerly pluralities were sufficient, and Its ability to do is a mark of strength*' not otherwise discernible,* Furthermore, the CCF still remains ffle government of one province, the official opposition of three others, snd with ' elected representatives in two additional provinces...
...On top of that, and this Is'not a rationalization, the tUetiom prove that the CCF it not a fly-by-night party but i» deeply rooted at m popular movement...
...the more intelligent ones are not making this mistake...
...On the Labor Parti, success in filling the needs of British people by introducing socialistic measure and adminiatering them effectively mil depend to no small extent the opportunity ef tha CCF to do a similar job here...
...the failure to maintain an eltieleat party appsratas between etactions...
...In Manitoba, the CGF- rose from...
...to seise Control wherever poiiibl* and destroy what it cannot control la the three provincial elections referred t« above, the Communist vote Was I piddling thing, even in British Columbia where the party ia said to be strong...
...trinity...
...ms of their .provinces rather than "From Sea to Sea" as tha motto on the national coat of arms would have...
...too, suffers from provincialism in ita outlook...
...In British Columbia, where it faced another coalition, the CCF'fell back, its representation was reduced from 1« to 10, although the popular vote was maintained ami in fact roaa, id percentage terras...
...On the industrial front, the situation has become highly inflammable...
...But the elections paint to certain major weaknesses m the CCF...
...But such ah argument cannot substitute for the dynamic approach needed in a war-dislocated country and world...
...The enemies of the CCF who see in these elections the death throes of organised Socialism in Csnada are fooling themselves...
...In the uncertain future, much tint will take place in Canadian political life will hinge on the work of the Labor goveis-ment in Britain...
...This party has become the last stronghold of the extreme right wfng of Canadian capitalism (although the Liberals are not much more than a little lesser evil...
...In Nova Scotia, the CCF, Canada's socialist farmer-labor party, was reduced from i three to two seats...
...The constant anti-CCF barrage smartening from he press and from professional agencies of reaction has had no effect upon a considerable part of the-electorate...
...Onl, in British Columbia was it found nee*, sary to expel the provincial leaser...
...Here is a Socialist Government which haa m the short space •f a year brought substantial im provemeata to Ha people despite the ¦reviaee'a comparative lack of aataral raaaareea, population and industry...
...Cooperative Commonwealth Federation An Analysis of the Recent Canadian Elections By A. Andras Canadian Correspondent of The New Leader OTTAWA, Catuuine-The "vwtfeal" iinnk inK which • federal system of government seems to breed was -fell illustrated by t be three provincial •in ii.ms which have recently taken place...
Vol. 28 • November 1945 • No. 46
