Work Less Party

Last updated
Work Less Party
Former party
Leader Jessica Mason-Paull (at time of dissolution)
FoundedOctober 1, 2007 (2007-10-01)
DissolvedJuly 31, 2010 (2010-07-31)
Headquarters1545 10th Avenue East
Vancouver, British Columbia
Ideology Shortening of the working week
Labour rights
Decentralization
Environmentalism
Colours Red
Website
www.worklessparty.org

The Work Less Party (WLP) was a Canadian federal political party that became eligible for registration with Elections Canada on October 1, 2007.

Contents

The federal Work Less Party was voluntarily de-registered on July 31, 2010, after applying for and being granted an extension to the June 30, 2010 deadline for filing a 2009 financial return to Elections Canada. The federal Work Less Party is no longer able to issue tax receipts for political contributions. [1]

The party had a provincial branch in British Columbia, the Work Less Party of British Columbia, and a wing that operates on the municipal level in Vancouver.

History

The WLP was formed as a provincial and municipal party in British Columbia by Conrad Schmidt in 2003. In October 2004 Schmidt gave up his day job to be able to give more attention to the party. [2] A federal wing was created in 2007. The party gained registered status with Elections Canada. In May 2009, Jessica Mason-Paull became its leader, swapping roles with Schmidt, who then became the Chief Auditor.

The party nominated only a single candidate for the 2008 Canadian federal election. Betty Krawczyk ran unsuccessfully in the riding of Vancouver East, receiving 1.02% of the votes (423 votes).[ citation needed ] At a national level, this was 0.0013 percent of votes cast.

The party was de-registered at the federal level on July 31, 2010.[ citation needed ]

Platform

The platform of the Work Less Party was based primarily around the rights of workers. The party advocated for the shortening of the work week to 32 hours from 40, [3] reduction of Canada's carbon footprint, a minimum wage increase, decentralized government, and promotion of cultural activities. Economic ideas underpinning the WLP's policy were discussed in Conrad Schmidt's 2006 book Workers of the World Relax. [4]

Related Research Articles

The Green Party of British Columbia, or simply the BC Greens, is a provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1983 and is based in Victoria. The party won its first seat in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2013 provincial election.

The Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) is a municipal political party in the Canadian city of Vancouver, British Columbia. It has traditionally been associated with tenants, environmentalists, and the labour movement. COPE is generally guided by democratic socialist principles following the split of its social democratic wing in 2014 to form OneCity Vancouver, and has a long history of advocating for issues such as improving public transit and investing in affordable housing. It last held a majority government on city council from 2002 to 2005. COPE describes itself as being committed to renter protections, ending homelessness, taxing the rich to build social housing, safe supply, free transit, Indigenous reconciliation, climate action, and other social and environmental reforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Columbia Social Credit Party</span> Political party in British Columbia, Canada

The British Columbia Social Credit Party, whose members are known as Socreds, was the governing provincial political party of British Columbia, Canada, for all but three years between the 1952 provincial election and the 1991 election. For four decades, the party dominated the British Columbian political scene, with the only break occurring between the 1972 and 1975 elections when the British Columbia New Democratic Party governed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Non-Partisan Association</span> Municipal political party in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

The Non-Partisan Association (NPA) is a municipal political party in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was established by the city's business leaders in 1937 to challenge the democratic socialist Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in that year's municipal election. The party has historically been described as centre-right and drawn its strongest support from Vancouver's business community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Parker (politician)</span>

Stuart Parker is a Canadian politician who was the acting leader of the BC Ecosocialists party in 2020 and was the leader of the Green Party in British Columbia, Canada, from 1993 to 2000. In 2009, during the Ontario by-election to replace MPP Michael Bryant, he unsuccessfully sought the Ontario New Democratic Party nomination for the St. Paul's provincial riding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenny Kwan</span> Canadian politician

Jenny Wai Ching Kwan is a Canadian politician who is the member of Parliament (MP) for Vancouver East. A member of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Kwan was elected to the House of Commons in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adriane Carr</span> Canadian politician

Adriane Carr is a Canadian academic, activist and green politician. She has served on Vancouver City Council since its 2011 municipal election. She was a founding member of the Green Party of British Columbia and was the party's first leader, then known as "spokesperson", from 1983 to 1985. In 2000, she became the party's leader again. In the 2005 provincial election, she received over 25 percent of the vote in her home riding of Powell River-Sunshine Coast. In September 2006, she was appointed by federal Green Party leader Elizabeth May, to be one of her two deputy leaders.

