| Canadian Action Party (CAP)/Parti action canadienne (PAC) | |
|---|---|
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| Active Federal Party | |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Leader | Connie Fogal |
| President | Bev Collins |
| Headquarters | 385 - 916 West Broadway Vancouver, BC V5Z 1K7 |
| Political ideology | Populism, Progressivism |
| International alignment | None |
| Colours | Sky Blue |
| Website | http://www.canadianactionparty.ca/ |
The Canadian Action Party (CAP) (French: Parti action canadienne (PAC)) is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1997. It promotes Canadian nationalism, monetary reform, and electoral reform and opposes globalization and free trade agreements. The Canadian Action Party was founded by the Honourable Paul T. Hellyer, a former Liberal deputy prime minister and minister of defence in the cabinet of Lester Pearson. Hellyer ran unsuccessfully for the leadership of the Liberal Party in 1968, and for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party in 1976. It nominated candidates for the first time in the 1997 federal election. After the 1997 election, it absorbed the Canada Party, another minor party concerned about monetary reform which had been formed by former members of the Social Credit Party of Canada. Former Canada Party leader Claire Foss served as vice president of CAP until November 2003. Hellyer resigned as CAP leader in 2003 after the New Democratic Party failed to agree to a merger proposal, under which the NDP would change its name. In 2004, Connie Fogal, an activist lawyer, was acclaimed party leader after David Orchard failed to respond to an invitation to take over the leadership. A number of CAP members also belong to the Committee on Monetary and Economic Reform (COMER) and have been influential in developing CAP's monetary policy, particularly its position that the Bank of Canada, rather than chartered banks, should provide loans to the government, if required, to fund public spending. CAP also argues for the abrogation of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and opposes current government initiatives leading to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), and what it sees as integration with the United States and Mexico into a North American Union. At its 2006 convention, CAP passed a motion calling for a Royal Commission to investigate the September 11, 2001 attacks and Canada's participation in Afghanistan. CAP believes that the truth of what really happened on September 11, 2001 has not been told, however, Canadians have been subject to anti-terrorism laws and security agreements, such as Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), that have compromised Canadian sovereignty and civil rights. It also calls for a moratorium on anti-terrorist legislation.
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Stance on the War on Terrorism
Members of the CAP have recently questioned whether the United States government had prior knowledge of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The commentary section of its website references Dick Cheney's Project for the New American Century document Rebuilding America's Defenses[1] Section V entitled "Creating Tomorrow's Dominant Force" - "Further, the process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event––like a new Pearl Harbor". Critics within the CAP fear that the War on Terrorism has erroded and will continue to erode civil liberties in addition to creating wars of aggression[2]. This view is consistent with 63% of the respondents who participated in a Toronto Star poll of May 26, 2004 by stating that they are convinced US leaders had "prior knowledge" of the attacks yet declined to act[3].
Party leaders
- Paul Hellyer, 1997 - 2004
- Connie Fogal, 2004 - present
Party presidents
- Claire Foss, ? - 2003
- Connie Fogal, 2003 - 2004
- Catherine Whelan Costen, November 2005 - January 2007
- Bev Collins, February 2007 - present
Election results
| Election | # of candidates | # of votes | % of popular vote | % of popular vote in ridings contested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 election | 58 | 17,502 | 0.13% | 0.67% |
| 2000 election | 70 | 27,101 | 0.21% | 0.85% |
| 2004 election | 45 | 8,930 | 0.06% | 0.41% |
| 2006 election | 36 | 6,102 | 0.04% | 0.35% |
| By-Election | candidate | # of votes | % of popular vote | place | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Moody-Coquitlam | Will Arlow | 156 | 0.54% | 6/8 | Lou Sekora (Liberal) | |
| York West | Stephen Burega | 242 | 1.78% | 5/6 | Judy Sgro (Liberal) | |
| Okanagan-Coquihalla | Jack William Peach | 1,159 | 4.19% | 4/8 | Stockwell Day (Alliance) | |
| London North Centre | Will Arlow | 29 | 0.13% | 7/7 | Glen Pearson (Liberal) | |
| Repentigny | Mahmood Raza Baig | 91 | 0.29% | 6/7 | Raymond Gravel (Bloc) |
See also
- Canadian Action Party candidates, 2006 Canadian federal election
- Canadian Action Party candidates, 2004 Canadian federal election
- Canadian Action Party candidates, 2000 Canadian federal election
- Canadian Action Party candidates, 1997 Canadian federal election
- List of political parties in Canada
References
External links
- Canadian Action Party, English website
- Parti action canadienne, French website
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| Represented in the House of Commons | Conservative - Liberal - Bloc Québécois - New Democratic |
| Other parties recognized by Elections Canada | Green - Christian Heritage - Progressive Canadian - Marxist-Leninist - Marijuana - Canadian Action - Communist - Libertarian - First Peoples - Western Block - Animal Alliance-Environment Voters - Neorhino.ca - People's Political Power - Work Less - Newfoundland and Labrador First |
| Notable historic parties | Anti-Confederate - Alliance - Bloc populaire - Canadian Alliance - Conservative (historical) - Co-operative Commonwealth - Labour - Labour-Progressive - New Democracy - Progressive Conservative - Progressive - Ralliement créditiste - Reform - Rhino - Social Credit - Unionist - United Farmers |
| - List of political parties - Politics of Canada | |
