Revolutionary Communist Party (Canada)

The Revolutionary Communist Party denounced the traditional electoral system of Canada, claiming that it only furthered the agenda of what it called bourgeois democracy. The party was highly critical of what it called reformist and revisionist electoral communist parties such as the Communist Party of Canada and the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist–Leninist). They maintained that those parties helped to prop up a system of ruling-class domination of Canadian politics. Instead, the PCR-RCP claimed that a revolutionary movement in Canada should forcibly remove the ruling class from power and replace it with a socialist transitional system, and eventually a communist system, which would dissolve the apparatus of the state. The party believed that this could be done by following the ideology and examples of communist figures such as Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, and Mao Zedong. According to the party's programme, Canada must be liberated from oppression through various violent and non-violent means, including civil insurrection and protracted people's war, though they stressed the need for the creation of a strong vanguard party and popular support before this could occur. This differs from the tactics developed by other groups, such as the Cuban 26th of July Movement and the Front de libération du Québec, which believed in propaganda of the deed, which stipulates that a movement only needs a small nucleus of radical supporters willing to partake in dangerous and illegal activities to inspire the wider population into supporting their cause. The PCR-RCP regarded this tactic as premature, preferring instead to operate only after sufficient time and effort had been dedicated to strengthening the party.

Although their ideological affiliation claimed to be Marxism–Leninism–Maoism, the PCR-RCP advocated a critical and non-biased view of past revolutionary movements and socialist governments. Although they believed that Mao was the most ideologically advanced of all communist writers, they criticized some of his actions and motives. Like most Maoist organizations, the PCR-RCP was also highly critical of modern China, claiming that since Mao's death, it had abandoned socialism and adopted state capitalism.

While the majority of the PCR-RCP's supporters and members were French Quebecers, the PCR-RCP did not support the Quebec separatist movement like most other communist organizations in Quebec. They viewed the separatist movement as a ploy by the Québécois ruling class to strengthen their position internationally by removing Canadian ruling class influence from Quebec. As such, they were highly critical of other communist parties active in Quebec, such as the Communist Party of Quebec (Communist Party of Canada affiliate) and the Marxist–Leninist Party of Quebec (Communist Party of Canada (Marxist–Leninist) affiliate), alleging that their support of the Quebec separatist movement was paramount to supporting pseudo-nationalism, and that the creation of another capitalist state went against the principles of Marxism.

An in-depth explanation of the PCR-RCP's political ideology can be found in the party's official programme.[1]

The PCR-RCP was affiliated with several other organizations and publications. The PCR-RCP published a monthly newspaper called The Red Flag, or Le drapeau rouge, from 2007 to 2017.

The party was affiliated with the Committee for a Canadian Red Aid Organization.

Internationally, the party had close ties to the Revolutionary Internationalist Movement and its member organizations, although the party was never a member. The party also had contact with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre).

In addition, the PCR-RCP had formed its own communist youth organization known as the Revolutionary Student Movement (MER-RSM), which as of 2014 had created chapters at several secondary and post-secondary institutions in Ontario, Quebec, and western Canada. The MER-RSM collapsed around the same time as the PCR-RCP.

• Official website
• ISKRA website