Canadian Action Party

Leader: Melissa Brade (interim)

http://www.canadianactionparty.ca

Want to know more about the Party? Check out our Fact Sheet here.

We have assembled the content for this political party platform summary from the sources listed at the bottom of the page. If you notice any incorrect information or have any questions, please get in touch with us using our contact us form - we welcome all feedback!

Accountability	The Canadian Action Party (CAP) would like more transparent, accessible and accountable leaders and policies.
Armed Forces/Military	Believes the military should be well funded. Is opposed to the war in Afghanistan. Wants to see an end to Canada’s “culture of war mentality that is driving the greed and lust for power, control and dominance of people all over the world.”
Arts/Culture	Believes the arts is "the soul of a nation." Believes the CBC has a great importance in Canadian culture.
Agriculture/Fisheries	The party says NAFTA prevents Canadians from using their whole agricultural potential. Believes opting out of NAFTA would allow the government to support farmers and produce more grain. Believes in sustainable agriculture. Believes that the fishing industry needs big changes and that fishermen should be directly involved in finding a solution.
Childcare	No official position.
Democratic Reform	The party would like to see a democracy that is more accessible to the general public. Wants more opportunities for Canadians to be involved in decisions about social policy.
Economy	Criticizes the monetarism system (“a system which holds that the money supply is the main determinant of economic activity”) adopted by most developed countries in the 1970s. Believes monetarism has focused politics on private corporate interests at the expense of public democratic participation. Thinks Canada should fund public social projects with the Bank of Canada.
Environment	Promotes taking measures to take care of the environment and create long-term sustainability. Supports the Kyoto Accord. Would provide more funding to alternate forms of energy and make them more available to the public to decrease dependence on one system.
Gun Registry	Opposes the gun registry because it does not see it as an efficient method to prevent gun crimes. Believes gun violence has risen since the development of the gun registry, and that Canada needs to find a new solution.
Healthcare	Believes in preserving universal healthcare and is strongly against privatization of the system. Proposes reforms that would promote preventive medicine, such as having natural and holistic practices covered by Medicare.
International Policy	Believes Free Trade (NAFTA) should be replaced with “fair trade.” Believes Free Trade is only in the interests of corporations and not in the interest of Canadian citizens.
Immigration	No official position.
Marijuana	No official position.
Post Secondary Education	Believes in universal access to the public educational system. The party would transfer additional funds to the provinces specifically for education, as well as provide direct low interest loans to students.
Same-Sex Rights	No official position.
Seniors/Low Income	Argues that seniors are not well taken care of and that the pension system should be reformed. Believes that everyone should be employed, and that there should be a strategy in place to make it easier for those who want jobs to get them.
Taxation	Thinks tax cuts should take social responsibility into account. Want to revise corporate taxes Believes that those doing business in Canada should pay their fair share of taxes. Claims the GST can be eliminated after tabling three budgets, according to their plans.

Source: www.canadianactionparty.ca
History

One of Canada’s younger political parties, the Canadian Action Party (CAP) was formed in 1997. As much of its membership came from the Committee on Monetary and Economic Reform (COMER), it was founded by a man with similar views about Canada’s monetary policy, the Hon. Paul Hellyer. Hellyer was a career politician in the House of Commons as both a Liberal and a Progressive Conservative. His dissatisfaction with what he saw as each party “selling out” to the United States led him to seek an alternative, and thus the CAP was formed. The party has since run candidates in every federal election, with as many as 70 candidates running in total (2000 Election). The party has yet to win a seat in Parliament.

Political Alignment Policy Priorities Notable People from the Past

Paul Hellyer, first party leader and founder, originally served with the Liberals under Lester Pearson as Deputy Leader and later in Trudeau’s Cabinet. After a stint as a PC caucus member, he briefly left politics, only to return as CAP leader in 1997.

Connie Fogal is an activist-lawyer who assumed leadership in 2004, and despite voicing her intention to step down in 2008, she has agreed to stay on as interim leader until someone has been chosen to replace her.

Fun_Facts

The Canada Party, an even smaller party that ran in the 1993 election on a platform of monetary reform very similar to CAP, and running candidates from COMER as well, later merged itself into the Canadian Action Party.

Paul Hellyer ran for the Liberal leadership in 1968 against Trudeau, and for the PC leadership in 1976 against Joe Clark. He lost both contests, but went on to become a party leader anyway.

Sources:
http://www.canadianactionparty.ca/mission.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Action_Party
http://www.politicalparty.ca/
http://www.mapleleafweb.com/features/2008-canadian-political-party-profiles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Party
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Hellyer

NGOs

NGO - three letters you might have seen tossed around that seem to be doing something, but what? NGO stands for Non-Governmental Organisation, which means a non-profit group or association that acts outside of institutionalised political structures.

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