It is noteworthy that those in the U.S. fighting for their rights against the oligarchs have as one of their slogans "No Kings" and here Carney is going in the opposite direction. It is another indication of the anti-people, anti-democratic aims of this government.

No matter what variant the ruling circles give of nation-building, of significance is that nation-building is not possible today without first settling the issue of where sovereignty is vested: in narrow private interests or in the people? And, along with this, who is "the people"? If "the people" is the ruling class, as those with positions of power and privilege claim, then that settles that -- we have the status quo which is in crisis.

The goings on of the new government show by whom and how decisions are to be made and the kind of nation-building the ruling circles are promoting. Carney's meetings with cabinet and the Liberal caucus, his Mandate Letter to his ministers and the Throne Speech all repeat a narrative for what is emerging from the Privy Council, from backroom deals with the Trump administration, from the initial stages of this five-week Parliamentary session, his tedious news conferences and talk show performances, and, most recently, the love-fest between the premiers in Saskatoon.

Carney's own liberal arrogance gave us a taste of it when, following the meeting with premiers on March 21, he answered reporters with statements such as: "Look, I could explain to you later but trust me, I'm right," and "We have discussed these matters among ourselves and we are very serious, not like Poilievre" who, he said, reduces everything to "a slogan" and "Things are much more complicated than that." Apparently so complicated that he cannot lay it out to the polity.

According to Carney, the state determines society, rather than the ensemble of human relations revealing that which exists. Whatever is in his head, whatever the narrative given, is what exists. A good example of this is found in the Mandate Letter he provided his ministers on May 21. Under the subhead General Challenge, the Mandate Letter says: "At home, our longstanding weak productivity is straining government finances, making life less affordable for Canadian families, and threatening to undermine the sustainability of vital social programs on which Canadians rely."

Sorting out the problem of weak productivity by making Canada's economy the strongest in the G7 is one of the aims Carney has set for Canada.

Carney ignores the fact that modern production technique has gone beyond the capacity of today's financiers, managers and owners of capital to handle. Productivity inevitably puts downward pressure on profits as more past work-time in machinery and material is used in relation to present work-time. You cannot squeeze capitalist profit out of a machine when every competitor has the same machine. Profit comes from active workers' work-time.

Rather than facing up to the objective situation and finding real solutions and a new direction for the modern socialized economy that can use productivity for the benefit of the people and society, today's financial gurus, managers and owners of capital are stuck in the old ways of doing things. They deny that the current problems with the economy are the consequence of doing just that since the mid-80s when this current neo-liberal anti-social offensive was first launched by the neo-Conservatives Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher and, in Canada, Brian Mulroney. What is occurring today is the result of the recurring crises that approach generated, revealing that the necessity for change is even more urgent today than ever before.

Whatever Carney and his cronies do today promises more of the same as has been done in the past. Forty years ago free trade with the United States and then Mexico was presented as the panacea for every economic woe affecting the monopoly capitalist class in power. It led to nation-wrecking including the smashing of unions, increased state attacks on workers fighting for their rights, criminalization of Canadian citizens and residents from all walks of life expressing their right to conscience and of Indigenous Peoples fighting for their right to be and not permitting the Anglo-colonial state to determine who they are, increased war preparations, support for neo-Nazis in Ukraine, genocide against the Palestinians and much more.

As has taken place for the past 40 years, out of frustration, the Carney government and its provincial counterparts have already made it clear that they will step up their demands for concessions from the working class, stealing, gambling, pillaging the public purse, and engaging in predatory wars.

Despite all the talk about national unity and fast-tracking nation-building projects, the ruling class is incapable of nation-building. It is up to the working class to stop the bourgeoisie from squandering the national resources, the independence of the country and its well-being. Under the banner of using the resources of the country to benefit the collective interests of the people, the working class can mobilize and rally the people to oppose what the bourgeoisie is talking about – that everybody should create an environment for the success of businesses in the global market. It also arouses the people to take into their own hands what belongs to them and to create a society which will favour them.

The program the working class takes up must be set by taking up the needs of society at this particular time. The working class rejects narratives in somebody's head and the ridiculous idea that gods come out of the machinery as in a theatre to rescue the people from the calamities in which their society is mired. Far from needing the likes of gods like Mark Carney, Canadian society needs an aim. The Canadian people need an aim which can be easily understood and appreciated by everyone. This aim can only be the aim of nation-building.

The main content of this project is that the working class must constitute the nation. In other words, the aim of the working class must become the aim of the nation, just as the bourgeoisie in its ascendancy put its aim, the aim of defending individual interest, private property, as the aim of the nation and even subordinated the nation to this aim. This aim is now long-since exhausted. Oligopolies operate as cartels and coalitions on a supranational basis. They have usurped the powers of the nation-states established to end the English Civil War and the foreign wars in which England and France and countries of Old Europe were mired for 100 years. Societies established to defend private property and recognize rights of the propertied classes on that basis cannot live to see another day because the properties classes themselves seize the land, resources and sovereignty of entire countries by unleashing wars of destruction on any country which refuses to submit to their predatory demands. The banks established to store the gold of sovereign nations now steal their gold to further narrow private interests. Where is the rule of law which defends property today? It no longer exists. Just as the narrow private interests have usurped the powers of the state within individual countries, so too, the International Rule of Law established by the United Nations in the name of "We the Peoples" of the United Nations has shown itself incapable of defending any peoples fighting for their right to be.

The time has now come for the working class to constitute the nation, establishing its own aim as the aim of the nation. In other words, the working class itself must take up the question of nation-building. It must lead the broad masses of the people to take up this aim as well. It is not possible for the working class to channel all its resources at this time without taking up the aim of satisfying the collective interests of society. This is what nation-building is all about.

Carney's nation-building is a fraud. In Canada, nation-building can mean only one thing: that the working class must provide society with a modern constitution, with a modern political mechanism, with a change in the direction of the economy and with independence.

Let the battle for the working class to constitute the nation, in its own image, start in earnest. Without this battle, grave dangers lie ahead.

From the Party Press

Behind the Demand of the Bourgeoisie for
Higher Productivity

– Louis Lang, TML Weekly, December 12, 1998 –

There has been a lot of discussion recently in the bourgeois media about the need for Canada to improve its productivity. An article in the Globe and Mail entitled "Faster, Bigger, Better", stated that "Canada has a productivity problem. And our standard of living is falling behind because of it." The article went on, "But we shouldn't be scared by the idea of productivity. On the contrary, its a prosaic word for a beautiful idea. When, through innovation, education or capital investment, people are able to produce more goods or services from an hour's labour than they did before, they can work less and still make themselves and their fellow citizens better off."

Productivity Under Monopoly Capitalism

The Paris-based OECD has also just issued a dire warning that Canada's standard of living could fall far behind those of other industrial countries unless it takes immediate action on several fronts. The report strongly urged Canada to cut taxes, put more people and capital to work, wipe out inter-provincial barriers to economic activity and become more productive.

Finally, in a major report in October, the Conference Board of Canada stated that "productivity underpins a country's ability to build and sustain a high quality of life. It is no accident that the productivity slowdown has conspired against our ability to sustain the social programming put into place in the 1960's, a decade when productivity growth was rapid."

What is behind this talk about the need for higher productivity? An examination of the present situation indicates that the issue of productivity is being raised not out of concern for the well-being of the vast majority of Canadians but to deal with the crisis facing the monopoly corporations -- the tendency for the rate of profit to fall.

For example, in the auto industry and banking, with the introduction of computers and digital technology, production levels have increased but with the use of less living labour. At Chrysler, overall production has far surpassed the level of 1989, yet only one-fifth of the workers have been recalled, and each day there are new rumours of planned lay-offs and plant closures. Production per worker has gone up, called increased productivity, which is used as a euphemism to cover increased exploitation of labour. But something else has also gone up: the mass of invested capital. The amount invested in expensive, robotic, computerized machinery has risen.

The ratio between living labour employed in production, to dead labour congealed in buildings, machinery and raw material has changed considerably. There is less living labour producing the same amount or even an increased amount of goods and services. The law of value dictates that this phenomenon should result in a drop in the value of each unit of production and a fall in the rate of profit. This should have put downward pressure on the market price of the product. The high profits should have attracted other competing capital resulting in more production in those sectors and lower prices.

