The NDP's missing constitution
By Leslie MacKinnon, CBC News, April 27, 2011 6:00 PM
Where in the world is the federal NDP's constitution? It's not on the NDP's website, unlike any of the other national mainstream parties running in this election. Now that the NDP is within shouting distance – maybe – of forming government, a lot of people might want to take a closer look at the party, at its founding goals and principles.
Questions to the NDP's media hotline yield the response that the NDP constitution is "an internal document", available to members only, and that the NDP is running on its platform, not on its constitution. And yet, anyone who wants to join the NDP has to first agree to abide by its constitution, presumably without getting a chance to read it.
The NDP's constitution is hard to ferret out, but there are copies to be found on the internet, dating from 2001 and 2003, and of course there's no way of telling if the ideas expressed in them still represent the NDP's thinking. But, crucially, there are fundamental and seminal ideals expressed, and they are potentially explosive. The principles of "democratic socialism" are laid out, and they might prove troublesome for the party as it heads towards what may be the official Opposition or even more.
The preamble to the constitution says:
"The principles of democratic socialism can be defined briefly as: That the production and distribution of goods and services shall be directed to meeting the social and individual needs of people within a sustainable environment and economy and not to the making of profit; To modify and control the operations of the monopolistic productive and distributive organizations through economic and social planning. Towards these ends and where necessary the extension of the principle of social ownership;"
These principles, if they are in fact still part of the NDP's constitution, raise some rather large questions. Does the NDP have a problem with the making of profits? Does social ownership mean the nationalization of certain industries? And does the NDP still deeply believe in these precepts, or has it repudiated them?
The answer won't come until this summer when the NDP holds its biennial convention in Vancouver, just as it celebrates its 50th birthday. There, members will vote on a resolution passed at its last convention in Halifax in 2009:
-01-09 Resolutions Submitted by Constitutional Committee Motion 1- Drafting of Updated Constitution Preamble for Presentation at Next Convention BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Executive be directed to draft a new preamble for the Party's constitution to be submitted for debate to the next Convention
So a modernized and perhaps quite different statement of basic principles will finally be made known to the public in August, well after the NDP may be much closer to government than it's ever been before in its 50-year history.
Here in the beginning of the 2001 version... the only one I found on the internet:
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY
As amended by the Federal Convention, Winnipeg 2001
PREAMBLE
The New Democratic Party believes that the social, economic and political progress of Canada can be assured only by the application of democratic socialist principles to government and the administration of public affairs.
The principles of democratic socialism can be defined briefly as:
That the production and distribution of goods and services shall be directed to meeting the social
and individual needs of people within a sustainable environment and economy and not to the
making of profit;
To modify and control the operations of the monopolistic productive and distributive organizations through economic and social planning. Towards these ends and where necessary the extension of the principle of social ownership;
The New Democratic Party holds firm to the belief that the dignity and freedom of the individual is
a basic right that must be maintained and extended; and
The New Democratic Party is proud to be associated with the democratic socialist parties of the
world and to share the struggle for peace, international co-operation and the abolition of poverty.
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this political Party shall be the New Democratic Party.
ARTICLE II: DEFINITION AND INTERPRETATION
1.
Definitions
In this constitution, wherever the words "province" or "provincial" appear, they shall be read to include
"territory" or "territorial" unless the context otherwise requires.
2.
Interpretation
This constitution shall be interpreted by the President. Any such interpretation may be over-ruled by a
majority vote of all members present and voting at any meeting of the Executive, Council or Convention.
3.
Languages
This constitution shall be printed in both official languages of Canada.
2
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
There shall be individual and affiliated membership in the Party.
1.
Individual Membership
(1) Individual membership shall be open to every resident of Canada, regardless of race, colour, religion, sex or national origin, who undertakes to accept and abide by the constitution and principles of the Party and who is not a member or supporter of any other political party.
(2) Applications for individual membership shall be dealt with in accordance with the constitution of the
appropriate provincial Party and shall be subject to the approval of that provincial Party.
2.
Affiliated Membership
(1) Affiliated membership shall be open to trade unions, farm groups, co-operatives, women's
organizations and other groups and organizations which, by official act, undertake to accept and abide by the
constitution and principles of the Party, and are not associated or identified with any other political party....
