Attack ads, floor crossing, and political posturing. The world of politics is a tangled web of half-truths and old grudges, barely understood even by those who claim to be a part of it. Yet the men and women who roam the halls of our prestigious government building are those who decide the fate of our country and our tax dollars.
Last semester, we looked at Alberta’s provincial politics and what each political party offered to students.
What are these political parties and who leads them? Of course we are all familiar with the major parties that seem to always hit the national news but what about the other parties vying for your hearts, votes and tax dollars? Well buckle up, because there are 17 registered federal political parties, including:
- The Animal Alliance Environmental Voters Party of Canada, led by Liz White
- The Bloc Quebecois, led by Mario Beaulieu
- The Canadian Action Party, led by Jeremy Arney
- The Christian Heritage Party of Canada, led by Rodney Taylor
- The Communist Party of Canada, led by Miguel Figueroa
- The Conservative Party of Canada led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper
- The Green Party of Canada, led by Elizabeth May
- The Liberal Party of Canada, led by Justin Trudeau
- The Libertarian Party of Canada, led by Timothy Moen
- The Marijuana Party led by Blair Longley
- The Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada, led by Anna Di Carlo
- The New Democratic Party led by The Hon. Thomas Mulcair
- The Party for Accountability, Competency and Transparency, led by Michael Nicula
- The Pirate Party of Canada, led by James Wilson
- The Progressive Canadian Party, led by Sinclair Stevens
- The Rhinoceros Party, led by François Gourd
- The United Party of Canada, led by Robert Kesic
We also have three federal political parties eligible to be registered, including:
- The Democratic Advancement Party of Canada, led by Stephen Garvey
- Forces et Démocratie, led by Jean-François Fortin
- The Seniors Party of Canada, led by Daniel Patton
This is an excruciatingly long list, however, each party strives to represent the interest of Canadians in our government. Over the course of the term, we will
take a look at each of these political parties, what they are offering to Canadians and post-secondary students, and give students a little more information so you
can get involved in the political process.
By NICOLAS BROWN
Issues Editor
@bruchev