This has not been the case and the reason is simple: the monopolies are so powerful that they have organized all the human and natural assets of the country to serve them. Economic monopoly means political monopoly and control of the state. They use their positions to rob the treasury of funds in the form of grants, interest free loans, needed infrastructure built by state funds, profitable projects organized for them by the state with guaranteed returns, etc.

They quickly crush or take over any new capital in their sector. Their unquestioned dominance over whole sectors of the economy allows them to keep market prices high even though the actual value of the commodity they are selling is worth less and less in actual value. In this way the enormous sums that they invest in expensive machinery does not result in a fall in the rate of profit. This fall is kept at bay for a time, but it has disastrous consequences for the economy as a whole, because the monopoly-controlled high prices have to be paid out of already produced value from other sectors of the economy. The serious and destructive consequences for the economy are borne by the working class, the middle strata, and small and intermediate sized capitalists. This results in a permanent state of crisis in the economy as a whole.

The mergers which are taking place, whether of the largest banks, the oil monopolies, or of auto monopolies such as Daimler and Chrysler, just to name a few, all have the aim to combine assets overnight so as to increase the value of shares on the stock market and make windfall profits. Without any increase in the goods and services produced, monopoly corporations use the immense socially produced value at their disposal in order to further centralize and concentrate capital in fewer and fewer hands and make superprofits from the temporary increase in the value of their stocks. This is one of the contributing factors behind the crisis of the financial markets because eventually the dividends to be paid, the portion of the goods and services produced must assert themselves. What is not produced cannot be distributed. In the end the real value of the stocks asserts itself but the largest monopolies have already realized superprofits because the workers' pension funds, mutual funds, government bonds, RRSP's and now the Canada Pension Plan, are all at the disposal of the corporations for speculation on the stock market.

The reports referred to above are all calling on governments at all levels to assist the monopoly corporations in shifting the burden of the falling rate of profit on to the working class and other sections in the economy as a whole. According to the Globe and Mail the following must be done to improve productivity;

1. Eliminate regulatory barriers to the hiring, firing and reassignment of workers.
2. End unemployment insurance for seasonal work and force workers to move or acquire training
3. Remove barriers to internal trade.
4. Lower the minimum wage and cut taxes on low income earners to compensate.
5. Privatize government services eg. break up provincial electricity monopolies, privatize ports, airports, coal mines, waste disposal, mass transit, inspection services, etc.

The Falling Rate of Profit

Hardial Bains, in the article "Can Society Overcome Both the Consequences of the Falling Rate of Profit and the Destructive Results of the Monopolies' Attempts to Avoid it?," pointed out: "The law of the falling rate of profit poses a constant threat to the viability of monopolies, to their very existence. It is a serious obstacle in fulfilling their aim of maximum profit. Their efforts to counteract the effects of this law are destructive to the overall economy and the living and working conditions of the working class. Layoffs, bankruptcies, the anti-social offensive, increasing unemployment and poverty, a greater concentration of capital in the hands of a few, destruction of the productive forces, overseas adventures and war are some of the ruinous consequences of the monopolies' struggle to counteract this law."

He writes:

"The greatest invention of the capitalist revolution, science and technology, has the inherent quality to render human labour power more productive. Under capitalism, the application of science to production leads to a greater use of machinery in relation to labour and thus to a falling rate of profit. This tendency is not modified with an increase in the mass of surplus producton but rather intensifies it, for the accumulated surplus production is used to take over or merge with other companies and build even larger centres of modern production. In certain circumstances, the political and economic control of the monopolies and their single-minded concern for maximum profit leads them to destroy the modern productive forces and revert to cheap labour-intensive production concentrated in poor countries, or to contract out production to petty producers for a time, only to destroy them when the time is ripe.

"The very process of modern production, its organization in gigantic work-sites integrated nationally and internationally from raw material extraction to retailing, becomes more social and scientific. Scientific management of production intensifies labour and finds the optimum point of exploitation leading to even greater surplus production and a smaller number of workers in relation to the great mass of invested capital concentrated in the hands of a few monopoly capitalists. Social production grows larger and larger and spreads throughout the world, yet conversely, ownership falls into fewer and fewer hands. The contradiction between social production and private ownership becomes intense. The power to influence national and international affairs in favour of a single monopoly or bloc of monopolies becomes commonplace. The monopolies levy tribute on the whole society, demanding that the affairs of the state be conducted to enhance the power, wealth and prestige of their company or group of companies.

"Ironically, the growth in the absolute mass of surplus production, by itself, is of no use to the monopoly capitalists. In fact, contradictions constantly assert themselves that cause great disquiet amongst the monopolies. The greater quantity of production and the larger amount of invested capital, often highly leveraged, become objects of desperation. As labour is less required so grows the army of unemployed, putting pressure on wages and benefits, resulting in a fall in consumption. The contradiction between production and consumption looms ever-larger. There are now 35 million unemployed workers in the industrialized countries. Even Germany has ten per cent unemployment. Where are the monopolies to turn to find consumers: the rich for luxuries, the state for weapons? The surplus product has to be realized; it has to be sold and transformed into additional capital, the maximum amount possible given the initial investment. The monopoly capitalists, as far as possible, use the state to guarantee a return on investment, to defend it against the ravages of the law of falling rate of profit, the scarcity of consumers, and to protect their interests at home and abroad.

"Production itself is incidental to the real challenge of realizing maximum profit. If it can be accomplished without production, without workers, so much the better. The most powerful imperialists would rather rob than produce, the best example being the German Nazis, but other imperialists engage in the same nefarious activity, restricted only by the competition of others and the unity and determination of the people to defend themselves. With the restoration of capitalism in the former Soviet Union, the entire world was once again opened up for pillage by the most powerful monopoly capitalists.

"The latent tendency of capitalist production to utilize science and technology to gain an edge on the competition and to bring labour more tightly under its control -- sometimes gradually, sometimes tempestuously -- leads it to destroy the quantity and quality of labour. Little by little it eliminates its only mass consumer, the working class. The crisis of overproduction grows in sector after sector as the capitalists can no longer realize their commodities. In desperation they throw luxuries and arms onto the market in greater numbers and finally go to war to destroy the productive forces and begin anew. In this regard, the twentieth century has witnessed nothing but war for maximum profit, and war against the working class and progress.

"The private interests of the capitalists are no match for the social productive forces. The sum of the individual interests of the capitalists do not add up to the general interests of society. The separate competing interests of the capitalists are too discordant to allow the social productive forces to work in harmony for the well-being of the people and the general interests of the society while under the private ownership of a handful of individuals. The only solution is social ownership, to eliminate private ownership of the means of production.

"A modern economy requires conscious control of the enormous productive capacity of the large-scale social productive forces; it requires people working together in order to harness that awesome productive power of socialized labour. The best that humanity has produced, Titans, as CPC(M-L) declares, will be needed to transform private ownership into social ownership. All the skills of human beings and the highest conscious activity possible will be required to raise up the quality and quantity of labour, to mould the actual and potential capacity of the current productive forces to serve the people and society."

Youth Forge Their Identity by Fighting for Rights, Not by Showing "Gratitude" to "Crown" for Charity

– Géneviève Royer –

According to the "Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages," Steven Guilbeault, the "Royal Visit" merited a $50,000 contribution from the Government of Canada to the "King's Trust."

What is now called the "King's Trust Canada" was founded as the "Prince's Trust Canada" by Charles III in 2011 when he was Prince of Wales. According to Heritage Canada, the organization "works with community partners, employers and educational institutions to help 100,000 young people across the country integrate into the workforce."

On the occasion of the donation, Guilbeault's office issued a statement which declared that the "Royal Visit showcased our rich Canadian identity, our cultural diversity and the vitality of our democratic institutions."

Uttering shameful official poppycock, Heritage Canada Guilbeault said:

"Their Majesties' visit was a profound moment for our country, highlighting the stability of our democracy and the strong ties between Canada and the Crown. This donation to The King's Trust Canada reflects our shared commitment to inclusion, service, and support for young people. By supporting this mission, we are helping build a more fair and promising future for youth from coast to coast to coast."

This is typical jargon of the Canadian state which deserves nothing but contempt. What about the postal workers, Amazon workers and all those not privy to the "charity" of the "King?" If this is such a stable democracy, what about equal rights for all, to employment, housing, food, health care, education and everything else they are entitled to based on the wealth the working class produces?

