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September-October 2017

Meet Canada’s strangest independent parties

They're on the fringe

Maverick Canterville@mavjaycee

THE ANIMAL PROTECTION PARTY The primary goals of the Animal Protection Party are pretty much what it says on the tin: Their platform calls for the ethical treatment of animals, with ongoing campaigns to ban shark finning in Canadian waters and prevent cosmetic testing on animals. They stand apart from the Green Party because, according […] More »
March-April 2010

How the Communist Party changed Canadian elections forever

Eric Rail

“Working people did not cause this crisis … and we won’t pay for it!” These words were printed in bright red letters on a flyer recently published by the Communist Party of Canada as part of its effort to raise public awareness about the root causes of the global economic crisis. The flyer sat atop […] More »
March-April 2009

Baffled at the Ballot Box

Bruce M. Hicks

In 1864, Thomas Hare argued at the Association Internationale pour le Progrès des Sciences Sociales meeting in Amsterdam that proportional representation — in which parliamentary seats are awarded based on political parties’ share of the popular vote — was a much fairer system than the “single member plurality” system being used in his home country […] More »
September-October 2004

“Progressive Canadian Party” piggybacks on the PC Party’s name

Julia Williams

Despite Stephen Harper’s best intentions, the PC Party is far from dead—it’s alive and coveting the right-wing vote. In fact, in this past election, 16 candidates across the country battled Harper’s new Conservatives for Tory support under the PC Party banner. It was just like old times—sort of. Turns out, this PC is not like […] More »
September-October 2004

Updated elections fundraising rules are still full of loopholes

Aaron Freeman

OTTAWA REPORT More »
September-October 2004

Minority report: Comparing Lester B. Pearson and Jean Chrétien

Jenn HardyWebsite

Long before June’s federal election results were in, the outcome seemed inevitable: despite Paul Martin’s best attempts at dragging his heels in calling an election to try and garner more support among voters, he would convene Canada’s first minority government in 25 years. Clearly, it was not what Martin had hoped for. But for the […] More »
September-October 2004

Layton’s last hurrah

Annette Bourdeau

The charismatic NDP leader fell far short of an unqualified electoral triumph. But as kingmaker to the minority Liberals, Jack Layton wields enormous power. And that could be the party’s salvation— or his personal downfall More »