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Christian Heritage Party of Canada

Christian Heritage Party of Canada
CHPlogo.png
Active federal party
Leader Jim Hnatiuk
President Tom Kroesbergen (Interim)
Founded 1987
Headquarters Calgary, Alberta
Ideology Social Conservatism, Cultural Conservatism, Christian Right
Official colours Puce (unofficial)
Seats in the House of Commons

0 / 308
Seats in the Senate

0 / 105
Website
chp.ca
Politics of Canada
Political parties
Elections

The Christian Heritage Party of Canada, also referred to as CHP Canada,[1] is a federal political party that advocates that Canada be governed according to Biblical principles. It believes "The Holy Bible to be the inspired, inerrant written Word of God and the final authority above all man's laws and government".[2]

This socially and fiscally conservative party held its founding convention in Hamilton, Ontario in November 1987, where Ed Vanwoudenberg was elected its first leader. Jim Hnatiuk has led the party since 2008.[3]

The party nominated candidates for the first time in the 1988 federal election, and ran numerous candidates in the 1993 and 1997 elections. It was unable to field 50 candidates in the 2000 election and was consequently de-registered by Elections Canada, the government elections agency. The party was re-registered in time for the 2004 election.

Many of its founders had been members of the Social Credit movement. The party hopes to "apply proven Judeo-Christian principles of justice and compassion to Canada's contemporary public policy needs".[4] The party claims that it seeks to represent all Canadians, and specifically denies any interest in converting all Canadians to Christianity. As of the 2011 election, the party has yet to obtain a seat in the House of Commons.

Platform

The Christian Heritage Party seeks to avoid a narrow platform, but rather implements the policy that "civil government is to ensure freedom and justice for a nation's citizens by upholding law and order in accordance with Biblical principles."

Some of the key goals and principles of the CHP are:

  • Have the Bank of Canada, rather than Canadian citizens, pay to overhaul the economy and the infrastructure of Canada.
  • Eliminate income tax, and replace it with a "fair tax".
  • Treat the national debt "like a mortgage".
  • Having non-violent criminals pay restitution out of jail, and having dangerous offenders remain in prison until their behaviour indicates that they are no longer dangerous to society.
  • Definition of marriage as between one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others
  • Protection of free speech.
  • Legislation for property rights.
  • Reduce waiting times for hospitals by putting abortions and cosmetic surgeries at the back of the line.
  • Abolish the Canadian Firearms Registry
  • Reinstating capital punishment[5] in Canada.

Electoral activity

Election # of candidates # of votes % of popular vote % of popular vote CHP ridings
1988 63 102,533 0.78% 3.56%
1993 58 30,455 0.22% 1.09%
1997 53 29,085 0.22% 1.26%
2000 46* 10,110* 0.08%* 0.51%*
2004 62 40,283 0.30% 1.52%
2006 45 28,163 0.19% 1.32%
2008 59 26,751 0.19% 1.02%
2011 46 19,218 0.13% 0.84%

*The party did not have official status for the 2000 election, but 46 candidates were nominated, listed on the ballot without any affiliation information. These figures represent the 46 "non-affiliated" candidates known to be nominees of the CHP.

National leader

  • Jim Hnatiuk, national leader

National executive

  • President - Tom Kroesbergen
  • Vice President - Harold Ludwig (Interim)
  • Executive Director - Vicki Gunn
  • National Secretary - Marcia Kroesbergen
  • National Treasurer - Louis (Luke) Kwantes
  • Prayer, Ethics, Personnel Director - Eric Pennings

Provincial presidents

  • British Columbia, Harold J. Ludwig
  • Alberta, C. Sya Strydhorst
  • Saskatchewan, Harold Stephan
  • Manitoba, David Reimer
  • Ontario, Peter Vogel
  • Québec, Thomas Sabourin
  • Nova Scotia, Louise McKeen (interim)
  • Prince Edward Island, vacant
  • New Brunswick, Jason Farris (interim)
  • Newfoundland and Labrador, vacant
  • Yukon, vacant (is eligible to have an acting representative to BC council)
  • Northwest Territories, vacant (potential representative within Alberta council)
  • Nunavut, vacant (potential representative to an undetermined council)

Party leaders

See also

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ Christian Heritage Party of Canada Guiding Principles
  3. ^ Paul Freston. Protestant political parties: a global survey (2004) p 56
  4. ^ About the CHP
  5. ^ http://www.chp.ca/better-solutions/defend-your-rights/capital-punishment/

Bibliography

  • Robert K. Burkinshaw. Pilgrims in Lotus Land: Conservative Protestantism in British Columbia 1917-1981 (Mcgill-Queen's Studies in the History of Religion, 1995)
  • Paul Freston. Protestant political parties: a global survey (2004)

External links

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