Why is Canada based on the 19th century British model and its utilitarian invention of "greatest good for the greatest number" and charity for the poor. Today "the greatest number" is called "the middle class," not based on their relation to the means of production but to assuage the rebellion of the working class and middle strata against their deteriorating economic and social conditions as a result of the pay-the-rich agenda that one neo-liberal government after the other has been implementing.

This Minister is considered a traitor in Quebec for espousing the neo-liberal agenda on the environment in return for positions of power and privilege. And he is from Quebec, no less, where, in 1837-38, patriots rose in rebellion to form a Republic to end the brutal British colonial regime and its empire-building values. The very thought that he is to make sure Prime Minister Carney understands Quebec culture but he betrays Quebec heritage speaks volumes about what the new government represents and the kind of ministers Carney has surrounded himself with.

The kind of statements Guilbeault makes serve to highlight the Victorian empire-building ideals which consider the achievements of civilization to be the spiritual product of the British "elite" and their civilizing mission. All attempts to impose such ideals on Quebec and Canadian youth will utterly fail.

The youth in this country forge their identity by fighting for the rights of all so as to humanize the natural and social environment. They will never show "gratitude" to the "Crown" for its charity. If the state is carrying out its duties, why are organizations required which provide help and raise money for those in need?

Charities are a burden on society. Not only does it takes large amounts of money to keep them operating with governments giving them all kinds of tax breaks, but they are also notoriously scandal-ridden. There are many examples including the Trudeau government's connection to WE Charity, formerly known as Free the Children. The Trudeau government not only imposed its program on primary public schools as a matter of course, but blatant corruption was swept under the rug following the scandal involving the $900 million the government gave the organization, for which it refused to be held accountable. The organization continues to operate abroad and to claim it is "an international development charity and youth empowerment movement founded in 1995 by human rights advocates Marc and Craig Kielburger."

A modern democracy is duty-bound to provide rights with a guarantee. The constitution as is does not recognize the rights of the people, only the rights of narrow private interests. The result is that vulnerable communities are forced to hire people to make submissions asking for funds to governments and they are never enough, come and go and the demands have to be resubmitted every year. Writing these submissions for funding is in many cases a full-time job which means that if funding is forthcoming it tends to be used to cover the salary of the person employed to request the funding and prove the organization is eligible. It is ridiculous.

The organizations dependent on government munificence or charities can never carry out stable work because they never know which government in its "discretion" will cut them off or give them a pittance. The homeless, abused women, vulnerable youth, refugees, Indigenous Peoples, seniors, unemployed and injured workers and all vulnerable sections of society are downtrodden and humiliated as a result of a society which spawns charities to give businesses tax deductions as well as sidestep the duties of a modern state to provide the rights of all with guarantees.

Now, the Carney government is once again enacting legislation to give tax breaks for the so-called middle class while unemployed workers will have to jump through hoops to access programs. Meanwhile, Revenue Canada is still pursuing many who qualified for subsidies during the COVID pandemic to resubmit all their paperwork to prove they qualified and to pay back the stipends they received.

The institution of charity is an albatross around the neck of a modern society -- both a heavy burden and a source of guilt. It will be dispensed with once the working class sets the direction of the economy and takes command of the decision-making power.

Carney's Advisor on U.S. Relations Lets
the Cat Out of the Bag

Former Liberal Premier of Quebec and, before that, National Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, Jean Charest, who is now Prime Minister Carney's advisor on matters of U.S. relations, said about U.S. tariffs in an interview on June 3: "Clearly, the problem is China!" Charest concluded his interview by saying that as far as the Trump administration is concerned, the Carney government needs to continue to let the U.S. know we are ready to take it and won't retaliate.

In other words, if it wasn't for China's growth, there would be no need for this tariff war. The U.S. is bullying the government of Canada into submission but "clearly, the problem is China."

And in those two little sentences Charest reveals it all: for all the bravado about "diversifying" our economy, the Carney government is even more militant in drawing Canada into the U.S. global trade strategy. It won't be long before they're telling Canadians they need a military offensive in the Arctic because the Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!

Charest was speaking in response to the news that Trump signed an order doubling tariffs on steel and aluminum imports used in everything from cars to canned food, for the second time since March -- from 25 per cent to 50 per cent.

The hike took effect on June 4. Trump said the tariffs are to secure the future of the U.S. steel industry.

Oppose New Government's Stepped Up
Militarism and War Preparations!

– Philip Fernandez –

On May 28, in line with the program the Carney government announced in the Speech from the Throne the day before, the Canadian Club, hosted a panel discussion on the topic "Security & Prosperity: A Business Case for Investing in Canada's Defence Industrial Base." This was the same day that Canadians and Quebeckers were protesting CANSEC 2025 in Ottawa and across the country, demanding that Canada stop its trade in weapons and the CANSEC gathering of the merchants of death be dismantled and banned.

In the Throne Speech, the Carney government pledged "rebuilding, rearming, and reinvesting" in Canada's military and to strengthening relations with EU allies through spending hundreds of billions of dollars to join the ReArm Europe plan, whose current stated aim is to crush Russia.

The Canadian Club claims to be an institution that for 128 years, has "delivered on an ambitious and timely mission: to connect Canadians with world-class leaders, decision-makers and thought leaders on issues that matter most."

The panelists at the Canadian Club event were executives from Bombardier, ATCO Ltd., and the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS). Bombardier manufactures military-grade aircraft, ATCO operates Arctic radar stations and provides services for military operations, while OMERS, like other Canadian pension funds, is under pressure to invest to support the agenda of the oligarchs.

Singing from the same songbook, panelists called on the Carney government to work with private sector companies, organized labour, academics as well as financial institutions to realize this project to stand up to threats from the Trump administration and prepare for aggression against China and Russia.

Nancy Southern, Chair and CEO of ATCO, stated, "We have no time to waste, we have been navel gazing for the past years." Rebuilding and increasing defence spending is the "best way to kick start the economy and get productivity and prosperity back into our concepts and thinking," Southern said.

In fact, militarizing the economy has ruinous effects on the economic and financial life of the country, one of the main ones being its contribution to inflation. Heavy expenditures for military purposes give rise to inflation because, in the final analysis, the increase of these expenditures and the militarization of the economy in general represent a reduction in the production of material goods for the masses of the working people -- and hence a reduction in the circulation of such goods -- and the production, instead, of goods which serve the maintenance of a standing army and the bourgeois military arsenal. The weapons produced do not go into circulation in the economy. The massive military spending contributes to the soaring government deficit, which the government seeks to pay off by printing more banknotes (as well as through raising taxes, cutting back on services, etc.). Hence an inflationary disproportion is created, "too many dollars chasing too few goods and services."

The promoters of military spending, from the Carney government all down the line of those who make huge profits off of war production, speak of job creation, security, defence of sovereignty and the like. It is a great sham which it is urgent to oppose. They just repeat the narratives of the rulers because they can. Their positions of power and privilege are protected and the government is going to pour billions of dollars into their pockets.

Blake Hutcheson, CEO of OMERS, which manages $138 billion in assets, of which 19 per cent are said to be in Canada, made it clear what he intends to do with the retirement funds of Ontario municipal employees. He pointed out that Canada has failed to meet its NATO and NORAD commitments. "We've let down our allies everywhere. We've let down our country everywhere," he lamented.

Eric Martel, CEO of Bombardier, asserted that Canada has the technical skills to pursue the goal of strengthening the "defence" industry. Upscaling defence capability will create "good jobs," he said. He expressed confidence that Canadian capital is available to support expanded weapons production saying, "The capital exists in Canada. It's a question of willingness and priority and deciding to say this is what we're focusing on." Echoing Carney's bravado he added: "We're going to get it done."

Martel knows all about governments doling out money for private interests. Since 1966, Bombardier has received more than $1.1 billion in government handouts while laying off thousands of workers.

Goldy Hyder, President and CEO of the Business Council of Canada (BCC), chimed in to say that increased military spending is for the "long term" and that the opportunity to do so exists "with this government and with this prime minister."

The BCC has for the last two years been calling for increased military spending to "secure the economic future of Canada." It has called for increasing Canada's defence budget from the current $41 billion or 1.35 per cent of GDP to 2.5 per cent by 2034, meaning a defence budget of $110 billion. It has also hailed the call of the Trump administration that NATO countries pony up five per cent of their GDP for defence. The BCC, which represents Canada's biggest private companies, calls for cuts to social programs and reducing the number of workers in the public service in order to have the funds to meet the demands of the weapons oligarchs.

