Media release: Communist Party Jobs Program

Communist Party Calls for Full Employment Strategy, Nationalized Industries

Public Investment and Shorter Work Week, Not Corporate Tax Cuts

Campaigning in Vancouver today, Communist Party leader Miguel Figueroa issued a strong call for a full employment strategy that would generate millions of jobs, preserve and rebuild Canada’s industrial economy, and improve working conditions for all.

“Despite daily reports from big business and their minions in government that the economic crisis is over, there is still no recovery for working people in Canada,” said Figueroa. “With nearly two million people who are still unemployed, and over a half million well paid manufacturing jobs that have been wiped out, it is a disgrace that the Harper government and its corporate backers have the audacity to tell workers to keep our heads down, give more concessions to the bosses, and wait for “better days.” It is time for a jobs strategy that puts people’s needs before corporate greed.”

Recent analysis from Statistics Canada demonstrates that corporate tax cuts do not lead to capital investment or job creation. “But, at a time when the economy is still mired in deep crisis, the real Tory agenda is to fill corporate coffers by further driving down wages, imposing longer hours and harsher working conditions, smashing unions, and privatizing Medicare and public assets.”

The Communist Party platform includes calls for:

* Full employment, through increased manufacturing jobs and a 32-hour work week with no loss in take-home pay.

* Raising the minimum wage to $16 per hour and increasing EI benefits to 90% of previous earnings.

* Doubling of the corporate tax rate, and elimination of taxes on incomes less than $35,000

* Nationalization of the banks and insurance companies, and the steel, auto and mining industries.

The complete Communist Party election platform is available at www.votecommunist.ca.

Miguel Figueroa is campaigning in Vancouver today, with local candidate Kimball Cariou (Vancouver Kingsway). On April 19 he will be in Burnaby and Surrey with George Gidora (Burnaby-Douglas) and Sam Hammond (Newton-North Delta). To arrange interviews contact the B.C. regional campaign office at 604-254-9836, Sam Hammond via cell phone at 778-918-8470, Kimball Cariou at 604-255-2041, or the central campaign office at 416-469-2446.

The Communist Party of Canada is the second oldest political party in Canada, with a long and proud history in the forefront of working class and progressive struggles for peace, jobs, democracy, sovereignty and social programs. In 2003, the CPC won a historic victory for democracy in Canada, by successfully challenging draconian changes to the Elections Act that required parties to field 50 candidates in elections or face deregistration and seizure of assets.

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