Action Canada
Encyclopedia
The Action Canada movement was an attempt to establish a new political party
in Canada
in 1971.
Paul Hellyer
, who had been a senior cabinet minister in the Liberal
governments of prime ministers Lester B. Pearson
and Pierre Trudeau
had quit the Liberal Party after being defeated by Trudeau in the 1968 Liberal leadership election.
Hellyer sat as an independent Member of Parliament
, and began his attempt to form his own political party in early June 1971. The party was to advocate putting more money in circulation to reduce unemployment, and using wage and price controls to prevent inflation from occurring.
The party attracted some support from members of the Progressive Conservative Party
, Liberal Party
, and the Social Credit Party
. Some senior Social Credit Party officials attended and addressed Action Canada's conference held in Toronto in early October 1971, and Hellyer addressed the Social Credit national convention in Hull, Quebec, on October 9-10. Hellyer gave a 25-minute speech to the predominantly francophone convention, of which only two minutes were in English, explaining how wage and price controls combined with controls over monopoly industries would enable the government to ensure full employment
, eliminate inflation, and provide a guaranteed annual income. He received applause for his comments about it being Action Canada policy that French-speaking Quebecers should be able to work in their own language.He did not try to convince party members to join his movement.
Hellyer later accepted Progressive Conservative Party leader Robert Stanfield
's invitation to join the PC caucus.
In the early 1990s, after having failed win the PC leadership in 1976, and having returned to and left the Liberal Party again, Hellyer again formed a new party, the Canadian Action Party
. He resigned from the leadership of that party after the New Democratic Party
rejected his proposal to merge the two parties.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1971.
Paul Hellyer
Paul Hellyer
Paul Theodore Hellyer, PC is a Canadian engineer, politician, writer and commentator who has had a long and varied career. He is the longest serving current member of the Privy Council, just ahead of Prince Philip.-Early life:...
, who had been a senior cabinet minister in the Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
governments of prime ministers Lester B. Pearson
Lester B. Pearson
Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE was a Canadian professor, historian, civil servant, statesman, diplomat, and politician, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis...
and Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
had quit the Liberal Party after being defeated by Trudeau in the 1968 Liberal leadership election.
Hellyer sat as an independent Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, and began his attempt to form his own political party in early June 1971. The party was to advocate putting more money in circulation to reduce unemployment, and using wage and price controls to prevent inflation from occurring.
The party attracted some support from members of the Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
, Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
, and the Social Credit Party
Social Credit Party of Canada
The Social Credit Party of Canada was a conservative-populist political party in Canada that promoted social credit theories of monetary reform...
. Some senior Social Credit Party officials attended and addressed Action Canada's conference held in Toronto in early October 1971, and Hellyer addressed the Social Credit national convention in Hull, Quebec, on October 9-10. Hellyer gave a 25-minute speech to the predominantly francophone convention, of which only two minutes were in English, explaining how wage and price controls combined with controls over monopoly industries would enable the government to ensure full employment
Full employment
In macroeconomics, full employment is a condition of the national economy, where all or nearly all persons willing and able to work at the prevailing wages and working conditions are able to do so....
, eliminate inflation, and provide a guaranteed annual income. He received applause for his comments about it being Action Canada policy that French-speaking Quebecers should be able to work in their own language.He did not try to convince party members to join his movement.
Hellyer later accepted Progressive Conservative Party leader Robert Stanfield
Robert Stanfield
Robert Lorne Stanfield, PC, QC was the 17th Premier of Nova Scotia and leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. He is sometimes referred to as "the greatest prime minister Canada never had", and earned the nickname "Honest Bob"...
's invitation to join the PC caucus.
In the early 1990s, after having failed win the PC leadership in 1976, and having returned to and left the Liberal Party again, Hellyer again formed a new party, the Canadian Action Party
Canadian Action Party
The Canadian Action Party is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1997. It promotes Canadian nationalism, monetary and electoral reform, and opposes neoliberal globalization and free trade agreements.- Background :The Canadian Action Party was founded by Paul T...
. He resigned from the leadership of that party after the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
rejected his proposal to merge the two parties.