The Carney government is going all out to make sure the Canadian state fulfills the demands of NATO and the U.S. imperialists to feed the U.S.-led NATO war machine, including by reducing the expenses of the U.S. in both the Arctic and Europe.

Canadians and Quebeckers want Canada to be a zone for peace, not a promoter of war in the name of peace. They oppose gutting social programs to feed the U.S./NATO war machine. The needs of the people for security and prosperity for all can be met by changing the direction of the economy to meet the needs of the peoples in this country and contribute to the same internationally. The Carney government is a war government which means that besides increasing spending on weapons, what it calls nation-building projects will also raise investment funds to feed the U.S. war economy and war machine. It will also increase the militarization of all of life which means stepped up attacks on the working people fighting for their rights and the criminalization of conscience.

The Carney war cabinet and the war industry represent what the people despise. It is urgent to step up the growing organized resistance against warmongering and the promotion of war production. The people's demand is that Canada get out of NATO and NORAD, reject Canada's participation in ReArm Europe and Trump's Golden Dome and Make Canada a Zone for Peace!

(With files from Canadian Club, Business Council of Canada, Throne Speech.)

Quebec National Assembly Adopts Bill 89

Workers' Resistance to Legault's Anti-Worker and Anti-Social Law Enters a New Phase

– Jean Bédard –

Protest at Quebec National Assembly, May 21, 2025 against Bill 89.

On Thursday, May 29, the National Assembly adopted Bill 89, fraudulently titled An Act to Give Greater Consideration to the Needs of the Population in the Event of a Strike or Lockout. The vote was 94 in favour and 17 against; with 0 abstentions. The law will come into force in six months, in November.[1]

Since its introduction on February 19 by Labour Minister Jean Boulet, vigorous opposition has grown across Quebec demanding the bill's withdrawal, nothing less. This is a matter of defending Quebeckers' right to strike and obtain better and safer working and living conditions. They reject the government's contempt for those who produce the wealth on which society depends, as well as the usurpation of state power by narrow private interests.

Twenty-six briefs were filed with the Commission on the Economy and Labour, and three days of hearings took place on March 18, 19, and 20. The transcript of these hearings is still not available, more than two months later, nor those of the five sessions examining the bill itself. But the numerous demonstrations in Montreal, Quebec City, Abitibi, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, and elsewhere demanding the withdrawal of Bill 89 are available for all to see!

By stating in the bill's title that it is "to give greater consideration to the needs of the population" — providing a pretext and justification for its anti-worker law — the Coalition Avenir Québec is attacking workers and their unions. The fact is that the government already meticulously dictates the actions of Quebec workers. Quebec has been found to be one of the most regulated jurisdictions in the world when it comes to the right to strike: essential services, negotiations, fixed negotiation terms, set dates for holding a strike, etc.

Mélanie Laroche, professor and researcher in industrial relations at the Université de Montréal, explained in a video produced by the Central of Quebec Unions (CSQ) last April that the Quebec Labour Code is one of the most restrictive in the world. Strikes are only permitted within the limits of negotiating working conditions with the employer, as defined by the union's certification. Therefore, no social strikes, no solidarity strikes, etc. Unlike most countries, such as France, England, and Germany, Quebec is known for having some of the longest collective agreements guaranteeing industrial peace. This and the fact that the right to strike is only acquired at the end of an agreement, on dates and under conditions determined by the Labour Code, has the effect of reducing the frequency of strikes.[2]

Why so relentless? One thing is certain. In the various statements made by employer representatives, the supply chain for the delivery of spare parts must be protected, at all costs — not only the various means of distributing goods but also, and above all, their production.

The Council of Quebec Employers (CPQ) recently commented on the current strike in the residential construction sector: "Let us not forget that the CPQ had asked that the construction industry be expressly included in the application of Bill 89, given the major impacts that labor conflicts in this sector can have on the well-being of the population. To exclude this industry is to accept that work stoppages can drag on indefinitely, to the detriment of residential worksites, infrastructure projects and Quebec's economic stability. The prolonged demobilization of workers generates costly delays, exacerbates the housing crisis and puts the brakes on investments essential to our collective prosperity."

Minister Boulet's response in parliamentary committee was: "The construction industry is not covered by the anti-scab provisions of the Labour Code."

The website of the Quebec Association of Construction and Housing Professionals (APCHQ) is full of directives and guides for maintaining operations on construction sites during strikes, and for maintaining law and order. Such measures will be elaborated in light of the minimum service provisions of Bill 89.

Nearly 40 per cent of Quebec workers are unionized, so they have a great capacity to fight, through strike action when necessary, to defend their living conditions, those of their families and their community. The lower unionization rate in other provinces explains, among other things, why Quebec workers are at the forefront of the struggle.

According to Minister Boulet, this is the kind of militancy Quebec is afflicted with. Organized workers standing up for their rights and the rights of all.

Quebec workers are filled with contempt today, noting that Bill 89 has been adopted against their right to strike. This means that the government is failing to fulfill its social responsibilities by ensuring that everyone receives the wages and working conditions they need to provide these essential services to society, and that they are not always forced to strike to obtain them.

Their resistance to defend their rights is entering a new phase and deserves everyone's support.

Notes

1. For further information on Bill 89 see TML In the News, March 4, 2025.

2. To view the CSQ video click here.

Alberta Government Fans Flames of Separation

Workers' Resistance to Vicious Anti-Social Offensive Remains Steadfast

– Peggy Morton –

Common Front rally at Alberta legislature, April 26, 2025

If Canadians were to go by the alarming headlines, reports of yet another poll and incessant chatter from political pundits, they would conclude that Albertans are at each other's throats over whether to declare Alberta an "independent" state and even to join the U.S. Clearly the aim of all this noise that people are hopelessly divided and obsessed with separation is to take the initiative out of the hands of the people and divert from the real issue which is the deep discontent with the current political arrangements which deprive them of decision-making power and that renewal is the order of the day.

The truth of the matter is that the resistance of the workers, youth, women, seniors, and Indigenous Peoples to the anti-social offensive, corruption, rule through police powers and assault on their rights remains steadfast and continues to grow. Hardly a day goes by without a rally, meeting, or demonstration as people assert and defend their rights and the rights of all.

The working people of Alberta stand second to none in the fight of the Canadian working class to uphold the dignity of labour and provide the rights of all with guarantees.

Rally of striking education workers in Calgary, February 24, 2025

More than 100,000 workers in Alberta have recently gone on strike, voted for strike action or are in the process of doing so. Thousands of education support workers waged a determined battle, stayed strong on their picket lines through the brutal cold of an Alberta winter, won massive public support and forced the government to abandon its "mandates" and agree to substantial wage increases and other important concerns. Teachers have voted no to a tentative agreement that offered wage increases but did not provide any solutions to the unsustainable working and learning conditions in the classroom. Teachers have now voted 99 per cent to authorize the union to proceed with a strike vote.

Nurses also rejected a tentative agreement, and, after forcing the government back to the table, achieved an immediate wage increase of 15 per cent and many other improvements.

Around 20,000 government workers have voted 90 per cent in favour of strike action if the government does not meet their demands.

Safeway workers have rejected a demand for wage cuts and concessions from Safeway. One of the features of the demands of the workers is to raise the wages of the young workers at the bottom of the wage scale, through getting rid of steps on the grid and other means.

Twenty-nine unions have formed a Common Front, where they "commit to the principle of collective defence and agree that an attack by the Government of Alberta, the Government of Canada, a municipal government, a school board, or a private-sector employer on any partner union is an attack on all partner unions."

On other matters of concern to the people, the UCP government is facing anger and contempt as its corrupt and harmful health care privatization schemes which favour wealthy businessmen at the expense of the peoples' health are revealed. Education is in crisis, with the lowest funding by far of any province in Canada, classrooms bursting at the seams, with an unsustainable burn-out and unmet needs of kids. Rents, food and other necessities are increasingly unaffordable, and many people are struggling.

Picket by Extendicare workers, May 5, 2025

Albertans are now once again fighting wildfires which are out of control due to government refusal to invest in the known preventative measures. They do what they can to support residents in affected zones forced to evacuate, rely on charitable organizations and fend for themselves.

