Canada's new left
New Socialist Group Conference,
August 22-24, 1977 by Charlie Post*
The New Socialist Group (NSG) was founded in March 1996 by dissidents from the Canadian International Socialists (IS). They were frustrated with the insistence of the International Socialist
Tendency, led by the British Socialist
Workers Party, that the 1990s were a period of rising working class struggles-
"the 1930s in slow motion." They also rejected the vanguardist attempt to transform the Canadian IS into a "revolutionary party in miniature."
The NSG has been quite active in a number of important struggles including the Toronto "Metropolitan Days of Action"
(which included a single day of strikes and workplace actions and a march of over 200,000 against the Ontario government's social welfare cuts), the York University Faculty Association strike, the movement against the Asian Pacific Economic Co-operation pact in British
Columbia, and student occupations at the University of Guelph.
The NSG's conference combined an ambitious educational conference and a meeting of their highest decision-making body, the "Organising Committee" (OC)
Many of the panels and workshops were excellent. But they often left comrades with limited time and energy for the
Organising Committee sessions. These dealt with four major issues: the Conservative offensive in Ontario and the labour response, Quebec nationalism and the question of independence, Regroupment and the organisation of the NSG. The Tory offensive
The Conservative ("Tory") government in Ontario, Canada's most industrialised and unionised province has been unionised leading the capitalist re-offensive. In 1996, the Ontario labour movement met the first wave of social welfare cutbacks with the Toronto "Metropolitan Days of Action". This powerful fight-back movement was cut short when the leaders of the "pink paper" (private sector) unions, led by the Steelworkers, convinced the leaderships of the Canadian Autoworkers (CAW) and the public sector unions to postpone further actions in order to help re-elect the New Democratic Party (NDPCanada's social-democratic/labour party). As a result, the Sudbury "Days of Action" took place without official Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) support. And the "Days of Action" in Windsor and North Bay did not take place until September and October 1997, one year after 16 Intone 1o International Viewpoint #295 16 International Viewpoint 400E
New
Socialist the massive Toronto strikes and demonstrations.
In the wake of labour's demobilisation and retreat, the Harris government intensified its offensive with Bill 136, which would deprive public sector workers of the right to strike.
The teachers' unions (there are at least four have already taken action, and it is likely that other public sector unions may engage in solidarity actions with them against Bill 136.
The NSG made work in the anti-136 movement, which their magazine called
"Labour's Last Chance," the priority for its comrades in Ontario (approximately
75% of their membership). While they are aware that a tiny group of socialists will not be able to effect the outcome of these mass struggles, the NSG hopes to play some role in making links between different unions and social movements, and in helping pull together militants in different unions. Non-labour activists in the NSG also considered how to draw students and other movement (antipoverty, anti-racist) activists into support of the struggle against Bill 136. Québec
The issue of Quebec nationalism and independence was the second major issue discussed. The national subordination of Quebec has long been a source of division within the pan-Canadian workers' movement, binding English-speaking workers to their own ruling class in defence of "Canadian unity."
English Canada's revolutionary socialist left has traditionally taken two very different positions on Quebec. The Canadian IS defends Quebec's right to self-determination, up to and including the right to secede from Canada. However, they have opposed any practical moves toward Quebec independence as divisive of the working class. The Canadian Fourth Internationalists (Socialist Challenge/Gauche Socialiste) have argued that Quebec independence, the demand of not only the Quebec bourgeoisie but of the entire Quebec labour and social movements, is the only realistic road to pan-Canadian working class unity. They also have argued that
Quebec independence would constitute, in itself, a major economic and political blow to the Canadian bourgeoisie.
The NSG has reconsidered the traditional IS position on Quebec. As a result of internal discussions and regroupment talks with Socialist Challenge, the NSG has concluded that English Canadian chauvinism has so exacerbated divisions within the pan-Canadian working class that Quebec independence represents the only hope of overcoming these divisions. While not embracing the Socialist
Challenge/Gauche Socialiste claim that
Quebec independence, in itself, would weaken Canadian capital, the NSG and
Socialist Challenge now agree on support for practical moves toward Quebec independence.
Regroupment
The NSG's new position on Quebec cleared the last obstacle to regroupment with Socialist Challenge. Members in Toronto and Edmonton have already joined the NSG, while the rest of SC/GS continues the constitutional process that could lead to a complete regroupment by the end of the year. These moves have brought the NSG membership to 85, and increased its presence outside of Ontario with a branch of nearly a dozen in Edmonton, Alberta.
The creation of a Fourth Internationalist caucus is one of many similarities with the US group Solidarity. Both have a nonvanguardist, pluralist conception of building a revolutionary socialist organisation. Both have a realistic assessment of the class struggle in North America, and the capacities of a small group to intervene. They stress the importance of developing socialist activity in all arenas of struggle, and a desire to develop a Marxism capable of meeting the challenges of the 21st century. The close contacts and discussions between the two groups over the last 18 months are likely to continue. * *The author attended the conference as an observer from the US group Solidarity
The other