The Work Less Party was a political party in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The party was founded in 2003 by Conrad Schmidt and de-registered in May 2017. The primary aim of this party was to move to a 32-hour work week and its party slogan was "Work Less, Consume Less, Live More." The slogan describes the party's aim to encourage people to reduce their consumption, to be more environmentally and socially conscious, and to focus on real values. Instead of consuming, people are encouraged to spend time on family, friends, community engagement, art and creative endeavours, spiritual exploration, and athletic activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sex Party</span> Political party in Canada

The Sex Party was a political party based in British Columbia, Canada. The party was guided by the philosophy of the sex-positive movement. Among other points, the party advocated for reform of sex education in schools so that sexual issues are taught more gradually over time and included a more comprehensive coverage of them. They advocated for the repeal of laws that promote antisexualism, such as prostitution laws and censorship. They also supported making Valentine's Day a statutory holiday and renaming Victoria Day to Eros Day.

Vancouver, unlike other British Columbia municipalities, is incorporated under a unique provincial statute, the Vancouver Charter. The legislation, passed in 1953, supersedes the Vancouver Incorporation Act, 1921 and grants the city more and different powers than other communities possess under BC's Municipalities Act.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dianne Watts</span> Canadian politician

Dianne Lynn Watts is a former politician in British Columbia, Canada. She won her first federal election campaign in October 2015 to become a federal Member of Parliament for South Surrey—White Rock. In 2017 she resigned as MP to pursue a failed leadership bid for the BC Liberal provincial party. Previously, Watts served as the mayor of Surrey, the second-largest city in the province from 2005 to 2014. She was elected in 2005 to this office as the city's first female mayor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas Simons</span> Canadian politician

Nicholas Simons is a Canadian politician. He is a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of British Columbia, representing the riding of Powell River-Sunshine Coast since 2005, and member of the New Democratic Party.

Conrad Schmidt is a social activist, filmmaker and writer living in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, who is known for his role in founding the Work Less Party of British Columbia and for creating the internationally known World Naked Bike Ride protest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 British Columbia general election</span>

The 2009 British Columbia general election was held on May 12, 2009, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The British Columbia Liberal Party formed the government of the province prior to this general election under the leadership of Premier Gordon Campbell. The British Columbia New Democratic Party under the leadership of Carole James was the Official Opposition.

The Nation Alliance Party was a minor political party in British Columbia, Canada. While the party was registered with Elections BC as a provincial party, it also participated in the 2008 federal election, the 2008 municipal election, as well as the 2009 provincial election. The party sought to promote multiculturalism, advocate for rights of ethnic minorities and recent immigrants focusing on employment access, security, health care, education and overall rights and status. It was an advocacy party that sought to politically empower and enable those who do not speak English as a first language to participate in politics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Sterk</span> Canadian psychologist, academic, and politician

Jane Sterk is a Canadian psychologist, businesswoman, academic, and politician. She is the former leader of the Green Party of British Columbia and a business professor at University Canada West. In the 2009 British Columbia provincial election she was a candidate in the riding of Esquimalt-Royal Roads and in the 2013 election was a candidate in Victoria-Beacon Hill. Sterk was elected councillor in the Township of Esquimalt in 2005 was elected leader of the provincial Green Party in October 2007. In the 2004 federal election and the 2005 provincial election as a candidate in the Esquimalt ridings, she placed fourth and third with 9% and 10% of the vote, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spencer Chandra Herbert</span> Canadian politician

Spencer Chandra Herbert is a Canadian politician who serves in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in Canada. Representing the British Columbia New Democratic Party, he won an October 2008 by-election in the electoral district of Vancouver-Burrard. He was re-elected to the Legislature, this time in the newly created riding of Vancouver-West End, in the 2009, 2013, and 2017 general elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Stewart</span> Canadian politician

Benjamin Richard Stewart is a Canadian politician, who has represented the riding of Kelowna West in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia since 2018 as a member of the British Columbia Liberal Party. He previously represented the riding of Westside-Kelowna from 2009 to 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mable Elmore</span> Canadian politician

Mable Elmore is a Canadian politician that represents the Vancouver-Kensington electoral district in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. A member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party, she was first elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in the 2009 provincial election. Currently the Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives, she previously served as the Parliamentary Secretary for Poverty Reduction (2017–2020) and Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors Services and Long Term Care (2020–2022).

References

  1. News release Elections Canada, Ottawa 2 July 2010
  2. Burrows, Matthew. "Work Less goes to "Church"". The Georgia Straight . Vancouver Free Press. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
  3. Thompson, Kristen (May 12, 2009). "Wide array of parties on ballot", Metro Vancouver . Retrieved on 2009-05-29.
  4. Burrows, Matthew (2006-05-11). "Work Less founder unveils book". The Georgia Straight . Vancouver Free Press. Retrieved 2009-06-01.