An economy based on export of raw resources, especially oil and gas where the prices are particularly volatile, creates uncertainty and a precarious life for workers. Instead of tackling this problem by establishing a new direction for the economy, mud-slinging and vitriol are used to try and divert the working class and people from seeking solutions, but rather to jump from the frying pan into the fire.

It is the competing billionaires and oligarchs who are at each other's throats. The oil and gas barons see an opportunity for a true wild west scenario where they exercise total control on the basis of what will produce maximum profit in the shortest period of time. The ceaseless assault on the Liberals as "anti-oil and gas" is a diversion from the actual economic strategy of the Carney government with its agenda to make the rich richer and speed up the war preparations. Alberta's premier Danielle Smith is reconciling with Carney who says he will make Canada an "energy superpower" – which signals massive pay-the-rich schemes for pipelines and other infrastructure and likely billions for "carbon capture and storage" and other schemes carried out on the basis of "greening the economy."

They oppose the alternative -- to stop paying the rich; increase funding for social programs – tooth and nail! Nonetheless, the alternative is a new direction for the economy based on meeting the needs of the people.

Another feature of the UCP government and indeed governments at all levels is the rapid expansion of the use of prerogative powers, including control over regulatory and oversight bodies, municipalities, the health authority, and everything it can get its hands on. Premier Danielle Smith is also claiming provincial jurisdiction over everything, from the Canada/U.S. border to greenhouse gas emissions data, and demanding exclusive authority over where pipelines should be built, with the rights of Indigenous Peoples in the crosshairs, and all concern for the natural environment, for Mother Earth and the crisis of global warming dismissed as "anti-Albertan."

Whether Albertans voted for the Conservatives, Liberals, NDP, small parties, or did not vote at all, the discontent with the political system is profound. People want to exercise control over their lives, while a "yes" or "no" referendum ballot on separation keeps intact the institutions designed to keep the people out of power.

A referendum on "separation" has absolutely nothing to do with vesting sovereignty in the people. The cabal of dubious characters who are said to be putting the question has stated that it is seeking an audience with Donald Trump's representatives to discuss annexation of Alberta to the United States.

A "yes" petition is being put forward by a former Progressive Conservative MLA, the party which was in power in Alberta for 44 years in the service of the energy oligarchs and integration into the U.S. war economy and which launched the anti-social offensive in the mid-eighties and, before that, the U.S. imperialist expansion into Alberta in the 1960s and 1970s.

The "democratic institutions" which originated centuries ago and the colonial constitution based on the British North America (BNA) Act need renewal. As it stands, the supreme or sovereign power is vested in a person of state representing the billionaires and oligarchs, the wealthy private interests of the capitalist class in power. The cartel parties in power use their prerogative or police powers and their majorities in the legislature to rule by decree. One example of what has been normalized is the unseemly haste with which changes were made to the legislation governing elections and referendum and recall. No discussion, study or debate took place in the legislature, much less consultation within the polity.

For the working class and people, the need for political power so that they can exercise control over decision making and provide solutions is the problem to be solved. It can be done by taking up the program to Stop Paying the Rich; Increase Funding for Social Programs! and by the workers and people of Alberta organizing themselves politically to renew the democratic process and adopt a modern constitution.

Striking education workers rally at Alberta legislature, February 28, 2025

Indigenous Nations Denounce Alberta's Bill 54
and Uphold Inherent and Treaty Rights

Hundreds of people gathered for a militant rally organized by First Nations leaders from across Alberta outside the Alberta legislature on May 15. The rally began with a Grand Entry, a ceremonial procession which symbolizes the gathering of Indigenous Peoples, with the flags of all the nations participating from right across the province, followed by remarks from chiefs and their representatives from the First Nations signatory to Treaties Six, Seven and Eight in Alberta.

The rally was held one day after Bill 54 was passed in the Alberta legislature, as part of the agenda to fan the flames of separation and even annexation of Alberta to the U.S. This was not a protest, speakers emphasized, and they gathered not as citizens of either a provincial or Canadian authority, but as sovereign peoples deeply rooted in their own nations. They denounced Bill 54 and emphasized that the rally was an expression that the First Nations across Alberta stand united against an illegitimate and unlawful referendum.

In response to the strong opposition of the Indigenous nations, the UCP government tried to cover its tracks by introducing a last minute amendment to the Bill, adding a clause stating that no separation referendum question could threaten First Nations' existing treaty rights. This fooled no one and was denounced as meaningless.

The land within the province of Alberta is all treaty territory, speakers emphasized. The treaties are international treaties of peace and friendship to share the land, which has neither been sold nor surrendered.

Chief Tony Alexis From Treaty Six, Alexis First Nation, said that the First Nations succeeded in defeating the Liberal government's White Paper in 1969 and defeated the Meech Lake Accord in 1990 "and would do it again." "You cannot legislate away our rights," he said, "and we are not going anywhere."[1]

"Any attempt to undermine or infringe on our Treaty rights will be met with unwavering resistance," Tsuut'ina Treaty Knowledge Keeper Regena Crowchild, who spoke on behalf of Chief Roy Whitney representing Treaty Seven, said.

"We agreed to live side by side without interference, and all these years, both the federal government and the provincial governments have interfered in our lives through their legislation without our free, prior and informed consent. We have that right. We are the first peoples here and Canada cannot extinguish our rights and our identity, our language and what the Creator gave us. It is our responsibility to teach our children who they are, what their authority is, their history, what the treaty is about so they can continue the work of protecting and enhancing our treaties, and so that Canada will never win," she said.

Calling the event a historic day, Chief Sheldon Sunshine from the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation said, "We have common issues within our communities. And you know, when it comes to different legislation that is going to impact our lives, ... the health care scandal and the recent announcement that my life expectancy is 19 years less than the average Canadian. So, you know, all these things combined are really impacting our daily lives... I want to remind you, when you leave here, you go back and you talk to your circle of friends. We can have this thing doubled, tripled, quadrupled. We have a lot of people out there who have the same issues, the same challenges that we have."

"Let us stand loud and clear and concise that no provincial government can hold a referendum to overturn our treaty," Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations Grand Chief Greg Desjarlais told attendees. "We do not answer to the provincial government. Let me be clear, this push for Alberta separation is not just dangerous, it's a violation of Treaty, natural law and the land itself," he said.

Chief Billy Jo Tuccaro of Mikisew Cree Nation called out Jeffrey Rath, who recently held a press conference to present a referendum question in favour of separation, saying that Rath had got rich on the backs of Indigenous Peoples. Rath is a lawyer who states his specialty as "Treaty, Aboriginal rights and environmental law and litigation."

Treaty Eight Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi emphasized that this includes non-Indigenous people as well. "If you're in Alberta, in Canada, you are recognized as [part of the] Treaty," he said.

Chief Wilfred Hooka-Nooza of Dene Tha' First Nation in Treaty Eight said that attendees were gathered "not as protesters, but as guardians of a promise older than the province of Alberta itself."

"Our Treaties are not relics. They are not documents to be shelved and forgotten," Chief Hooka-Nooza said, adding "They are living, breathing commitments. They are a promise of coexistence, mutual respect and shared responsibility to this land we call home."

"We gather here in unity, not in protest, but to rally for a purpose," Chief Andy Alook of Bigstone Cree Nation said. "I want to be clear, this is not just a rally. This is a stand for our treaties. And our treaties are not symbolic. They are not optional. They are living, binding agreements made nation-to-nation, with the Crown, not with the province of Alberta. Premier Smith's government is pushing a dangerous and misleading agenda. Bills like Bill 54 attempt to drag us into a provincial fight that was never ours. Alberta talks about sovereignty, but what they're really doing is trying to distract us from their responsibilities while threatening the very treaties that protect us all," he said.

As Chief Alexis pointed out, Indigenous Peoples have defeated the attempts to impose new constitutional arrangements based on backroom deals which keep the people out of power and negate their inherent rights. A modern constitution is needed to end the colonial injustice and old arrangements, a constitution which upholds the principle of nation-to-nation relations, recognizes the final say of Indigenous Peoples on their unceded territories, vests sovereignty in the people, and upholds the right of Quebec to self-determination.

Note

1. The White Paper put forward by the Liberal government of Pierre Trudeau called for assimilation, abrogation of its obligation to uphold treaty rights and responsibility for historical injustices, and "passed the buck to the provinces" as Harold Cardinal, leader of the Indian Association of Alberta at the time, said. The Liberals were forced to withdraw it by the militant opposition of the Indigenous nations.

