COMMUNIST PARTY-ALBERTA CONTESTS MARCH 3 ELECTION

(The following article is from the March 1-15, 2008 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St. Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3).

Two women Communist candidates are on the ballot for Alberta's March 3 election.

     In Edmonton Mill Creek, Naomi Rankin is on the ballot. A computer programmer who has lived in Edmonton for many years, Naomi has been a political activist in peace, women's and social justice groups since the age of 15.

     Bonnie Collins is the Communist candidate in Calgary East, where she has lived for nine years with her spouse and their four children. Bonnie is a telecommunications worker and is Vice President of her union local as well as an anti-racist activist.

     Alberta workers are under attack, warns the Communist campaign message, which goes on to say:

     "Alberta's economy is distorted by rapid and uncontrolled growth with record profits for financial speculators, oil profiteers and resource monopolies. We are told there's an abundance of jobs and a shortage of labour. We are told that our quality of life depends on the success of oil companies. We are told that Alberta is a land of plenty.

     "What is the situation for workers? Longer hours, worsening working conditions, larger debts, higher rents, under-funded health care, increasing tuition, over-crowded classrooms, not enough schools and lack of affordable childcare. Low paid workers working two, three and four jobs. Students who should be studying are working more hours to pay for education. Children are entering the workforce in greater numbers to help with family living costs. All this while big oil companies continue to post record profits!

     "And what is Premier Stelmach's response? More of the same `lease, dig and dump'.

     "Don't touch the brake," has been dressed up in a new suit - `sustainable growth' for the big engineering, construction and oil companies. While the most vulnerable workers labour without

union protection, oil executives and speculators sell our resources to the highest bidder. Instead of talking with workers, Stelmach is sent by Harper to Washington DC to assure Big Oil that their profits are safe with the Conservatives."

     The Communist campaign calls for alternative policies to replace the corporate agenda with a people's agenda, using the tremendous wealth created by Alberta workers for the workers' own needs.

     Policies in the Communist platform include:

* Reduce the cost of shelter. Fund CMHC insurance costs for first time home buyers; impose rent controls; build 25,000 provincially subsidized houses; halt condominium speculation; review all condominium fees; reduce utility costs.

* Provide quality healthcare. End health care premiums; end all user fees; fund dental care, prescriptions, eye care and home care; increase staffing, reduce wait times.

* Create free childcare programs. Fully funded childcare and before- and afterschool, care programs, a nurse in every school.

* Fund all public education. No parent fees for school trips, school supplies, sports, cultural programs or text books; more teachers and special needs professionals; reduced hours for teachers; more apprenticeship training; no post secondary school fees; free public transportation to and from schools; free lunch programs in all public schools.

* Repeal barriers to unionization.

* Raise minimum wage to $15 an hour.

* Implement a 32 hour work week with no loss in take home pay.

* Provide full rights for foreign workers to unite, not divide workers.

* Enforce strict environmental controls.

* Enact a major program of publicly funded research into alternate energy and non-polluting oil sands extraction, with public ownership of patents.

* Acquire public ownership in energy corporations.

* Increase energy royalties immediate to at least average world rates.

* Diversify sales of energy resources to domestic and foreign customers pledged to peaceful use.

* Use a portion of oil revenues to diversify the economy, end dependence on energy extraction.

* Research and development in post-carbon technologies.

* Labour rights are human rights!

* Pay equity legislation.

* Human rights protection on sexual orientation written (not read) into Code.

* First Nations community rights to self-government, environmental protection, and economic development.

* Proportional representation: make every vote count.

* Public funding of all parties.

     For more information on the Communist Party-Alberta campaign, visit the website http://www.communistparty-alberta.ca.

Found at: http://www.peoplesvoice.ca/articleprint13/06_COMMUNIST_PARTY-ALBERTA_CONTESTS_MARCH_3_ELECTION.html