Abolitionist Party of Canada - Definition and Overview

The Abolitionist Party was a Canadian political party founded by perennial candidate John C. Turmel on a platform of:

• monetary reform, including the abolition of interest rates,
• abolishing income tax,
• the use of Local employment trading system banking, and
• introducing a form of social credit with monthly dividends being paid out to each Canadian.

Unlike many Canadian social credit parties, the Abolitionists were not social conservatives, advocating, for instance, the legalization of marijuana and gambling.

Turmel attempted to run for the leadership of the national Social Credit party after the resignation of Fabien Roy in 1981, but the party chose to appoint Martin Hattersley instead. In 1982, Turmel founded the Christian Credit Party, which he disbanded in 1983.

Turmel founded the Abolitionist Party in 1993 with a similar program to that of the Christian Credit Party. The Abolitionist Party nominated 80 candidates in the 1993 federal election, who collected only 9,141 votes between them. The Abolitionist Party subsequently reverted to being a personal vehicle for Turmel. After 1996, Turmel appears to have stopped using the party name.

In 2003, Turmel attempted to organize a new party using the name of the defunct Libertarian Party of Canada, but was foiled by old members of the Libertarian Party who registered the name.

Party Program

According to Mr. Turmel: "Quebec Social Credit first argued for a national LETS currency. But Canada Social Credit didn't agree and threw me out and changed their policy from prohibition of interest rates to 6%. So I founded the Christian Credit thinking that credit could only be Christian and friendly if there was no interest. This is the way I explained then what are the Abolitionist Party programs of today:

THE CHRISTIAN CREDIT PROGRAMS:

1. The abolition of interest rates;
2. The establishment of a government dividend;
3. The establishment of no-premium fire and auto insurance."

External link

• Turmel's Abolitionist Party of Canada Programs (http://www.cyberclass.net/turmel/abprogs.htm)

See also

• List of political parties in Canada