The Meech Lake Accord was a set of amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated behind closed doors by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and the provincial premiers. The Accord did not vest sovereignty in the people, failed to establish nation-to-nation relations with the Indigenous Peoples or recognize Quebec's right to self-determination. Elijah Harper, An Oji-Cree member of the Manitoba Legislature, held up a white feather in the legislature, blocking the unanimous consent required to debate the Accord. This led to the defeat of the Accord.

Bill 54, Election Statutes Amendment Act
Becomes Law

Bill 54, the Election Statutes Amendments Act was introduced in the Alberta legislature and given First Reading on April 29, one day after the federal election. The 144 page bill was steam-rolled through the Alberta legislature, passed on May 14 and received Royal Assent on May 15, the day the legislature adjourned until October 26.

Bill 54 contains numerous changes to electoral laws involving seven different Acts. The United Conservative Party (UCP) government used its majority to restrict debate at each stage to one hour, showing once again that the legislature has become irrelevant, has ceased to be a place where legislation is studied or even debated and that the "democratic institutions" have ceased to function.

Why the hurry? While Bill 54 makes many self-serving changes to electoral laws, the changes to the requirements for a "citizen initiative" calling for a province-wide referendum have received the most attention, widely considered to be the impetus for this latest abuse of power by the UCP.

Prior to the federal election, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith promised an "unprecedented national unity crisis" if the Conservatives did not win. She presented a list of nine demands, which are in the main a repetition of the demands of the oil and gas cartels as presented by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

Smith's demands include repeal of laws concerning the approval of energy projects (Bill C-69), removing a proposed cap and trade scheme for greenhouse gas emissions, repeal of the ban on large oil tankers on the west coast north of Vancouver Island including Haida Gwaii which has been in effect since the 1970's, removal of the ban on single-use plastics, guaranteed access to tidewater on all coasts for oil and gas exports, scrapping clean electricity regulations, and abandoning the zero-emission car mandate.

These are said to be the demands of "Albertans," and the failure to do the bidding of the oil and gas cartels will trigger this "national unity crisis."

Bill 54 is intended to fulfill Smith's promise of a "national unity crisis" by changing the requirements for a successful petition for a referendum. The Citizen Initiative Act was passed by the UCP in 2021 when Jason Kenney was premier. It set a high bar for a successful petition for a referendum, and even higher for a constitutional referendum.

The law required the signatures of 20 per cent of eligible voters to be collected in person within 90 days. The 20 per cent bar also had to be met in two-thirds of the ridings. Mail-in ballots were not permitted in the vote. The legislation made it very difficult for a "citizen initiative" to succeed and, not surprisingly, no petitions for a citizen initiative have been submitted since the legislation was enacted. However, the UCP government under Jason Kenney did hold a referendum on whether equalization should be removed from the Canadian constitution.

Bill 54 reduces the requirement for a referendum on a constitutional question to 10 per cent of votes cast in the previous provincial election. This reduces the number of signatures from 590,444 to 177,132, and increases the time within which signatures must be obtained to 120 days from 90 days. The requirement that the threshold be achieved in a specified number of ridings has also been removed. Mail-in ballots will now be permitted.

The government must hold a referendum on a successful citizen-initiative petition completed one year or more before the next set election date, and the referendum must take place on or before that set election date, which would be October 18, 2027. The premier has stated that if a successful petition is submitted, a referendum would be held in 2026.

Bill 54 also removes the requirement that a referendum must be held before the Legislative Assembly votes on a resolution "authorizing an amendment to the Constitution of Canada." The UCP is suggesting in this legislation that Alberta can unilaterally "authorize an amendment" to the Canadian Constitution.

It escapes nobody that the proponents of separation are also proponents of annexing Alberta to the United States. Bill 54 effectively ensures a referendum will be held on "separation" but the premier does not have to initiate it, and can simultaneously claim that she opposes separation while doing everything to fan the flames of separation.

A petition can only be initiated by an individual resident in Alberta, not by an organization. Volunteers to collect signatures on the petition, called canvassers, must be registered with Elections Alberta and issued identification. Only signatures collected by registered canvassers will be counted.

Former Progressive Conservative MLA Thomas Lukaszuk announced on May 21 that he has filed an application with Elections Alberta to approve a petition for a referendum on the question: "Do you agree that Alberta must remain in Canada and any form of separation be rejected?" If the Chief Electoral Officer finds the application in order, it must be published for 30 days prior to the issuance of the initiative petition.

Jeffrey Rath, a lawyer for the "Alberta Prosperity Project," held a press conference on May 12 to announce a referendum question, "Do you agree that the Province of Alberta shall become a Sovereign Country and cease to be a province of Canada?" The organization's website asks people to submit a "pledge" to vote for separation, and claims it has received 240,000 such pledges. There is no indication that anyone has as yet submitted an application to Elections Alberta for a petition.

Elections Alberta has not issued a statement as to whether it would accept both applications for a "yes" question and a "no" question. The government's Q&A on the legislation states,

Q: Can there be multiple initiatives at one time?

A: Yes. Each initiative petition is treated independently, however the proposal must not be the same as, or substantially similar to, the topic of an initiative petition currently in process or under review.

This would suggest that the first application accepted would frame the question, but past experience with Elections Canada in the referendum about equalization shows that anything goes.

However the question put to Albertans is framed, one thing is certain. The crisis of national unity facing Canada must be resolved by the working people putting forward their own aim for nation-building. They will then have something to fight for and not fall prey to the anti-democratic, nation-wrecking schemes of the oil and gas industry.

Other nefarious changes to Alberta's electoral act allow corporate interests to make contributions to political parties, restrict longest ballot initiatives by requiring independent candidates to each have a different official agent, shorten the length of time for investigations into breaches of electoral law, impose measures to make voting more difficult, and ban electronic voting tabulators to count ballots.

BC Legislature Overrides Existing Laws and Indigenous Rights

Widespread Opposition
to Government's Legislation

On May 29 the BC legislature passed the NDP government's controversial Bill 14, the Renewable Energy Projects (Streamlined Permitting) Act and Bill 15, the Infrastructure Projects Act, ignoring concerns of legal experts and local governments and the determined opposition of Indigenous leaders and environmental organizations. Bill 14 was tabled on April 30, Bill 15 on May 1. Both bills were passed by a vote of 47 to 46. All the NDP Members of the Legislature voted in favour. All 41 Conservatives, both BC Greens and the three independents opposed both bills. The NDP speaker cast the deciding vote to break the tie in favour of the government.

The legislation gives the government sweeping powers to push ahead with infrastructure projects deemed "provincially significant," including renewable energy projects and transmission lines across the province. To facilitate these changes the government created a new Infrastructure Ministry in November 2024, presenting it in a manner that it was thought no one could oppose, as a means to expedite the building of schools and hospitals and care homes for seniors.

The people of BC do not accept that the provincial government can give itself the right to override laws and regulations, including those of municipalities and regional districts, to build schools and hospitals and care homes and in spite of such major legislation being fast-tracked through the legislature to keep the public unaware, these bills were vigorously opposed. The legislation contains clauses that give the provincial government the power to deem just about any public or private project, -- including mines, ports, conventional and clean energy projects -- "provincially significant."

"Any project so anointed would be pushed to the front of the queue for provincial permits and potentially exempted from a fulsome and transparent environmental assessment, potentially avoiding scrutiny from the public, scientists, local governments and First Nations," The Narwhal reported.

In a news release on May 6, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, President of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) said "In developing Bill 15 the Province conducted no meaningful consultation and cooperation with First Nations and did not adhere to its own Interim Approach on the Alignment of Laws." He was referring to the stated commitment of the BC government to implement "clear, transparent processes for how [government ministries and sectors] are to work together with Indigenous Peoples in developing provincial laws, policies and practices, as required under the Declaration [on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples] Act."

The UBCIC news release asserts that "Bill 15 has the potential to greatly impact First Nations' inherent and Aboriginal rights, title, and jurisdiction both in its application and its intended outcomes... It goes beyond expediting the approval and development of schools and hospital and could result in major extractive projects being fast-tracked. ... Bill 15 is overreaching and enables the Province to bypass permitting processes and expedite environmental assessment for any project they deem a priority. The Province is ramming through Bill 15 without any First Nations input who stand to be adversely impacted. This law may breach constitutional consultation requirements and is not consistent with the UN Declaration."

