Comrades,
At the end of this Second Conference of Canadian Marxist-Leninists, I would particularly like to draw your attention to two questions. The first concerns today’s conference and the considerable step forward that it represents. The second is to remind you of the importance of the conferences to come of the same nature, in the development of the Canadian communist movement. In spite of the errors and weaknesses, both important ones and less important ones, which have been pointed out in the previous speeches, including: the lack of time for the speeches, the difficulties of some groups to clearly expose their points of view with sufficient tune in the workshops or in the plenaries, the occasional difficulties with translation, the absence of texts in both languages, or else in one of them, and, perhaps, errors in the functioning of the workshops – in spite of these weaknesses, in spite of these errors, (which can be overcome in any event and we must remember that they are in part inevitable in such a big conference) we must consider that today’s conference represents an enormous step forward in the development of the Canadian Marxist-Leninist movement.
Just beforehand, a comrade pointed out that the simple fact, that we had the occasion to listen to the viewpoints of the positions of groups from English Canada, some of which are very little known in Quebec at the present time, is already a positive aspect of the conference. Given the nature of our country, given the still important and sometimes catastrophic division between the working class of English Canada and the working class of Quebec, I think that events of this type are of such a nature as to put us on to a positive path towards the creation of a single communist Party in Canada. The fact that the Canadian communist movement, in conferences such as this, takes the pulse of its existence and of its importance, is a first positive aspect. Also, the fact that the important contradictions which we find in this movement are being revealed with increasing clearness and precision, is also a positive phenomenon. In fact, one thing which is always true for all times in a communist movement or in the party, is that the progress of the proletarian revolution is based on the victory of Marxism-Leninism in that movement or that party, given the case. At the present time, the Canadian Marxist-Leninist movement is still significantly marked by errors which find their source in revisionist currents. So, the success of the revolution, that is to say, the success of the liberation of the Canadian working class and people, and of the oppressed nations and national minorities – the success of this liberation demands the victory of Marxism-Leninism within the revolutionary movement, the victory over revisionism. We could say that we are still at the initial stage of the intensification of this struggle. But the fact that we have engaged it, that it is today being waged over such fundamental questions as the path of the revolution....I think that if we compare today’s situation with that of a year ago or two or three years ago, I think we can say without any difficulty that we can recognize that there is major progress.
In my opinion, today’s conference confirms the existence of a Canadian Marxist-Leninist movement, within which we can find many tendencies which, let’s be clear, are in certain ways, irreconciliable. It is by struggle over these differences and only by struggle, that the emergence and triumph of a Marxist-Leninist line, a Marxist-Leninist program will result.
In this respect, we can never too vigourously criticize the League’s actions, in not only having abstained from debate, but in having invited the movement to boycott it. The line struggle here today – it seems to me that it’s the conviction of everyone or at least of the majority – has been led openly. The line struggle has been frank. But let’s not pat ourselves on the back. We were here to discover the path of the revolution – the correct path of the revolution. The fact that this was done without the presence of the League, or at least in the absence of its interventions....If the League persists in withdrawing itself from debates in the movement, I consider that the League is leading in the wrong direction and that it’s taking: a dangerous path.
This conference was the second. There will be a third, a fourth and maybe a fifth. In the communique which we distributed at the beginning of this conference, we put forward a new proposal, that after the conference in July on the international questions and the tasks which they impose on Canadian communists, that there be conferences on the Marxist-Leninist program. As some people said previously, we consider that the demarcation within the movement, the more precise and firm identification of the errors which exist, will come from an analysis of the program, that is to say, the concrete analysis of the lone term strategy of the revolution in our country end the particular tactics on the major questions. It is here that the demarcation will finally take place. That is why In Struggle! advances the idea of a conference on the question of program. All groups in the movement and all forces engaged in the struggle to build a communist party are invited to make their viewpoints, on this subject, known.
If today we have advanced in our understanding of the contradictions which exist on the path of the revolution, the struggle is not finished. Particular questions were addressed to certain groups and we await their answers. As for us, we plan to work on answering as correctly as possible, all the important questions and all the objections which were addressed to us. Also, we plan to continue vigourously demarcating from all positions which we consider to be erroneous. And we call on all Canadian Marxist-Leninists to firmly engage in this line struggle. On this subject, I would particularly like to indicate to the groups which did not take firm and precise positions on the path of the revolution and who, or at least one among them, asked that groups such as Red Star Collective, In Struggle! and Bolshevik Union develop the polemics, that I think that the responsibility for polemics belongs to all groups and to all Marxist-Leninists in Canada. No group existing today which plans to continue to exist should put this responsibility on to others and sit back and observe the line struggle as a combat between other groups. The very plan of the conferences of Canadian Marxist-Leninists is based on the fact that everyone in the movement should engage in this debate. And in so far as we have positions on particular questions, it is the duty of everyone to struggle for their recognition, as long as they have the conviction that they are correct.
In finishing, I would like to thank all those who participated in the conference, all those who intervened to explain their ideas, all those who wanted to intervene and couldn’t – and they were fairly numerous, I want to particularly thank those who worked directly on the organization of the conference – on all aspects of its organization and to also thank the groups who accepted to cooperate closely with In Struggle! on various aspects of the organization of the conference. We will continue to ask all the groups to participate in the conferences – the degree of their participation will be measured in the concrete conditions.
In conclusion: Long live the Canadian Marxist-Leninist movement! Long live the struggle to build the proletarian party!