Maoism in the Developed World

The Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) ran candidates in 101 constituencies in the 1974 federal election, receiving a total of 16,281 votes, or 0.17 percent of the total. Peter Regenstreif wrote that “Compared with the CPC, they were especially visible in the province of Quebec, where they were nominated in 38 of the 74 constituencies while the CPC was nominated in only 14.”[110]

When the Albanians broke with the Chinese, the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) sided with the Albanians. Although it continued to publish People’s Canada Daily News, the material in that publication by 1978 came mainly from broadcasts of Radio Tirana, instead of from the New China News Agency.[111]

In 1980 the membership of the CPC (M-L) was estimated as being somewhere between 500 and 2,000. Its national headquarters was still in Montreal, but “It also has a headquarters in Toronto and maintains contact points in 23 other Canadian cities.” In May 1979 it held a “consultative conference” in Toronto, attended by 1,500 people, including a delegation from the Albanian Party of Labor.

The party also participated in the 1979 federal election, using the name Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada, to differentiate it clearly from the pro-Soviet Communist Party of Canada, putting up 139 candidates compared with 69 for the pro-Soviet Party. Its nominees got 1,386 votes, more than the pro-Soviet party, although no CPC (M-L) candidate got more than 200 votes. “Its election campaign was conducted under the slogan ‘Make the Rich Pay!’ and its program, more militant than that of the CPC, included the abolition of Parliament and the establishment of a centralist workers’ and small farmers’ government. It would also grant self-determination to Quebec and ‘expropriate monopoly capital and imperialist property without any compensation.’”[112]

In 1980, the CPC (M-L) also fielded candidates in the federal election. They received 14,717 votes for the 30 nominees. It was noted by Alan Whitehorn that this was “the most of any Marxist-Leninist party and a slight increase over its previous showing,” and amounted to 0.13 percent of the total vote.[113]

The party condemned “U.S. imperialism” and both Soviet and Chinese “social imperialism.” In August 1979, Bain led a delegation of the CPC (M-L) that visited Albania.[114] He again visited Albania, this time for three months, in the summer of 1980. On the other hand, an Albanian delegation attended a rally in 1980 celebrating the tenth anniversary of the founding of the CPC (M-L).[115]

The Workers Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist) Of Canada

As the CPC (M-L) joined the Albanian camp, those Maoists who still remained loyal to the Chinese party and government formed their own organization. In August 1977 the New China News Agency announced that the Central Committee (CC) of the Canadian Communist League (Marxist-Leninist) had sent a message to the CC of the Chinese party, “expressing warm congratulations on the historic decisions taken during its third plenary session.” The agency also noted that the periodical of the League, Forge, had commented, “This plenary session of the Central Committee, the first to be held since Chairman Mao’s death holds great historic importance for the party and the Chinese people. It is with great joy that we hail these historic resolutions of the Central Committee of the CCP by welcoming these resolutions. With tremendous enthusiasm the Chinese people showed that the party and its wise leader Hua Kuo-feng have the confidence and steadfast support of the masses.”[116]

At a congress held in Quebec in September 1979, the Canadian Communist League was transformed into the Workers Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist) of Canada. That congress elected a new Central Committee, which chose Roger Rashi as Chairman of the organization and Ian Anderson, Vice Chairman.

David Davies noted that “The WCP has contact points in thirteen cities across Canada, and distributes publications through Norman Bethune bookstores in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. It is currently conducting a fund-raising campaign and claims to have attained more than three quarters of its stated goal of Canadian $100,000. Its domestic orientation emphasizes combining a working class movement with oppressed nationalities in Canada, and it is active in recruiting native Black and French-speaking Canadians”.

Davies also noted that “The WCP upholds the three worlds theory, condemns Soviet influence in Vietnam, and strongly supports the beleaguered Pol Pot forces in Kampuchea as an obstacle to Soviet imperialism in Southeast Asia. At the end of December 1978, Roger Rashi led a delegation … to Phhnom Penh.”[117] In late 1979, a delegation of the party also visited China.