The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) raised concerns that Bill 15 "provides the Cabinet with extraordinary power to override regulations, including local government OCP, zoning bylaw amendment and subdivision approval processes" and that the process leading to the drafting of the legislation was rushed and did not include meaningful consultation with the UBCM or member local governments, warning that such an approach can lead to unintended consequences.

The Wilderness Committee condemned the legislation and the government's methods, "This legislation steamrolls over critical environmental assessments currently required for resource extraction projects in British Columbia. ... Passing Bill 15 is a shameful abandonment of the province's responsibilities to environmental protection and Indigenous Rights – a betrayal dressed up as progress."

On May 30 BC Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Terry Teegee withdrew from a trade mission to Japan, the Republic of Korea and Malaysia led by the Premier because of the passage of the bills, saying, "How can we participate in trade missions to promote resource development when this government has just rammed through legislation that tramples our rights and threatens our territories?"

Significant Events
No to Privatization of Canada Post!

Rallies Held Across Canada on May 31

Ottawa, May 31, 2025

Across the country on May 31, postal workers and workers from many unions and labour federations stood together to denounce state attacks on postal workers and their union and support them in their fight for a collective agreement acceptable to the workers. The theme of the rallies was "Hands Off My Post Office!," underscoring the demand of Canadians for an end to privatization and protection and expansion of the post office as a public service for all.

The action in Ottawa began at the Human Rights Monument. Among the contingents of workers were postal workers from Montreal. A number of union representatives spoke, including the President of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) Jan Simpson, CUPW National Director -- Central Peter Denley, and Sean McKenny, President of the Ottawa and District Labour Council, as well as NDP MPs Leah Gazan and Gord Johns.

National President Jan Simpson said that Canada Post needs to expand its services as a public Post Office. "Our vision is bold. it is to have community hubs, postal banking, senior check-ins, a vision called delivering community power," she said. She pointed out that the employer is attacking postal workers' collective agreements, wants to slash community standards, close Post Offices and eliminate door-to-door delivery. She said that the Post Office has refused a truce, and was now spreading lies in the media and asking the government to intervene once again, while trying to pit workers against each other. She reminded everyone of gains such as maternity leave that the Postal Workers have won and that now benefit the entire public.

"A yes vote to this contract is not what we need. We need to stay united and give a strong NO vote to send a message to the employer and to the government. We're fighting for the expansion of the public Post Office. We're not fighting for profit, not for greed, we're fighting for a public Post Office and we will not back down," she said.

After the speeches, workers marched up Elgin Street to the Prime Minister's Office, chanting, "Hands off our Post Office!"

In Scarborough, outside the new Albert Jackson Canada Post plant, postal workers from the region were joined by leaders of the Ontario Federation of Labour, the Toronto and York Region Labour Council, the Ontario Public Sector Employees Union, United Steelworkers and others. Speaker after speaker denounced the attacks on postal workers by Canada Post management and by the federal government whose intervention has been to deny postal workers their right to bargain a contract acceptable to them. Several pointed out that the fight being waged by postal workers is a fight in defence of the rights of all workers.

Postal workers and representatives of the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) held an action the same day at the office of Shafqat Ali, President of the Treasury Board in Brampton to demand that the government order Canada Post to negotiate and end the privatization of Canada Post. Steelworkers and workers from other sectors and the OFL joined the postal workers' rally in Hamilton.

Actions also took place in other cities including Halifax, Edmonton, Vancouver and Courtenay on Vancouver Island.

In Prince George, community members from all walks of life came out to stand with postal workers, calling for a just contract and a public post office that meets the needs of Canadians in communities large and small.

The fight for appropriate wages and benefits, safe working conditions, ensuring good full time, secure jobs and, importantly, maintaining and strengthening a public, national postal service (not privatized and taken over by foreign monopolies) -- these are issues of concern to all Canadians.

Stand with the Postal Workers! Their Struggle Is Our Struggle!

St. John's

Halifax

Scarborough

Brampton

Hamilton

London

Edmonton

Vancouver

Prince George

Ontario Injured Workers Stand Up for Their Rights

Militant Rally Marks Injured Worker's Day
at Queen's Park in Toronto

More than 200 people took part in a lively rally at Queen's Park on June 1 marking the 42nd anniversary of the day in 1983 when injured workers and their allies forced the Bill Davis government to back down on major changes to the workers' compensation system it was planning. On June 1, 1983 injured workers and their allies converged on the Ontario Legislature to participate in a one-day hearing on the proposed changes. Over 3,500 people came to present their concerns about the major attacks on injured workers' compensation, which forced the government to hold the hearing on the steps of the legislature. Because of the organized resistance the government was forced to back down on its main attacks on the workers. Since then injured workers and their supporters have gone above and beyond in organizing to demand that injured workers' right to compensation and support be upheld.

This year, Injured Workers Day rallies took place in Toronto, Peterborough, Thunder Bay, Windsor and London. At Queen's Park in Toronto, Steve Mantis, former president of the Ontario Network of Injured Workers' Groups (ONIWG), emphasized that the fight for the demands and dignity of injured workers must be stepped up as part of the opposition to the Ford government's attacks on all the working people of Ontario. Other speakers brought out that since the Ford Government came to power in 2017, the WSIB has handed out over $8 billion to Ontario employers through rate reductions and direct refunds, money that should have gone to injured workers and their families.

The Workers' Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), the agency responsible for providing due compensation, was denounced for working in tandem with employers to humiliate and marginalize injured workers. For example, one speaker pointed out that in Ontario close to 3,000 cases of work-related cancers are identified each year by patients' doctors, but only 15 per cent of such cases are accepted by the WSIB and only half of those cases are properly processed and compensated.

Speakers from migrant workers' organizations described the horrific conditions of work that many migrant workers face and explained that many do not even have access to the WSIB and are at the mercy of brutal employers who exploit and abuse them. One speaker pointed out that governments at all levels try to pit worker against worker in order to exploit and marginalize all workers. She emphasized that it is by fighting for all workers that injured and migrant workers can make headway.

WSIB workers themselves, organized in the Ontario Compensation Employees Union/Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1750, are currently on strike for increased wages and improved working conditions, for the first time in their history. A representative of the workers spoke to the rally and explained that the WSIB has been preventing the close to 4,000 workers in Ontario WSIB offices from doing their jobs properly through staff reductions and increased workloads. He said that WSIB workers themselves oppose the attacks on injured workers including the practice of "deeming" which is used to deny many just claims. He said that injured workers have a right to just compensation and support, that it is everyone's business to achieve that, and called for everyone's support for WSIB workers' demands for more staff and improvements in their wages and working conditions.

The rally included a cultural program including labour songs and a skit by the South Asian Women's Rights Organization (SAWRO) depicting the serious exploitation and ruined lives of migrant women injured on the job .

The rally ended with a pledge of support for ONIWG and other defence organizations of injured workers in their campaign for their rights and claims, and in defence of the rights of all.

Bold Protest at CANSEC Weapons "Fair" in Ottawa

Protesters Defy Warmongers and Police to Demand CANSEC Be Dismantled!

More than 300 people protested outside the CANSEC Weapons Trade Show organized by the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI), the lobby group linked with Global Affairs Canada. CADSI, which calls itself the "voice" of the "national defence industry," represents Canadian "defence and security" companies that together generate more than $10 billion in annual revenues, roughly 60 per cent of which come from exports.

The protesters made clear the opposition of Canadians to the production and trade of weapons used in wars of aggression and destruction, particularly in the genocide the U.S./Israeli Zionists are carrying out in Gaza to wipe out the Palestinian people with the participation of Canada and other G7 countries, as well as in the U.S. NATO proxy war in Ukraine and other war zones or zones in the Asia Pacific, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean where Canada is joining U.S. war preparations.

While the banners of the protesters clearly showed their legitimate demands, the police brutally arrested 13 people, including a medic and a photographer. Reports indicate that the police deliberately arrested the protesters after protest organizers had repeatedly communicated to the police liaison team that the protest was concluding. Despite this, Ottawa Police Service officers were aggressive, pushing and grabbing protest participants near the end of the protest. The arrests also occurred after mainstream media reporters had left. One protest participant injured by the police had to be taken to hospital for treatment.

Protest organizers are raising questions about the aggressive tactics of the police and the arsenal deployed against the protest.

The following information published by anti-war activist Brent Patterson explains clearly why Canadians oppose this weapons fair.

