Fresh Start in Ottawa

...His first pledge was to cut the income tax and thereby produce a stimulative deficit to improve the economy...

...At the time no one seemed to care besides Canadian Jews, who were pleased, although it is not clear that the Conservatives gained many votes by the ploy...

...He has tried to project an image of quiet confidence and competence...

...Along with whatever action it may take to defeat the referendum, the government must plan for a "yes" majority...

...Yet perhaps the ultimate challenge to Clark's Administration will be Quebec independence, the avowed goal of that province's ruling Parti Quebecois (PQ...

...So he should manage to get most of his program adopted, although minority status may compel greater compromise than he would want...

...But the image has been marred by the kind of bumbling one might expect from a party long out of power...

...Clark, by the way, has applied himself assiduously to learning to speak French during the past few years and now is quite capable of conversing in the language...

...Canada is blessed with abundant supplies of petroleum and natural gas, much of it located in the Prime Minister's home province of Alberta...

...Another Trudeau pet project that does not seem to interest Clark at present is constitutional reform...

...As a result, resentment has been mounting in Alberta at the national government's unwillingness to permit it to get richer more quickly...

...The government apparently intends to follow through, too, on its promise to eliminate 60,000 public service jobs in an effort to cut expenditures...

...In the social area, the government faces dilemmas with regard to two popular but controversial programs: universal medicare and unemployment insurance...

...Clark disagrees, apparently implicitly accepting the contention of most Quebec provincial politicians that independence is in the end a legitimate question of self-determination...

...The plan was extremely popular with the voters who were at the core of the Tory electorate, so failure to implement it would be difficult to explain and could damage the Progressive Conservative Party's chance for a majority in the next election...

...Clearly, Clark will have to take steps to restore the integrity of the system...

...Quebec aside, provincial rights in general and control over mineral resources in particular, constitute one of the most complex and critical questions in confronting the future of the nation...

...Experienced candidates avoid specific commitments, realizing that no one can be absolutely certain about what he will be able to deliver...

...Hence, it does not appear that the government will soon be defeated on a vote of confidence...

...The former Prime Minister has announced that he will remain at the head of the party, but there is considerable speculation that he will step down after the Quebec referendum...

...But bickering between provinces has prevented the achievement of the necessary consensus...

...If the more conciliatory approach has not diminished the PQ's zeal for independence, it has at least noticeably reduced the intensity of the day-to-day conflict...

...But the package was modified somewhat in response to scathing criticism from the opposition parties, who noted that it provided no relief for tenants and benefited mostly individuals in the higher tax brackets...

...The major concern of the Prime Minister and his Cabinet colleagues at the start of the new session of Parliament must be the development of an effective economic policy...

...When Clark reaffirmed this promise after assuming office, he was greeted by loud cries of protest as well as naked threats from the Arabs and from Canadian companies doing business with them...

...When he reiterated this upon taking office, supporters of the embattled corporation—among them the Liberals and the New Democrats, who together could defeat the government—raised a great storm...

...In some provinces, notably Ontario, the number of doctors opting out of the plan has jeopardized accessibility altogether...

...The Liberals, who constitute the Official Opposition, are weak because of their dismal electoral showing outside Quebec and their indecision regarding the leadership of Trudeau...

...For historical reasons, eastern Canada continues to depend on some imported supplies while Alberta exports energy to the U.S...

...In any event, overall Clark's actions with respect to his campaign promises have not contributed to inspiring confidence in his Administration...

...For ideological reasons, during the campaign Clark said he would sell off Petrocan and four or five other government enterprises to private interests...

...Clark's second tax pledge was that he would make a homeowner's mortgage interest and property taxes deductible...

...While Crosbie also has indicated his doubts about this, since it would reduce revenues by over $500 million in 1979 and double that next year, he has little room for maneuver here...

...Nonetheless, he is at a disadvantage because his party's base in the province is so weak...

...Clark is expected to formulate his own proposals over the next few years, and he should be able to capitalize on his party's control of seven of the 10 provincial governments...

...The impression of torpor may have been deliberate, however...

...The Prime Minister's biggest problems can be traced to that old bugaboo, the campaign promise...

...He has sought to develop good working relationships with the top PQ personnel, and has avoided the rhetorical forays of Trudeau...

...dollar...

...Yet the summer months were not marked by very much activity...

...Each province runs its own program, though, producing considerable variations in the quality of care...

...Presumably Clark hopes the calmer atmosphere will induce some Quebec voters to endorse the Federalist option rather than the separatist one in the referendum to be held next May or June...

...Philosophically it is inclined to try to help the private sector and therefore is expected to pursue policies that favor business and stress productivity, but the details of specific initiatives are being eagerly awaited...

...Unfortunately, Canada now has an $11-billion deficit—much larger proportionally than the U.S.—and it has not been especially stimulative...

