Christian Freedom Party of Canada
Encyclopedia
The Christian Freedom Party of Canada, also known as the Christian Freedom/Social Credit Party of Canada was an unregistered Canadian
political party that was active from 1988 to 1996. It grew out of the Social Credit Party of Canada
, and for most of its existence it was officially registered under the Social Credit name.
defeated Holocaust denier Jim Keegstra to become leader of Canada's moribund Social Credit Party. Although Lainson ran on a right-wing platform, he was not associated with Keegstra's ideology.
After becoming Social Credit leader, Lainson rebranded the party as the Christian Freedom Party of Canada. According to its official literature, the party was centred around three principles: "God
is creator of the universe," "the Bible is the Word of God," and "Jesus Christ is Lord." It also described the human individual as "the most important of all God's creations," and opposed any system of government that was considered to favour the rights of the state over the rights of the individual.
When evangelist
Ken Campbell
became leader of the Social Credit Party in 1990, he continued to describe it as the Christian Freedom Party in public addresses. For tax purposes, it was still called the Social Credit Party on official party documents.
because of its populist leanings. (Campbell had done the same thing in the 1991 Toronto mayoral election
, when he entered the campaign to encourage voters to support June Rowlands
.) He clarified that his support for Reform was intended as a temporary alliance, and that he would withdraw his support if and when the party abandoned its original goals.
As leader of the Christian Freedom Party, Campbell supported traditional social credit
economic theory and called for a cap on borrowing charges applied by banks. He also promoted an anti-abortion message.
approved changes to the Canada Elections Act
requiring that political parties field at least fifty candidates in general elections to be registered with Elections Canada
. Existing parties unable to meet this requirement were to be deregistered and have their assets liquidated. Campbell strongly opposed this legislation and, somewhat improbably, supported the Communist Party of Canada
in its bid for an injunction until after the next election. In a letter to Communist leader Miguel Figueroa
, he wrote, "While we are obviously poles apart philosophically...we support your democratic right to exercise that freedom of speech and of association." The injunction was not granted, however, and the provisions of the legislation remained in place.
Campbell tried to field fifty Christian Freedom candidates in the 1993 federal election
, which would have permitted him to officially launch the party under its new name. The party was only able to field around ten candidates, however, and it was deregistered by Elections Canada
in October 1993. As a result, its candidates appeared on the ballot as non-affiliated.
Campbell ran in Oakville—Milton
while anti-abortion protester Linda Gibbons ran for the party in Rosedale
. Both identified as Christian Freedom candidates and Campbell also identified as a Social Credit candidate. Douglas Stelpstra and Jim Brink had registered as Social Credit candidates in Brant
and Hamilton East
before the party was deregistered; Brink described himself as an independent during the campaign and does not seem to have used the Christian Freedom name. It is not clear who the other candidates were. A registered organization called the Canada Party
fielded several candidates on a social credit platform in 1993, but it was not aligned with Campbell's group.
Campbell later ran in a 1996 by-election in Hamilton East, still identifying as the Christian Freedom Party leader although he appeared on the ballot as an independent. The party was not involved in electoral activities after this time. Campbell retained ownership of the Social Credit Party name until his death, but he did not use it for electoral purposes after 1993.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
political party that was active from 1988 to 1996. It grew out of the Social Credit Party of Canada
Social Credit Party of Canada
The Social Credit Party of Canada was a conservative-populist political party in Canada that promoted social credit theories of monetary reform...
, and for most of its existence it was officially registered under the Social Credit name.
Origins
In 1986, the Rev. Harvey LainsonHarvey Lainson
Harvey George Lainson was a Christian evangelical minister based in the Cambridge, Ontario region and was leader of the Social Credit Party of Canada from 1986 to 1990 during which time he led a successful effort to expel an anti-Semitic faction from the party led by Jim Keegstra.Lainson was a...
defeated Holocaust denier Jim Keegstra to become leader of Canada's moribund Social Credit Party. Although Lainson ran on a right-wing platform, he was not associated with Keegstra's ideology.
After becoming Social Credit leader, Lainson rebranded the party as the Christian Freedom Party of Canada. According to its official literature, the party was centred around three principles: "God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
is creator of the universe," "the Bible is the Word of God," and "Jesus Christ is Lord." It also described the human individual as "the most important of all God's creations," and opposed any system of government that was considered to favour the rights of the state over the rights of the individual.
When evangelist
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Ken Campbell
Ken Campbell (evangelist)
Kenneth Livingstone Campbell was a Canadian fundamentalist Baptist evangelist and political figure. He was the final leader of the Social Credit Party of Canada from 1990 to 1993....
became leader of the Social Credit Party in 1990, he continued to describe it as the Christian Freedom Party in public addresses. For tax purposes, it was still called the Social Credit Party on official party documents.