[...] Companies that the American Friends Service Committee (the Quakers) has documented as profiting from genocide in Gaza linked to weapons transfers to Israel were among the exhibitors at CANSEC despite the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) preliminary ruling in January 2024 in which the court found that it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.

Ottawa-area Quakers were present at the demonstration against the CANSEC arms show, May 28, 2025.

Obligations Given ICJ Ruling

General Dynamics CANSEC display of 155mm artillery shell used extensively against Palestinians.

After the ICJ ruling, three Toronto-based law professors commented: "Properly understood, the order should dramatically alter both the foreign and domestic policy decisions of Israel's allies, including Canada and the United States.

"The obligation to prevent genocide, combined with the court's finding of a serious risk of genocide, means that all parties to the Genocide Convention [ratified by Canada in 1952] must refrain from taking steps that would actively frustrate the effective implementation of the court's order."

They add: "Because the ICJ found a serious risk of genocide in Gaza, continuing to export arms to Israel would be illegal [under the Export and Import Permits Act where Canada's ascension to the Arms Trade Treaty is reflected]. It would also be flagrantly inconsistent with Canada's obligation to prevent genocide, and could expose Canada and Canadian officials to liability for participation in genocide."

"Aiding and Abetting" Crimes

Amnesty International has also highlighted that the legal concepts of "corporate complicity" in and the "aiding and abetting" of international crimes could in the future apply to arms companies that continue supplying weapons in the knowledge that they may be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of human rights.

Arms Shows Have Banned Companies

The protest against CANSEC -- whose exhibitors included the Israeli weapons company Elbit Systems and representatives of the Israeli military -- also came following the International Criminal Court (ICC) decision in November 2024 that issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.

While both France and Chile have banned Israeli weapons companies from exhibiting at arms shows, the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI), the Global Affairs Canada-funded lobby group that organizes CANSEC, took no such action and has not commented on the court rulings or the obligations of weapons companies under Canadian law and the Genocide Convention.

Further reading: General Dynamics displays artillery shell implicated in controversial deal, Ottawa Police arrest 13 at protest against CANSEC arms show (May 29, 2025).

(Photos: TML, PBI)

May 5 Red Dress Day

Canadians Demand Calls to Action
Be Implemented

Whitehorse, May 5, 2025

May 5, Red Dress Day, is marked across the country as a powerful Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirit+ People. Red dresses began to be used as a symbol for the tragic disappearance and death of Indigenous women in 2010 with the REDress Project by Winnipeg-based Métis artist Jaime Black.

Six years after the 231 Calls for Justice by the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls the killing and disappearance of Indigenous women across the country has not stopped.

The National Inquiry's final report, Reclaiming Power and Place, described the genocide against First Nations, Inuit and Métis women and girls, as a result of violence "empowered by colonial structures."

New constitutional arrangements – a free union between the Indigenous Peoples, the Métis and Inuit, the Quebec people and the Canadian people – are the order of the day, as is the demand that the Canadian state acknowledge its role in the violence against Indigenous Peoples, and that it render accounts for this genocide – as well as for the genocide being committed against the Palestinian people.

Montreal

Montreal's May 5 commemoration, organized by the Native Women's Shelter of Montreal's Iskweu Project (dedicated to addressing the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Trans, and 2-Spirit (MMIWG2S+) individuals in Quebec) at Cabot Square, with approximately 200 people participating.

Faye, a family violence councillor, began by saying: "We stand together to remember, to honour and to rise." She brought to the fore the origin of the violence against the country's First Nations, which she described as the violence of colonization against Indigenous peoples' spirit, their teachings and ways of honouring life itself.

Although between 1980 and 2012, the RCMP recorded 1,181 Indigenous women and girls missing and murdered, she declared that the truth of the matter is that "more than 4,000" have been "stolen over the past decades."

What is needed, she said, is to "create space" where people "are not just protected but celebrated. Empower and cherish. Turn to the way of our ancestors, where women are sacred," "where community means we do not let each other fall." "We are the fire they kept alive through darkness. We are the water protectors." "Today we do not only mourn," "we reclaim."

On behalf of all those who continue to fight, she pledged to do so "until every soul and sister is remembered, every family is supported, and every future generation walks in safety, pride and freedom."

Cheryl McDonald of Kanesatake, who lost a sister in 1988, said: "I want sisters safe. ... And I see where the money that comes up at the top row in government just rolls down like a gum ball and nothing comes out."

She added that young Indigenous girls are "going to grow up safe because we're all going to be watching out for them."

In reference to the colonial band council system imposed on First Nations by the Canadian state, she said: " I'll never run for chief. I'll run from that system because they're all systems of oppression. Once they pay you, they just bought your silence."

A representative of the Iskweu Project noted: "The dark legacies of the United States and Canada's detrimental federal Indian policies are entrenched in racism, erasure and assimilation." Speaking to the Canadian state's attempts at genocide of the First Nations, she said: "We have been subjected to removal, termination for sterilization, the residential school era, the '60s Scoop, high-end surveillance of Indigenous families to child welfare, and over-representation within our criminal justice systems."

"We have to protect our women, our men, our two spirit and LGBTQ+ community, and we have to protect our children. We are protecting our community circles by showing up here today to learn ways to work together, to empower ourselves and to ensure the safety of those we love."

Referring to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, she added: "We stood alongside families as they demanded inquests for justice. We fiercely advocated for proper identification of our Jane Does. But we are still here. We're here to call for accountability in all levels of government."

"We will not stop saying their names as we fight for justice."

A moment of silence was observed.

Recalling the National Inquiry's 231 Calls for Justice as one of the "guiding documents and action plans provided through all the hard work of Indigenous leaders," she expressed the urgency of implementing those calls. "Every one of us has a responsibility to make sure that those calls move forward," "to figure out what we can do together between now and the next time we gather together in October."

Ottawa

A ceremony on Parliament Hill marked Red Dress Day. Organized by Bridget Tolley and Kokums of Sisters in Spirit, it focused on the youth and Indigenous resilience in the face of the Canadian state's past and ongoing genocidal crimes against Indigenous Peoples throughout Canada. Young boys who sang and drummed were introduced with pride by a teacher of Algonquin immersion and culture, who pointed out that the youth would sing and speak in their own beautiful language. She pointed out that "it took a lot of work to get back to that after it was taken from us."

Dara, a 28-year-old Algonquin from Kitigan Zibi and Lac Barrière was called upon to share her knowledge and perspective. She explained:

"It is important to acknowledge our stories and where we're coming from, because it says a lot about the world we live in. Especially gathered here today to talk about what's happening to Indigenous women here and across the world. It's not an isolated event. It's systematic violence for erasure, because they don't want us here. They didn't want us here. But we're still here. That's not going to change." Attendees warmly applauded the resilience of the Indigenous Peoples.

She continued: "So many things happened throughout history to try to take away who we were. The Indian Act, the Residential schools, our gradual disenfranchisement to try to push us off the land. Even today, they are still relocating us, still turning us into municipalities, allowing us to go to Court so we can settle things in Court and never go back. These legal systems are not the original legal systems of the world. Algonquin, Indigenous laws are laws that cannot be changed. It's Nature, it's Creation. Part of that law is community, and they are trying to take that away from us. But we need each other. Our children need their parents. We need our aunties, our uncles, cousins, grandparents. They're taking that away. This is not something of the past. It's something that's ongoing.

"We're supposed to sit together and hear each other's voices and help each other and move forward in a way that doesn't leave people behind. My parents and my grandparents went to residential schools and I am the first person in my family to go to regular public school. We try to empower the youth, take away some of that burden, some of that trauma and protect them."

Briget added: "We should be happy to be posting the accomplishments of our youth. Instead, we're posting missing and murdered posters of them. This has got to stop."

Sudbury

Regina

Edmonton

Fort McMurray

Calgary

Kelowna

Prince George

On May 5, Red Dress Day, Prince George residents from all walks of life came together to remember and give voice to the murdered and missing Indigenous women, girls and all loved ones along Hwy 16 – the Highway of Tears – and beyond.

Beginning with a welcoming prayer and powerful drumming and songs, family members and friends shared their stories of grief and determination. The event highlighted the heartbreak of losing loved ones, but also, and importantly, the resolve of everyone there to work together to change the situation. We need to be the voices of our sisters and brothers!

Courtenay

Langford

(To access articles individually click on the black headline.)

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