...He caved in, putting the embassy move on the back burner by appointing former Conservative leader Robert Stanfield to visit the Middle East, assess the situation and report back with his recommendation some time next year...

...In the case of another widely covered issue, Canada's embassy in Israel, Harold M. Waller, a past contributor, is associate professor of political science at McGill University...

...Ever since the massive oil price increase by opec in 1973-74, Alberta has been pushing for permission to charge the world price on domestic sales, as it does on exports...

...One indication of Clark's willingness to let Quebeckers make their own choice without undue interference from Ottawa has been his abandonment of the tactics favored by the Liberals...

...Inflation has been lower in Canada than in the United States, yet unemployment has been higher, gross national product has not been growing at an adequate rate, regional disparities persist, and the dollar has been weak compared to European currencies and even to the U.S...

...Since they are still on the agenda, they threaten to further damage his government's credibility when they are raised in the session of Parliament just under way...

...Depending on the phrasing of the question, reliable analysts here contend, this is a real possibility...

...Nevertheless, Clark has held to his position, despite the absence of any grassroots support for the divestiture scheme...

...If it reads, "Should the Quebec government have a mandate to negotiate sovereignty-association...

...Clark will have to devote special attention to the price of energy...

...With Parliament not scheduled to convene until this past October 9, it was presumed Clark would take advantage of the luxury of a long period free from political jousting to promote his policies and prepare legislation...

...CLARK'S PROMISES AND PROBLEMS A Fresh Start in Ott3Wcl BYHAROLDM-WALLER Montreal After some 16 years of Liberal rule, Canadians last May traded in the tired Pierre Elliott Trudeau government for a new team headed by the relatively unknown Joe Clark—although his Progressive Conservative Party was narrowly denied a clear House of Commons majority and had to form a minority administration...

...Since taking office, the Prime Minister has deliberately lowered the tenor of the debate between Ottawa and Montreal...

...the Prime Minister has waffled...

...It is more likely that at a propitious time, perhaps next fall or during the spring of 1981, the government itself will call an election...

...One Clark promise that has received a great deal of media attention involves Petro Canada, the state-owned oil company that engages in risky exploration and development projects and negotiates with foreign countries for energy supplies...

...which employs the PQ code word for independence?the outcome would probably be very close...

...Moreover, to help defray diffi-cult-to-control rising costs, several provinces require patients to pay a fee when using services...

...Until then Canadians will closely monitor the government's performance not only on the economic and social fronts—where Clark will attempt to apply his conservative ideas to reduce budgetary deficits, cut public sector employment, and enhance the role of the private sector—but above all on how well it succeeds in holding together the country at a time when its unity is endangered...

...As for unemployment insurance, the government will probably try to reduce costs by limiting the scale of benefits...

...How Clark handles it will be important for the economy as well as an excellent test of his mettle...

...The former has been in operation for about a decade and has extensive federal financial support...

...Because of the existing budget deficit and the planned tax reductions for homeowners, the government does not have a great deal of flexibility...

...On the stump, he took the position that the embassy belongs in Jerusalem, even if most Western countries have avoided the Israeli capital (originally because of its uncertain judicial status, but more recently out of a reluctance to antagonize the Arab countries...

...To protect consumers in the other provinces, the Federal government has until now controlled the domestic price, only grad-ally allowing it to rise toward the opec level...

...The Prime Minister's quiet approach may puzzle Americans steeped in the glorification of Abraham Lincoln's leadership when he was faced with secession...

...Inexperienced candidate Clark made several campaign promises that already have brought him embarrassment, if not grief...

...Trudeau took the view that if Canada could adopt a new constitution to replace the British North America Act of 1867, the thrust toward Quebec independence might be deflected...

...Clark has quickly distinguished himself in style from his glamorous and flamboyant predecessor by running a low-key operation and generally reducing the temperature of political debate...

...in fact, to some observers it appeared that Ottawa was virtually closed down for vacation...

...This could prove very provocative...

...Yet many Canadian observers believe Clark's policy is more in accord with Canadian tradition, not to mention political reality...

...As he grapples with Canada's myriad problems and faces Parliament for the first time as Prime Minister, Joe Clark would undoubtedly prefer to have a majority...

...He is only five seats short, however, and knows that early elections are not in the interest of the three opposition parties...

...Trudeau, for example, wanted a Federal referendum bill on the books so that the national government could hold its own vote, either nationally or in Quebec alone...

...Consequently, his attempts to influence the referendum are likely to continue to be subtle and indirect, such as the Federal Cabinet meeting he recently held in Quebec City...

...This situation, in turn, has placed additional strain on Canada's already threatened Federal system...

...Accordingly, the new Finance Minister, John Crosbie, has prudently announced that a general tax reduction this year is not really possible...

...The Prime Minister's other main campaign promises dealt with taxes...

...To date this has not engendered great controversy outside of the ranks of government employees, but it could if the quality of services is affected...