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Last week in Parliament, the Leader of the New Democratic Party, Ed Broadbent, used the second day of a two-day debate on foreign policy. to report some of his findings from a recent visit to Central America. His Party's motion, focused on how Canadaxould be helpful in the search for a negotiated settlement of the civil war in El Salvador. " It was my responsibility to give the response of thepmeiai Opposition to the NDP motion. It had become more obvious than ever after the first day of debate, that Canada really does not have a reeogniz- able 'foreign policy.' That is part of the reason for the confusion registered in many of the letters I have received. 3:55 6 - warenLoo cunomcu. “may“. JUNE 24. an Last week, our Canadian news-media again carried gruesome reports from Latin America. Twenty decapitated corpses had been discovered in El Sal- vador. This brutality bears the recognized 'mark' of one night's work by right-wing extremists, the report suggested. Not only Canadians are confused. Other countries doet't know what to expect from For the past six months, I have been pressing Canada's Foreign Minister in the House of Commons and in Committee. I believe Canada can act with other nations, as a peace maker. We're not sure we totally agree with his analysis of the particular policy on home ownership assistance put forward by party leader Stuart' Smith and the ramifications such a statement could have on party fortunes. That is a separate argument. But the point well made is that one shouldn't become obsessed with left and right-wing designations. Granted, various policies will inevitably lean to the left or right, but the person who espouses a variety of policies need not necessarily feel compelled to entrench himself in one camp or the other - obviously: And, even if the individual is inclined to lean generally to the left or right, it does not mean he can't continue, depending on the merits of each case, to include a mixture of both leanings in his thinking - even if one should predomin- ate. Liberal MPP Herb Epp (Waterloo-North) makes some good points about left and right-wing thinking in the frlrptrpage article of this week’s paper. Left and right wings have been generally viewed as a dichotomy, as twp opposing factions. 7 Perhabs it is only oi berpetuation of a myth to say that these two streams of thought can't work together. _ This is not so much a centrist philosophy, as one that begs for decisions based on common sense and applying criteria for action on each separate set of circumstances. With that sort of flexibility, the country's problems are best solved. WALTER McLEAN Left or right? published every Wednesday by Fairway Press. a divmon of Kitchener-Waterloo Record Ltd . owner 225 Fairway Rd S . Kitchener. Ont . oattress mum to Waterloo am 32 Km. St South Fatertoo 0m knew-ac “an: Mambo Cum ome- a mum Mz'U'knnol In: OW Spam bum mot-Io w-wloo We Pal-no on lung Saul on «I Wonder) Sou-u On." My In no» Oman! w5009m Publisher: Paul Winkle: Manager: Bill Kane: Editor: Phil Jilin-c subscriptions m u year m t math m a year m mud States and Fun.” Con-nines In presenting my party's position to Parliament, I pointed out that we do not share the Anti-american ‘sentiments voiced by some Members. We do, howew er, believe that "good fences make good neighbours." l pointed to the example of the Mexican government, which recently spelled out their various points of agree- ment with the US. administration. while rejecting the increasingly isolationist Poli- cy of the United States in Central Ameri- ca. Perhaps the most infamous remark of the present Government. came from the Secretary of State for External Affairs, who expressed his "quiet quiessence" in the face of increased US. military aid to the junta in El Salvador. Hon. Mark MacGuigan also said last week that the Trudeau Government supports the junta's election plans as "the right and certainly the democratic course." He then advised the elected representatives of Canadians Canada. Our former position of leadership in world peace making has been eroded in the eyes of the international community. The policy of the present Government consists of "knee-jerk reactions." We are a long way, indeed, from the days when Rt. Hon. Lester Pearson was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace, established 1854 The plight of El Salvador The terror and violence of each day means that human needs are not met. Only 3.6 percent of El Saivador's Gross National Product is spent on education. Arms expenditures dominate. The resulting illit- eracy rate is a staggering 35 percent. There are 603 persons per hospital bed. There are 3,685 people for every physician. How can the Canadian Government sup port 'elections' when oniy'sextremis"ts would be safe to stand for office? It would be worth your life to vote! If there are to be "democratic elections," is it to be a vote by corpses? The Progressive Conser- vative Party believes Canada should work for the ending of arms shipments by both Washington and Havana. All this unfeeling rhetoric misses the point that the civil war in El Salvador is a human tragedy. The human facts of life in El Salvador include 22,000 men, women and children murdered. In 18 months, almost half as many lives have been lost as were sacrificed by Canada in World War II. to practice the virtues of "modesty, patience and a sense of our own limita- tions," as a basis for our view of the struggle for independence in the Third World! Mr. MacGulsan has said of Central America that, "We have no traditional Canadian involvement in that sphere." Yet, we have years of business and Church involvement. Furthermore, I suggested that morally, in Canada, we do not treat animals with so little sensitivity! As Official Opposition Spokesperson in the Debate. I urged that the Government consider four courses of action with respect to El Salvador: 1. to re-consider joining the Organization of American States as an activ member. Negotiating a settlement thr§ogh that instrument may be a possibility. 2. to take a leadership role at the United Nations in suggesting international action. Can we ever understand the complex North-South dialogue (about which Mr. Trudeau speaks so often) if we arrogantly ignore the slaughter and social revolution in El Salvador? 3. to encourage a Canadian Parliamen- tary visit to Central America - an all-Party delegation from the European Parliament is on its way to El Salvador this week - so we can erase our Government's "igno- rance.” and join with the peace makers from Europe and Mexico. 4. to invite our closest friends, the Americans, to join with us. and others, in finding a non-military solution. .