Canadian League of Rights
Encyclopedia
The Canadian League of Rights (CLR) was the Canadian offshoot of Eric Butler
's League of Rights
. Following speaking tours of Canada in the mid 60s Eric Butler sought the establishment there of a local version of his organisation. The CLR was formed in 1968.
The CLR was run for most of its existence by Ron Gostick
and Patrick Walsh. Like its sister organisations the CLR adheres to social credit
and anti-semitism
. Academic Stanley Barrett, author of Is God a Racist? The Right Wing in Canada and various studies race and ethnicity in Canada, suggested that the CLR had 10,000 members at its peak. The CLR was described as "one of Canada's largest and best organized anti-Semitic groups" in the 1987 book A Trust Betrayed. A notable member was Jim Keegstra.
The CLR would link with various groups such as the Alliance for the Preservation of English in Canada
and run a book service selling holocaust denial
material. The third Crown Commonwealth League of Rights conference was held in 1983 in Canada. The CLR would support a tour of Canada by David Irving
in 1991.
Eric Butler
Eric Dudley Butler , Australian political activist and journalist, was the founder of the Australian League of Rights.Butler was born in the Victorian country town of Benalla, although he lived most of his life near Melbourne. In the 1930s he became a follower of the British economist C. H. Douglas...
's League of Rights
Australian League of Rights
The Australian League of Rights is a long-lived far right and anti-semitic political organisation in Australia founded by Eric Butler with its basis in the economic theory of Social Credit expounded by C. H. Douglas. It describes itself as upholding the virtues of freedom...
. Following speaking tours of Canada in the mid 60s Eric Butler sought the establishment there of a local version of his organisation. The CLR was formed in 1968.
The CLR was run for most of its existence by Ron Gostick
Ron Gostick
Ronald A. Gostick was a long-time figure on the Canadian far right and founder of the anti-Semitic Canadian League of Rights/ Gostick was involved in the Canadian social credit movement and later published far right and anti-Semitic material over the course of 50 years, including the Canadian...
and Patrick Walsh. Like its sister organisations the CLR adheres to social credit
Social Credit
Social Credit is an economic philosophy developed by C. H. Douglas , a British engineer, who wrote a book by that name in 1924. Social Credit is described by Douglas as "the policy of a philosophy"; he called his philosophy "practical Christianity"...
and anti-semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
. Academic Stanley Barrett, author of Is God a Racist? The Right Wing in Canada and various studies race and ethnicity in Canada, suggested that the CLR had 10,000 members at its peak. The CLR was described as "one of Canada's largest and best organized anti-Semitic groups" in the 1987 book A Trust Betrayed. A notable member was Jim Keegstra.
The CLR would link with various groups such as the Alliance for the Preservation of English in Canada
Alliance for the Preservation of English in Canada
The Alliance for the Preservation of English in Canada was a group in Canada, which campaigned against the Canadian government's policy of official bilingualism....
and run a book service selling holocaust denial
Holocaust denial
Holocaust denial is the act of denying the genocide of Jews in World War II, usually referred to as the Holocaust. The key claims of Holocaust denial are: the German Nazi government had no official policy or intention of exterminating Jews, Nazi authorities did not use extermination camps and gas...
material. The third Crown Commonwealth League of Rights conference was held in 1983 in Canada. The CLR would support a tour of Canada by David Irving
David Irving
David John Cawdell Irving is an English writer,best known for his denial of the Holocaust, who specialises in the military and political history of World War II, with a focus on Nazi Germany...
in 1991.
See also
- Australian League of RightsAustralian League of RightsThe Australian League of Rights is a long-lived far right and anti-semitic political organisation in Australia founded by Eric Butler with its basis in the economic theory of Social Credit expounded by C. H. Douglas. It describes itself as upholding the virtues of freedom...
- British League of RightsBritish League of RightsThe British League of Rights is an offshoot of the Australian League of Rights founded in 1971. It is "anti-semitic and white supremacist" political group. The British League opposed the entry of the UK into the European Economic Community....
- New Zealand League of RightsNew Zealand League of RightsThe New Zealand League of Rights was the New Zealand offshoot of Eric Butler's League of Rights.Following speaking tours of New Zealand in the late 60s Eric Butler sought the establishment there of a local version of his organisation. A New Zealand League of Rights was announced in 1970 but did not...