Pirate Party of Canada
Encyclopedia
The Pirate Party of Canada , abbreviated as the PPCA, is a federal political party
in Canada
. The PPCA is modelled after the Swedish Pirate Party and advocates copyright
reform, privacy
, network neutrality
and open government
.
by a handful of supporters. The party established its own web forums and began a membership campaign with the aim of gaining the 250 members necessary for registration, gaining 1,000 members by October 2009.
On September 27, 2009, the party launched a public/private BitTorrent tracker, exclusive to Creative Commons
music, with the aim of promoting its position on works being released online In October 2009 the party selected university student Jake Daynes as its interim leader and established an interim council. On September 1, 2010, the first official Federal Council was elected, led by web developer Mikkel Paulson.
According to Elections Canada, the Pirate Party became eligible to field candidates on April 12, 2010 and was registered on November 6, 2010. As of November 2010 the party claims to have over 2,000 members.
The first federal election contested by the party was the November 2010 by-election in Winnipeg North
. On March 12, 2011, the Pirate Party became an official member of Pirate Parties International.
, broadcast online every Thursday with host James O'Brien, and is the official radio show of the Pirate Party of Canada, United States Pirate Party and endorsed by the Pirate Party UK
.
Source: Pirate Party of Canada
Source: Pirate Party of Canada
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Canada
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...
. The PPCA is modelled after the Swedish Pirate Party and advocates copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
reform, privacy
Privacy
Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves and thereby reveal themselves selectively...
, network neutrality
Network neutrality
Network neutrality is a principle that advocates no restrictions by Internet service providers or governments on consumers' access to networks that participate in the Internet...
and open government
Open government
Open government is the governing doctrine which holds that citizens have the right to access the documents and proceedings of the government to allow for effective public oversight. In its broadest construction it opposes reason of state and racist considerations, which have tended to legitimize...
.
Founding and development
The PPCA was founded in June 2009 on the online boards of the Pirate Parties InternationalPirate Parties International
Pirate Parties International is the political international of the Pirate Party movement. It was formally founded in 2010 at the PPI conference in Brussels, Belgium.-Aims:The PPI statutes give its purposes as:...
by a handful of supporters. The party established its own web forums and began a membership campaign with the aim of gaining the 250 members necessary for registration, gaining 1,000 members by October 2009.
On September 27, 2009, the party launched a public/private BitTorrent tracker, exclusive to Creative Commons
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
music, with the aim of promoting its position on works being released online In October 2009 the party selected university student Jake Daynes as its interim leader and established an interim council. On September 1, 2010, the first official Federal Council was elected, led by web developer Mikkel Paulson.
According to Elections Canada, the Pirate Party became eligible to field candidates on April 12, 2010 and was registered on November 6, 2010. As of November 2010 the party claims to have over 2,000 members.
The first federal election contested by the party was the November 2010 by-election in Winnipeg North
Winnipeg North
For information on the historical provincial constituency, see Winnipeg North .Winnipeg North is a federal electoral district that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1917...
. On March 12, 2011, the Pirate Party became an official member of Pirate Parties International.
Political positions
Like the Swedish Pirate Party, the PPCA platform is focused on copyright reform, privacy, net neutrality and open government. The party also calls for net neutrality in Canada. Like their Pirate counterparts worldwide, the PPCA is bloc-neutral on other issues, though there has been agreement on individual candidates having control over their issues and positions (that are outside the party's realm) in their own ridings.Pirate Party Radio
Pirate Party Radio is a weekly audio show, produced by RantMediaRantMedia
RantMedia is an independent media organization and serves as the host company for various audio/video projects by James O'Brien, known as Cimmerian, and Sean Kennedy, including RantRadio...
, broadcast online every Thursday with host James O'Brien, and is the official radio show of the Pirate Party of Canada, United States Pirate Party and endorsed by the Pirate Party UK
Pirate Party UK
Pirate Party UK is a political party in the United Kingdom. The Pirate Party's core policies are to bring about reform to Copyright and Patent laws, support privacy and reduce surveillance from government and businesses, and guarantee genuine freedom of speech for everyone.The Pirate Party UK...
.
