NDP proposes to nationalize…

Found in the NDP draft policy document (section 5):

WHEREAS Canada’s primary resource industries such as forestry, mining, and fishing are vital to economic development and job creation, especially in smaller communities; and
WHEREAS many of these industries continue to be controlled by small groupings of powerful shareholders who seek profits and power over and above the interests of citizens, workers and the environment; and
WHEREAS these industries, under private ownership, threaten smaller communities with de-investment and capital flight,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that a NDP government socialize all major primary resource industries in Canada over a period of several years through the payment of low-interest, long-term bonds; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a NDP government place all new public enterprises under democratic control by their workers, instituting direct election of plant managers and enterprise directors, with the right of recall by their electors, and have significant and meaningful participation in decision-making by consumers, environmental groups and local communities;

OAKVILLE NDP

Not only does the NDP association of the tony bedroom community of Oakville propose nationalizing our primary resource industry, the Trinity-Spadina and Durham NDP propose nationalizing… almost everything else:

WHEREAS large corporations and financial institutions are undemocratic and hierarchical, seeking profits and power over and above the interests of citizens and the environment; and
WHEREAS social ownership is a necessary precondition for democratic control of the economy, full employment and an equitable distribution of income and power; and
WHEREAS workers’ control would contribute greatly to economic justice, greater efficiencies, and most importantly, improve the quality of life of working people and our allies,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the NDP is committed to actively campaign for and implement social ownership, including but not limited to the following industries: banking, communications, energy, health care, insurance, manufacturing, mass media, medical drugs, natural resources, transportation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that these industries be democratically controlled and managed by their workers, by instituting direct election of plant managers and enterprise directors, with the right of recall by their electors, and integrate significant and meaningful consumer participation in the decision-making process.

TRINITY-SPADINA NDP
DURHAM NDP

The Durham NDP also proposes nationalizing the phone and cable companies!

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that a NDP government place the telecommunications industry (including phone and cable companies) under social ownership through the payment to the former owners of low-interest, long-term bonds over a period of several years; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the new publicly owned industries be democratically controlled by their workers, instituting direct election of managers and enterprise directors, with the right of recall by their electors, and have significant and meaningful consumer and community participation in the decision-making process.

The NDP on democratic reform

Just don’t call them “republican”:

WHEREAS Queen Elizabeth II was not born nor has ever lived in Canada; and
WHEREAS in fact, the actual democratically elected Chief of state, Canadian citizen and residing in Canada, is the Prime Minister of Canada; and
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the NDP conduct an active campaign so that Canada becomes a Republic; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NDP conduct an active campaign to redefine the role of the Executive within the Canadian Constitution.

QUEBEC SECTION

And their names were Jack and Olivia:

WHEREAS the small proportion of women in the House of Commons reflects the inequality of women in society and political parties have to date been unable to provide a means or mechanism to resolve the gross inequality of representation; and
WHEREAS gender balance achieved by having an equal number of men and women would provide greater democracy and lead to policies and laws which would remove barriers to
equality of men and women in society;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the New Democratic Party of Canada supports the principle of representation by two members per constituency, one woman and one man.

MISSISSAUGA-ERINDALE NDP

Related: The NDP draft policy resolutions

UPDATE: CP picks up the story. From the Montreal Gazette:

OTTAWA — Quebec members of the NDP hope to win the hearts of francophones by proposing that Canada become a republic and by adopting a conciliatory tone with sovereigntists.
They are two resolutions that will be put forward at the 22nd biennial New Democratic convention, which begins Friday in Quebec City.

The party hasn’t yet released the motions that will be debated at the national convention, but conservative blogger Stephen Taylor obtained and released them Tuesday on his website.

The motion that risks being most controversial would see the NDP lead an active campaign to remove Queen Elizabeth as head of state.

Read the rest here

Get your NDP draft policies here!

I received both a telephone call and an email from two Quebec-based journalists who followed my reporting of the NDP draft policy document on foreign policy. Both journalists independently told me that the NDP is keeping the rest of their draft policy under wraps until the weekend.

Unfortunately for the Dippers, I’ve got what the NDP is so eager to keep secret and away from media scrutiny; I’ve got the other sections of the NDP draft policy document.

Here are the rest of the policy documents that I have. If you write about them in an newspaper article, reference them in a television report, or discuss them in a blog post, I ask that you cite this blog as the source.

NDP Resolutions part 2
NDP Resolutions part 3
NDP Resolutions part 4
NDP Resolutions part 5
NDP Resolutions part 6
NDP Resolutions part 7