Canada: New Party of the Left

Canada’s Tories and Liberals, busy belaboring one another, last week had to make way for a new, third party. It is a far-left political party that promises to give both of them trouble. In Ottawa’s steamy Coliseum, the big. 1,150,000-member Canadian Labor Congress and the small, farm-based socialist CCF party joined forces under the banner of the New Democratic Party. For leader the convention chose Saskatchewan’s fiery CCF Premier T. C. (“Tommy”) Douglas, 56, for 17 years boss of Canada’s only socialist provincial government.

Party Leader Douglas lost no time drawing a bead on the free-enterprising government of Tory Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. The issue in the next election, cried Douglas “is either a planned economy with full employment and a high standard of living, or an unplanned economy based on the philosophy of every man for himself—as the elephant said as he was dancing among the chickens.”

That kind of vivid fighting talk was just what the 2,000 delegates expected from the CCF’s Douglas. Launched in 1933 with the object of “eradicating capitalism” in favor of sweeping “socialist planning,” the CCF has never been a decisive factor in national politics. But now, by joining big labor and moderating its tone, the CCF sees a chance to make itself felt against both Diefenbaker’s Tories and the old-line Liberals led by Lester Pearson. Sang the delegates:

Mike Pearson and Diefy

Are in for a fa’

For the cocky wee Douglas

Is the pride o’ them a’.

To carry the battle to the voters, the New Democrats talked no more about liquidating capitalism. The new campaign cry is “planning”—from the cradle to the grave. They promise a national health plan with free medical care for all, a welfare plan to improve old-age pensions, family allowances and workmen’s compensation, a tax reform plan to “redistribute the nation’s income on a fairer basis.” Over all would stand a new Ministry of Planning to help all the other planners with their plans. In foreign affairs, the party casts a sour eye at NATO. The New Democrats are flatly opposed to nuclear arms for Canadian and even for NATO forces.

With such a program, the New Democrats boldly set their caps to replace the old-line Liberals as the alternative to Diefenbaker’s conservative Tories. Be cause he too expects that the New Democrats will undercut the Liberals’ vote. Diefenbaker, who only a few weeks ago hinted at a fall election, may now delay it until next spring to give the new party time to get its campaign going.