Political activities in the 1990s
Campbell announced in 1992 that he would run as a Christian Freedom candidate in the next federal election, but that he had no intention of winning and simply wanted a platform to express his religious convictions. He added that he would encourage voters to support the Reform PartyReform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
because of its populist leanings. (Campbell had done the same thing in the 1991 Toronto mayoral election
Toronto municipal election, 1991
The 1991 Toronto municipal election was held on November 12, 1991 to elect councillors in Metropolitan Toronto, Canada, and mayors, councillors and school trustees in Toronto, York, East York, North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke....
, when he entered the campaign to encourage voters to support June Rowlands
June Rowlands
June Rowlands was the 60th mayor of Toronto, Ontario, and the first woman to hold that office. She had previously been a long time city councillor, unsuccessful federal candidate, and chair of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Commission....
.) He clarified that his support for Reform was intended as a temporary alliance, and that he would withdraw his support if and when the party abandoned its original goals.
As leader of the Christian Freedom Party, Campbell supported traditional 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"...
economic theory and called for a cap on borrowing charges applied by banks. He also promoted an anti-abortion message.
Electoral history
In May 1993, the Government of CanadaGovernment of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
approved changes to the Canada Elections Act
Canada Elections Act
Canada Elections Act is an Act of the Parliament of Canada respecting the election of members of parliament to the Canadian House of Commons, repealing other Acts relating to elections and making consequential amendments to other Acts....
requiring that political parties field at least fifty candidates in general elections to be registered with Elections Canada
Elections Canada
Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. Its ongoing responsibility is to ensure that Canadians can exercise their choices in federal elections and referenda through an open and impartial process...
. Existing parties unable to meet this requirement were to be deregistered and have their assets liquidated. Campbell strongly opposed this legislation and, somewhat improbably, supported the Communist Party of Canada
Communist Party of Canada
The Communist Party of Canada is a communist political party in Canada. Although is it currently a minor or small political party without representation in the Federal Parliament or in provincial legislatures, historically the Party has elected representatives in Federal Parliament, Ontario...
in its bid for an injunction until after the next election. In a letter to Communist leader Miguel Figueroa
Miguel Figueroa
Miguel Figueroa has been the leader of the Communist Party of Canada since 1992.- Early political career :Figueroa was born in Montreal, and has been a member of the CPC since 1977. He has held many positions within the CPC, including party organizer in Vancouver from 1978 to 1985, and leader of...
, he wrote, "While we are obviously poles apart philosophically...we support your democratic right to exercise that freedom of speech and of association." The injunction was not granted, however, and the provisions of the legislation remained in place.
Campbell tried to field fifty Christian Freedom candidates in the 1993 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
, which would have permitted him to officially launch the party under its new name. The party was only able to field around ten candidates, however, and it was deregistered by Elections Canada
Elections Canada
Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. Its ongoing responsibility is to ensure that Canadians can exercise their choices in federal elections and referenda through an open and impartial process...
in October 1993. As a result, its candidates appeared on the ballot as non-affiliated.
Campbell ran in Oakville—Milton
Oakville—Milton
Oakville—Milton was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 1997. It was located in the province of Ontario...
while anti-abortion protester Linda Gibbons ran for the party in Rosedale
Toronto Centre
Toronto Centre is a federal electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1872 to 1925, and since 1935, under the names Centre Toronto , Toronto Centre , Rosedale and Toronto Centre—Rosedale .Toronto Centre covers the heart of...
. Both identified as Christian Freedom candidates and Campbell also identified as a Social Credit candidate. Douglas Stelpstra and Jim Brink had registered as Social Credit candidates in Brant
Brant (electoral district)
Brant is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1949 and since 1968.The federal riding was created in 1903. It consisted of Brant County excluding Brantford....
and Hamilton East
Hamilton East
Hamilton East was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada. It was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 2004. It consisted of the eastern part of the city of Hamilton, Ontario. It is considered a working class district.-History:...
before the party was deregistered; Brink described himself as an independent during the campaign and does not seem to have used the Christian Freedom name. It is not clear who the other candidates were. A registered organization called the Canada Party
Canada Party
The Canada Party was a short-lived political party in Canada that nominated 56 candidates in the 1993 federal election and one candidate in a 1996 by-election. It was unable to win any seats. The party was populist and ran on a platform of banking and monetary reform...
fielded several candidates on a social credit platform in 1993, but it was not aligned with Campbell's group.
Campbell later ran in a 1996 by-election in Hamilton East, still identifying as the Christian Freedom Party leader although he appeared on the ballot as an independent. The party was not involved in electoral activities after this time. Campbell retained ownership of the Social Credit Party name until his death, but he did not use it for electoral purposes after 1993.