from an article in Workers
Vanguard The 1967 federal convention of the New Democratic Party demonstrated the process which has seen the programme of Canada's labour party become more and more adapted to the pressures of big business interests and their spokesmen in Ottawa, Over 900 delegates attended the July 3rd-6th sessions in Toronto. A resolution on the Canadian economy was presented as a new turn in policy for the N,D.P. It was pushed as the key to solving the problem of Canadian independence, posed by the framers of the resolution as a major issue. That there was, subsequent to the session some disagreement among the leadership on the emphasis given to Canadian independence reflects the fact that their economic policy itself was not new, merely the old formulas of economic controls in a mixed economy, with the system itself remaining essentially untouched, dressed up in a Canadian nationalist framework, A number of delegates raised this point and called on the convention to develop a policy from the point of view of the class realities of Canadian society. An attempt by a delegate from the steelworkers to concretize this criticism by referring the resolution back to include a clause on nationalisation of basic industries was defeated. Quebec was approached in the same superficial way. The resolution oneguebec skirted over the real problems, The formula of special status was undefined and somewhat meaningless since the policy failed to recognise the Quebecois as a nation or concede them the right to self-determination, On Vietnam dozens of resolutions calling for a hard line against American aggression and Canadian complicity, and for more party action on the Vietnam issue reflected the overwhelming feeling of the delegates. When the officials brought the issue to the floor the delegates were lined up ten deep at the microphones. To the horror of the delegates Vietnam was buried in an executive resolution on foreign policy which covered everything from NORAD to foreign aid, The first speaker flayed the resolution for not dealing with Canadian complicity or demanding withdrawal of U.S, troops. He received an ovation, A constituency resolution calling for the party to work with the anti-war movement to build a mass opposition to the war was attacked by another speaker who charged that it was a plot to divert party resources to side issues, In the uproar that followed, this resolution was put to the vote and was subsequently defeated. In a summary of the leadership's approach, Andrew Brewin M.P., in talking about the party's responsibility said "If we are to have influence with our friends ...... extreme bitter words must be avoided", At this point there were cries from the floor of "How does this differ from the Liberals! quiet diplomacy" and "This sounds like Harold Wilson's sell-out in Britain", But the time for discussion was over and the executive's tokenist resolution was voted in, The existence of Canada's labour party holds great promise for the Canadian working people, And it can be said that the New Democratic party is approaching "the responsibilities of power". All the more reason then for the party to deal seriously with the issues facing the Canadian working people, In continuing its opportunist and liberal-reformist course expressed in the various policy resolutions and its abdication of the Vietnam War struggle, the N.D.P. leadership failed in this elementary responsibility.