Leader Liz White Colours Forest Green | Founded 2005 Seats in the House of Commons 0 / 308 | |
Headquarters 101–221 Broadview Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M4M 2G3 Ideology Animal rights activism, Environmentalism | ||
The Animal Protection Party of Canada is a minor registered political party in Canada that focuses on animal rights and environmentalism. It was formed in 2005 as the Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada by the merger two organizations, the Animal Alliance of Canada and Environment Voters. Both parent organizations have been vocal in opposition to the seal hunt in Newfoundland and Labrador, fur farming, trapping, and bear hunting. The party is led by Liz White, a Toronto-based animal rights advocate.
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Influence of electoral law
Federal laws restricting political advocacy by “third parties” (i.e., organizations not registered by Elections Canada as political parties) during election campaigns led to the formation of this party. Following a Supreme Court of Canada ruling that allowed political parties to be registered by only running a single candidate, animal rights activists formed the party. The AAEV party provides its members and candidates the opportunity to promote its views during election periods.
The party's role in most ridings is to endorse a major-party candidate who promotes positions favourable to its own. In the 2006 general election, AAEV's free-time political ads endorsed the New Democratic Party, counterbalanced by the statement that voters could also vote for AAEV party leader Liz White in Toronto Centre.
Canadian electoral laws hinder misuse of this loophole by setting campaign spending limits for parties, proportional to the number of voters in the electoral districts where the party is running candidates. Because the AAEV was running only one candidate, it was permitted to spend $66,715.37, compared to the $18,225,260.74 limits granted to the major national parties. In 2008, the party ran four candidates. In 2011, it ran 7 candidates with one candidate in the Western Arctic riding. In 2015, the party ran 8 candidates, with one in Victoria, British Columbia.
2008 candidates
In the 2008 general election, the AAEVPC fielded four candidates, all in Ontario:
- Marie Crawford in Toronto–Danforth
- Karen Levenson in Guelph
- Simon Luisi in Davenport
- Liz White in Toronto Centre
2011 candidates
In the 2011 general election, the AAEVPC fielded seven candidates: six in Ontario, one in the territories:
- Marie Crawford in Toronto—Danforth
- Bonnie Dawson in Western Arctic
- Karen Levenson in Guelph
- Simon Luisi in Davenport
- Yvonne Mackie in Newmarket—Aurora
- AnnaMaria Valastro in London North Centre
- Liz White in Thornhill
2015 candidates
In the 2015 general election, the AAEVPC fielded eight candidates: seven in Ontario, one in British Columbia:
- Elizabeth Abbott in Toronto—Danforth
- Kyle Bowles in Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill
- Jody Di Bartolomeo in Niagara Centre
- Emma Hawley-Yan in Waterloo
- Simon Luisi in University-Rosedale
- Jordan Reichert in Victoria
- Rudy Brunell Solomonivici in Eglinton-Lawrence
- Liz White in Etobicoke-Lakeshore
Election results
The party ran one candidate in the 2006 federal election, receiving 72 votes. While it finished second-to-last in the riding, this is the lowest number of votes and the lowest percentage of the popular vote (0.0004% of total votes cast) ever recorded by a federal party contesting an election in Canada. A factor in this result may have been the party's formal endorsement of the New Democratic Party in the election. During the March 17, 2008 by-election, the party managed to improve its vote share, despite low voter turnout. (reference needed)