Canada Party
Encyclopedia
The Canada Party was a short-lived political party in Canada
that nominated 56 candidates in the 1993 federal election
and one candidate in a 1996 by-election
. It was unable to win any seats. The party was populist
and ran on a platform of banking and monetary reform
. It also advocated direct democracy
, referendum
s and recall
.
One element of their direct democracy policy was the proposal that the prime minister
and cabinet members
be elected by the government party's caucus
in the House of Commons
. The party argued that this would remove the power that the prime minister currently has to command loyalty from caucus members in return for the rewards of more authority in the government, e.g., appointments to Cabinet or to parliamentary secretary positions.
Many of the party's supporters were members of the Committee on Monetary and Economic Reform
, and later joined the Canadian Action Party
. Some had been active in the Canadian social credit movement
which shared similar views on monetary reform.
The party was founded by Joseph Thauberger
who had been an unsuccessful Social Credit Party of Canada
candidate in the 1972 election
. Saskatchewan
and British Columbia
were the main sources of the party's membership. The first national meeting was held in Toronto a few weeks before the 1993 election. The party won 7,506 votes in that election.
During a televised forum of minor party leaders, Thauberger said to Neil Paterson
, the leader of the Natural Law Party of Canada
, "For the life of me, I can't imagine how you expect to meditate away the national debt!"
In 1994, Thauberger stepped down and was replaced by Claire Foss
at a meeting in Winnipeg. In the run-up to the 1997 election
, the party's board voted to support Paul Hellyer
's Canadian Action Party
because of that party's support for monetary reform. Foss ran as a CAP candidate in Okanagan—Shuswap
where he and gained the largest number of votes of any CAP candidate. Foss was also a CAP candidate in the 2004 election
but he fared poorly at the polls.
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...
that nominated 56 candidates in the 1993 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
and one candidate in a 1996 by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
. It was unable to win any seats. The party was populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
and ran on a platform of banking and monetary reform
Monetary reform
Monetary reform describes any movement or theory that proposes a different system of supplying money and financing the economy from the current system.Monetary reformers may advocate any of the following, among other proposals:...
. It also advocated direct democracy
Direct democracy
Direct democracy is a form of government in which people vote on policy initiatives directly, as opposed to a representative democracy in which people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives. Direct democracy is classically termed "pure democracy"...
, referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
s and recall
Recall election
A recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended...
.
One element of their direct democracy policy was the proposal that the prime minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
and cabinet members
Cabinet of Canada
The Cabinet of Canada is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada...
be elected by the government party's caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
in the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
. The party argued that this would remove the power that the prime minister currently has to command loyalty from caucus members in return for the rewards of more authority in the government, e.g., appointments to Cabinet or to parliamentary secretary positions.
Many of the party's supporters were members of the Committee on Monetary and Economic Reform
Committee on Monetary and Economic Reform
The Committee on Monetary and Economic Reform is an international publishing and education centre based in Toronto, Canada.Its mandate is to study the destabilization that its members believe current economic and monetary policies have caused, and are causing, for the citizens of Canada and other...
, and later joined 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...
. Some had been active in the Canadian social credit movement
Canadian social credit movement
The Canadian social credit movement was a Canadian political movement originally based on the Social Credit theory of Major C. H. Douglas. Its supporters were colloquially known as Socreds...
which shared similar views on monetary reform.
The party was founded by Joseph Thauberger
Joseph Thauberger
Joseph Thauberger was a Canadian farmer and politician. Born in Bessarabia, he emigrated to Canada from Russia with his parents, Andreas Thauberger and Maria Eva née Bähr, in 1911....
who had been an unsuccessful Social Credit Party of Canada
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...
candidate in the 1972 election
Canadian federal election, 1972
The Canadian federal election of 1972 was held on October 30, 1972 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 29th Parliament of Canada. It resulted in a slim victory for the governing Liberal Party, which won 109 seats, compared to 107 seats for the opposition Progressive...
. Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
and British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
were the main sources of the party's membership. The first national meeting was held in Toronto a few weeks before the 1993 election. The party won 7,506 votes in that election.
During a televised forum of minor party leaders, Thauberger said to Neil Paterson
Neil Paterson (politician)
Neil Paterson is a politician, former leader of the Natural Law Party of Canada, a senior official of the Transcendental Meditation movement, and majority owner of Global Gold Corporation.-Personal life:...
, the leader of the Natural Law Party of Canada
Natural Law Party of Canada
The Natural Law Party of Canada was the Canadian branch of the international Natural Law Party founded in 1992 by a group of educators, business leaders, and lawyers who practiced Transcendental Meditation....
, "For the life of me, I can't imagine how you expect to meditate away the national debt!"
In 1994, Thauberger stepped down and was replaced by Claire Foss
Claire Foss
Claire A. Foss is a retired businessperson from British Columbia, Canada, who ran for election to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1993, 1997, and 2004 elections. He was born in Tofield, Alberta....
at a meeting in Winnipeg. In the run-up to the 1997 election
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
, the party's board voted to support 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:...
's 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...
because of that party's support for monetary reform. Foss ran as a CAP candidate in Okanagan—Shuswap
Okanagan—Shuswap
Okanagan—Shuswap is a federal electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988.-Geography:...
where he and gained the largest number of votes of any CAP candidate. Foss was also a CAP candidate in the 2004 election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
but he fared poorly at the polls.
See also
- List of political parties in Canada
- Canada Party candidates, 1993 Canadian federal electionCanada Party candidates, 1993 Canadian federal electionThe short-lived Canada Party fielded a number of candidates in the 1993 Canadian federal election, none of whom were elected. Information about these candidates may be found here.-Brandon—Souris: George H...