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TheParty for the Commonwealth of Canada was apolitical party that supported theideology of the far-right U.S. politicianLyndon LaRouche.[1] The party ran candidates in the1984,1988 and1993 elections.
The party originated as theNorth American Labour Party, an unregistered political party that nominated candidates in the 1970s and ran them as independents in several federal, provincial, and municipal elections. It was the Canadian counterpart of theU.S. Labor Party and affiliated with theLarouche movement'sInternational Caucus of Labor Committees.
In the 1988 election, party leaderGilles Gervais led a slate of 58 candidates campaigning against the monarchy, hemispheric free trade, dollarization of Latin American economies, and financial oligarchy.
The party never won any seats. It was also known as theParty for the Commonwealth-Republic, and as theCommittee for the Republic of Canada.
The North American Labour Party nominated candidates in two provincial elections inBritish Columbia. In the 11 December1975 election, the party's four candidates collected 141 votes, less than 0.01% of the popular vote. In the 26 April1979 elections, its four candidates collected 297 votes, 0.02% of the popular vote.[citation needed]
The NALP also ran candidates in the1975 and1977 provincial elections in the province ofOntario. The party was not registered in 1977, and its six candidates appeared on the ballot as independents. NALP candidates also ran inToronto andMontreal municipal elections of 1978.[citation needed]
In an interview with theToronto Star, published on June 6, 1977, party spokesman Joe Brewda argued that, while his party was rooted in socialism, it also draws ideas from other political viewpoints. He is quoted as saying, "our program is based on economic growth and represents the vital interests of conservative industrialists, workers and some scientific layers". He also argued in support of a gold-backed monetary system, and alleged that his party would have received 15% of the vote in the previous election had it not been for massivevoter fraud.[citation needed]
An article fromThe Globe and Mail of January 2, 1980 listsRichard Sanders as the main Toronto organizer of the NALP, and accuses the party ofantisemitism. Sanders is cited in this article as alleging massive voter fraud against his party.[citation needed]
During the 1978 mayoral contest, Sanders was quoted as making the following statements: "The trouble with Toronto, is its porno press, theSun,Star andGlobe and Mail! I'm the one to stop banks running drugs into Canada from theCayman Islands.Smith,O'Donohue andSewell are puffballs!" (Globe and Mail, 1 November 1978)[citation needed]
| Year | Type of election | # of candidates | # of votes | % of popular vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | General | 65 | 7,061 | 0.06% |
| 1988 | General | 58 | 7,467 | 0.06% |
| 1993 | General | 59 | 7,502 | 0.05% |
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