First Published: North American News, No. 2, January 16, 1972
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
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The First National Consultative Conference of the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) which opened in Toronto on January 1st with a great spirit of unity, concluded its final session in Montreal on January 8th with victory for the proletarian revolutionary line. This is a historic event in the development of the Marxist-Leninist movement in Canada and Quebec and will have profound influence in the course of revolutionary struggle in the months and years to come.
Comrade David Orton presided over the concluding session of the Conference and Comrade Vachon, Chairman of the Communist Party of Quebec (Marxist-Leninist) opened the concluding session. He was very enthusiastically received by the delegates and observers. Then he called upon Comrade Bains, the National Secretary of the Coomunist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist), to present the report. Comrade Bains presented the fighting tasks of the Party and called upon all comrades to MOBILISE THE MAIN FORCE OF REVOLUTION – THE FRENCH SPEAKING WORKING AND OPPRESSED QUEBECOIS PEOPLE. He explained that the precondition for the mobilisation of the national minority workers and the close unity with the entire Canadian working class and people IS THE MOBILISATION OF THE FRENCH SPEAKING WORKING AND OPPRESSED QUEBEC PEOPLE. His report was very warmly received and he was given a thunderous applause and a standing ovation.
Comrades discussed the report presented by the National Secretary in the light of all the discussions which have been taking place since September 4, 1971 (an internal mass democracy meeting was held on Sept, 4 to deal with the disruptors and liquidators), and particularly since November 14 (the third anniversary of Les Intellectuels et Ouvriers Patriotes du Quebec) and January 1, 1972 (the opening of the Conference). All the comrades agreed with the report. An atmosphere of close unity between the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) and the Communist Party of Quebec (Marxist Leninist) prevailed. The two Parties fully agreed that in order to win liberation for both the Canadian and Quebec people we must mobilise the Canadian working and oppressed people in both areas and that the close unity of the two Parties is a sure guarantee that the big bourgeoisie will never be able to split the Canadian and Quebec working class and people on the basis of language or any other national chauvinist and working class chauvinist issue.
Comrade Daniel Waterlot was elected Chairman of the Quebec Revolutionary Youth (JRQ) and three new members were added to the Central Committee. Comrade Bains, the National Secretary of the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist), was also elected as National Secretary of the Communist Party of Quebec (Marxist-Leninist).
Comrade Bains concluded the Conference by giving a lengthy speech on methods of work. His speech was very warmly received. He closed the Conference by emphasizing that the success or failure of the Conference will depend on how we 1. Consolidate the centralised leadership of the Party, and 2. Build the mass movement. He explained that in the Central Committee before the Twenty-First Convention of the Party, a form of holding Central Committee meetings was developed: all the Central Committee members were called upon to change the situation in practice, and it was agreed that this is the only way to find out who is eager to put theory into practice and who is opposed to it. Today, all delegates and observers are called upon to put the basic decisions of the Conference into practice and, more particularly, they should firmly keep in mind that this conclusion of the Conference is only its beginning amongst the masses and that it is there that the correctness or incorrectness of the decisions will be tested. He explained this point in great detail and the Conference concluded in great victory for the proletarian revolutionary line.