Leaders
| Name | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Mikkel Paulson Mikkel Paulson Mikkel Paulson is a web developer and politician from Canada. He is the leader of the Pirate Party of Canada, a minor federal party.-Political career:... |
September 2010 | incumbent |
| Jake Daynes (interim) | October 2009 | August 2010 |
Other party positions
The party is governed by a Federal Council, consisting of the leader and four Directors-at-Large, and a General Assembly composed of all members. While the Federal Council can act independently in most matters, the General Assembly has veto power over the Council's decisions. In addition to these posts, there is also an official chair and clerk for Pirate Party meetings, ensuring that the General Assembly can operate on an arms-length basis from the Federal Council and providing internal transparency and accountability. The party conducts staggered elections to the Council every 2 years to provide stability and continued experience in the development of PPCA goals and objectives.Federal Council
| Name | From | To | Portfolio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mikkel Paulson Mikkel Paulson Mikkel Paulson is a web developer and politician from Canada. He is the leader of the Pirate Party of Canada, a minor federal party.-Political career:... |
September 2010 | 2014 (incumbent) | Leader |
| Mike Bleskie | September 2010 | 2014 (incumbent) | International and Interpartisan Relations (February 2011–present) Public Relations (September 2010–February 2011) |
| Stephane Bakhos | October 2009 | 2014 (incumbent) | IT Admin |
| Shawn Gray | February 2011 | 2012 (incumbent) | Volunteer Coordinator |
| Shawn Vulliez | February 2011 | 2012 (incumbent) | Public Relations |
| Daniel LaSalle | October 2009 | February 2011 | Local Relations (September 2010–February 2011) Public Relations (October 2009–August 2010) |
| Jake Daynes | October 2009 | December 2010 | Spokesman (September–December 2010) Interim Leader (October 2009–August 2010) |
Source: Pirate Party of Canada
Clerks and Chairs
| Name | From | To | Portfolio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sean Hunt | October 2010 | incumbent | Federal Chair |
| Scott Elcomb | February 2011 | incumbent | Federal Clerk |
| Shawn Gray | October 2010 | February 2011 | Federal Clerk |
Source: Pirate Party of Canada
2010 by-elections
| Riding | Province | Candidate | Votes | % | Placement | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winnipeg North Winnipeg North For information on the historical provincial constituency, see Winnipeg North .Winnipeg North is a federal electoral district that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1917... |
Manitoba Manitoba Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other... |
Jeff Coleman | 94 | 0.60% | 5/7 | November 29, 2010 |
2011 general election
| Riding | Province | Candidate | Votes | % | Placement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton Centre Edmonton Centre Edmonton Centre is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1979, and since 2004... |
Alberta Alberta Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces... |
Mikkel Paulson Mikkel Paulson Mikkel Paulson is a web developer and politician from Canada. He is the leader of the Pirate Party of Canada, a minor federal party.-Political career:... |
289 | 0.59% | 5/6 |
| Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.-Geography:... |
Alberta Alberta Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces... |
Brent Schaffrick | 374 | 0.82% | 5/6 |
| Langley Langley (electoral district) Langley is a federal electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004... |
British Columbia British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858... |
Craig Nobbs | 353 | 0.64% | 5/5 |
| Nanaimo—Alberni Nanaimo—Alberni Nanaimo—Alberni is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 1988... |
British Columbia British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858... |
Jesse Schroeder | 363 | 0.55% | 5/7 |
| Prince George—Peace River Prince George—Peace River Prince George—Peace River is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968.-Geography:... |
British Columbia British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858... |
Jeremy Coté | 415 | 1.08% | 5/5 |
| Vancouver Centre Vancouver Centre Vancouver Centre is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1917.-Geography:... |
British Columbia British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858... |
Travis McCrea | 192 | 0.33% | 7/8 |
| Provencher Provencher (electoral district) Provencher is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1871. It is largely a rural district, the largest community being the city of Steinbach, Manitoba.-Demographics:-History:... |
Manitoba Manitoba Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other... |
Ric Lim | 215 | 0.55% | 6/6 |
| Kitchener—Waterloo | Ontario Ontario Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.... |
Steven Bradley Scott | 245 | 0.37% | 5/7 |
| Ottawa South Ottawa South Ottawa South is a federal electoral district in Ottawa in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is represented in the Canadian House of Commons by David McGuinty, brother of Ontario Premier and Ottawa South MPP Dalton McGuinty. The riding was created in 1987 from parts of Ottawa—Vanier, Ottawa... |
Ontario Ontario Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.... |
Mike Bleskie | 382 | 0.65% | 6/6 |
| Laval—Les Îles Laval—Les Îles Laval—Les Îles is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.Its population in 2001 was 100,137... |
Quebec Quebec Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level.... |
Stéphane Bakhos | 369 | 0.68% | 6/7 |