By Leslie MacKinnon, CBC News, April 27, 2011 6:00 PM
Where in the world is the federal NDP's constitution? It's not on the NDP's website, unlike any of the other national mainstream parties running in this election. Now that the NDP is within shouting distance – maybe – of forming government, a lot of people might want to take a closer look at the party, at its founding goals and principles.
Questions to the NDP's media hotline yield the response that the NDP constitution is "an internal document", available to members only, and that the NDP is running on its platform, not on its constitution. And yet, anyone who wants to join the NDP has to first agree to abide by its constitution, presumably without getting a chance to read it.
The NDP's constitution is hard to ferret out, but there are copies to be found on the internet, dating from 2001 and 2003, and of course there's no way of telling if the ideas expressed in them still represent the NDP's thinking. But, crucially, there are fundamental and seminal ideals expressed, and they are potentially explosive. The principles of "democratic socialism" are laid out, and they might prove troublesome for the party as it heads towards what may be the official Opposition or even more.
The preamble to the constitution says:
"The principles of democratic socialism can be defined briefly as: That the production and distribution of goods and services shall be directed to meeting the social and individual needs of people within a sustainable environment and economy and not to the making of profit; To modify and control the operations of the monopolistic productive and distributive organizations through economic and social planning. Towards these ends and where necessary the extension of the principle of social ownership;"
These principles, if they are in fact still part of the NDP's constitution, raise some rather large questions. Does the NDP have a problem with the making of profits? Does social ownership mean the nationalization of certain industries? And does the NDP still deeply believe in these precepts, or has it repudiated them?
The answer won't come until this summer when the NDP holds its biennial convention in Vancouver, just as it celebrates its 50th birthday. There, members will vote on a resolution passed at its last convention in Halifax in 2009:
-01-09 Resolutions Submitted by Constitutional Committee Motion 1- Drafting of Updated Constitution Preamble for Presentation at Next Convention BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Executive be directed to draft a new preamble for the Party's constitution to be submitted for debate to the next Convention
So a modernized and perhaps quite different statement of basic principles will finally be made known to the public in August, well after the NDP may be much closer to government than it's ever been before in its 50-year history.
Here in the beginning of the 2001 version... the only one I found on the internet:
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY
As amended by the Federal Convention, Winnipeg 2001
PREAMBLE
The New Democratic Party believes that the social, economic and political progress of Canada can be assured only by the application of democratic socialist principles to government and the administration of public affairs.
The principles of democratic socialism can be defined briefly as:
That the production and distribution of goods and services shall be directed to meeting the social
and individual needs of people within a sustainable environment and economy and not to the
making of profit;
To modify and control the operations of the monopolistic productive and distributive organizations through economic and social planning. Towards these ends and where necessary the extension of the principle of social ownership;
The New Democratic Party holds firm to the belief that the dignity and freedom of the individual is
a basic right that must be maintained and extended; and
The New Democratic Party is proud to be associated with the democratic socialist parties of the
world and to share the struggle for peace, international co-operation and the abolition of poverty.
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this political Party shall be the New Democratic Party.
ARTICLE II: DEFINITION AND INTERPRETATION
1.
Definitions
In this constitution, wherever the words "province" or "provincial" appear, they shall be read to include
"territory" or "territorial" unless the context otherwise requires.
2.
Interpretation
This constitution shall be interpreted by the President. Any such interpretation may be over-ruled by a
majority vote of all members present and voting at any meeting of the Executive, Council or Convention.
3.
Languages
This constitution shall be printed in both official languages of Canada.
2
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
There shall be individual and affiliated membership in the Party.
1.
Individual Membership
(1) Individual membership shall be open to every resident of Canada, regardless of race, colour, religion, sex or national origin, who undertakes to accept and abide by the constitution and principles of the Party and who is not a member or supporter of any other political party.
(2) Applications for individual membership shall be dealt with in accordance with the constitution of the
appropriate provincial Party and shall be subject to the approval of that provincial Party.
2.
Affiliated Membership
(1) Affiliated membership shall be open to trade unions, farm groups, co-operatives, women's
organizations and other groups and organizations which, by official act, undertake to accept and abide by the
constitution and principles of the Party, and are not associated or identified with any other political party....
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