Following the Liberal government’s announced changes to Canada’s military actions in Iraq and Syria, the Communist Party of Canada is renewing its call for an immediate and complete end to participation in any military interventions in the region. We join with others in urging a renewal of anti-war actions across Canada, including protests planned on March 19 in a number of cities.
International relations and global solidarity
Over forty CP’s support BDS against Israel
At the recent 17th International Meeting of Communist & Workers’ Parties held in Istanbul, the Communist Party of Canada delegation prepared a special resolution (below) to garner international support for the campaign for boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel. Four other parties were approached to co-sponsor the resolution (CPs of Britain, Ireland, Lebanon and South Africa), and all agreed to do so. To date, 43 parties have endorsed the resolution. This initiative reflects our party’s commitment to increasing international pressure on the Zionist state, and our solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Common Action Against Imperialism and Fascism
Press release of the Communist Party, Turkey on the 17th International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties in Istanbul, October 30-November 1, 2015
The 17th International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties has been successfully held in Istanbul on the topic “The tasks of Communist and Workers’ Parties to strengthen the struggle of the working class against capitalist exploitation, imperialist wars and fascism, for workers’ and peoples’ emancipation, for socialism”. The meeting was attended by 104 delegates, representing 58 communist and workers’ parties from 48 countries. Six parties could not attend the meeting but sent their greetings and written contributions.
Arctic iniative for peace and an ecologically sustainable future
The Communist Parties of the Nordic countries, the Russian Federation, Canada and the USA have adopted an “Arctic Initiative” resolution against militarization and exploitation of the northern environment. The parties were present in Istanbul for the 17th meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties. The joint statement, titled the “Arctic Initiative for Peace and an Ecologically Sustainable Future” reads:
We the Communists in the high North share a common need to strengthen the struggle of the working class against capitalist exploitation, imperialist wars and fascism, for workers’ and peoples’ emancipation, for socialism.
A strong rejection of the pro-austerity and pro-war agenda
Contribution to the 17th International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties by Communist Party of Canada leader Miguel Figueroa
First of all, we join with others in expressing our solidarity to our host party, the Communist Party, Turkey.
At such a critical moment in this region, with dark clouds of war swirling everywhere, with imperialist intrigues fomenting national and religious conflict in order to extend its hegemony, and with a humanitarian and refugee crisis of epic proportions, the principled, internationalist role of your party and other Communist and Workers’ parties across the Middle East are more crucial than ever.
The Greek people have our whole-hearted solidarity
The 3rd Memorandum debt refinancing pact signed between the Troika (European Commission, the IMF and the European Central Bank) and the Syriza-led government in Greece will have disastrous effects on the Greek working class and working people. It constitutes a monumental betrayal by the Syriza (social democratic) party of its previous promises to stand up to the European bankers and to end and reverse austerity imposed by previous bourgeois governments. The various attempts by Syriza (or its supporters abroad) to justify or excuse this sell-out agreement – or to deflect responsibility away from the Tsipras government in Athens – fail to alter that basic reality.
As the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) correctly noted in its recent statement, the government is essence is burdening the people with a new loan worth 86 billion € and savage measures that accompany it, such as the further reduction of the people’s income, the new heavy taxes, the maintenance of the new property tax, the significant increase of VAT on items of mass popular consumption, the reduction of pensions, the implementation of a new and worse social-security regime, the gradual abolition of supplementary assistance for poor pensioners, and the wholesale privatization of public assets.
De tout cœur, solidaires avec le peuple grec
L’entente signée de refinancement de la dette du 3ième mémorandum entre la Troïka (Commission européenne, le FMI et la Banque centrale européenne) et le gouvernement dirigé par Syriza en Grèce aura des effets désastreux pour la classe ouvrière et le peuple travailleur grec. Elle constitue une trahison monumentale des promesses du parti social-démocrate Syriza de tenir tête aux banquiers européens et d’en terminer avec l’austérité imposée par les précédents gouvernements bourgeois. Les diverses tentatives de Syriza (ou de ses partisanes et partisans à l’étranger) pour excuser ou justifier cette trahison, ou bien voiler la responsabilité du gouvernement Tsipras à Athènes – ne parviennent aucunement à altérer cette réalité fondamentale.
Comme le Parti communiste de Grèce (KKE) l’a correctement relevé dans sa récente déclaration, le gouvernement accable essentiellement la population avec un nouveau prêt d’une valeur de 86 milliards d’euros et les mesures sauvages qui l’accompagnent, telles que la poursuite de la réduction du revenu de la population, de lourds impôts, le maintien d’une nouvelle taxe sur la propriété, une importante augmentation de la TVA sur les articles de consommation des masses populaires et la taxe de solidarité, la réduction des pensions, la mise en œuvre d’un nouveau régime de sécurité sociale encore diminué, la suppression graduelle des pensions complémentaires pour les retraités pauvres et la privatisation systématique de biens publics.
June Central Committee Report
Main Political Report
to the Central Committee, CPC
June 13, 2015
Download the full CC report as PDF
[The following was presented by cde. Miguel Figueroa on behalf of the Central Executive. The Central Committee adopted the Report unanimously, and directed the CEC to finalize the Report in line with the discussion.]
There are a great number of matters before us this weekend, given the long interval since our last full plenum in September. We did convene a special CC teleconference meeting back in February to deal with federal election preparations in the event of an early writ.
This report will focus on two main questions: first, the socio-economic and political situation in Canada, the fightback against austerity and reaction, and the immediate priority of working to help defeat the Harper Conservatives in the coming election; and (2) the ideological, political and organizational work of our own Party, especially with respect to party building and extending our reach and influence in the broader labour and democratic movements.
This report aims to assess the most important developments in our country, and in our party itself, to deepen our ideological and political analysis in leading the work of our party. These valuable discussions should continue and deepen when we gather again in August for the Central School of the CC, and following the Federal election, when we discuss and adopt the draft documents for the 38th Central Convention.
Before proceeding to the heart of our deliberations however, we must first situate Canadian political reality in the broader global context.
No New Cold War!
Peace and solidarity, not militarism and war
As the global economic crisis continues and deepens, Western imperialist governments have escalated a comprehensive rhetorical campaign to create a new Cold War scenario in the world. The Communist Party of Canada condemns these efforts, which undermine international security and attempt to justify increasing imperialist aggression, provocation, militarism and war.