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Darrell Rankin

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Darrell T. Rankin (born February 14, 1957) is a Canadian peace activist and communist politician. He was briefly the leader of the Communist Party of Canada - Ontario (CPC-O) in 1995, and has led the Communist Party of Canada - Manitoba (CPC-M) since 1996. His partner, Cheryl-Anne Carr, is also active with the Communist Party.[1]

Early life and career

Rankin was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, and became involved in radical left politics through an early opposition to the Vietnam War. His grandparents were active in the Communist Party of Canada, which Rankin joined in 1978. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Alberta.[2]

He lived in Ottawa, Ontario from 1983 to 1995, and was a leading figure in the Canadian Peace Alliance and the Ottawa Disarmament Coalition.[3] A newspaper report from 1986 listed him as an articling lawyer, although it is not clear if he continued in this direction.[4] He participated in protests against the Gulf War in 1991.[5]

CPC-O leader

In 1992, a majority of delegates at the Communist Party's national convention voted to abandon Marxism-Leninism and pursue a social democratic alternative. Rankin was a part of the minority group led by Miguel Figueroa that opposed the change, and continued to support traditional communist principles. The party split, and the minority group won the rights to the Communist Party name through an out-of-court settlement.

Rankin was appointed as interim leader of the Communist Party of Canada - Ontario in April 1995, and led the party in the 1995 provincial election. The national party had fallen to only 500 members in this period, and the Ontario party ran a low-profile campaign with only five candidates and an $8,000 budget.[6] Rankin challenged New Democratic Party Premier Bob Rae in York South, and focused on issues such as health, education, social programs and full employment.[7]

In June 1995, Rankin contributed an article entitled "Observations on the setbacks to Socialism" to the Communist Party discussion journal The Spark! (which is not to be confused with the Trotskyist organization of the same name). The piece examined recent events in Eastern Europe, including the fall of the Soviet Union.[8]

CPC-M leader

Rankin moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1995, after the Ontario election. The Communist Party of Canada - Manitoba had been without effective leadership for several years, and Rankin was chosen as the party's provincial organizer before the year was over. He coordinated the CPC-M's 75th anniversary banquet in early 1996, and was elected party leader later in the year.[9] He has led the party in the 1999, 2003 and 2007 provincial elections.[10]

In January 2004, Rankin was challenged for the CPC-M leadership by Paul Sidon. He received 79% of delegate support, against 21% for Sidon.

Rankin is a founding member of Peace Alliance Winnipeg and a member of the No War Coalition (Manitoba). He helped organize protests against the 1999 Kosovo Conflict, the 2001 NATO invasion of Afghanistan and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.[11] He also writes occasional articles for People's Voice, the newspaper of the Communist Party.[12] In November 2007, he organized a party at Winnipeg's Ukrainian Labour Temple to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Russian Revolution.[13]

Rankin has campaigned for public office several times, although he has never come close to being elected. As of March 2006, he was the leader of Communist Party of Canada's Peace and Disarmament Coalition.[14] He is not related to Naomi Rankin, the leader of the Communist Party of Canada - Alberta.[15]

Table of offices held

Preceded by
Frank Goldspink
(1990 General election)
 Leader of the Communist Party of Canada - Manitoba
1996-present 		Succeeded by
current leader
Preceded by
Elizabeth Rowley
(1990 General election)
 Leader of the Communist Party of Canada - Ontario (interim)
1995 		Succeeded by
Hassan Husseini
  • The CPC-M had been without a leader since at least 1990, and possibly longer.
  • It is not clear if the CPC-O had a recognized leader between 1992 and 1998, apart from Rankin's short tenure in 1995. Hassan Husseini was chosen as leader in 1998.

Electoral Record

Template:Manitoba provincial election, 2007/Electoral District/Point Douglas

Template:Canadian federal election, 2006/Electoral District/Winnipeg North

Template:Canadian federal election, 2004/Electoral District/Winnipeg North

Template:Manitoba provincial election, 2003/Electoral District/Point Douglas

Template:Canadian federal election, 2000/Electoral District/Winnipeg North Centre

Template:Manitoba provincial election, 1999/Electoral District/Burrows

Template:Canadian federal election, 1997/Electoral District/Winnipeg Centre

Template:Ontario provincial election, 1995/Electoral District/York South

Template:Canadian federal election, 1993/Electoral District/Calgary Southwest

All electoral information is taken from Elections Canada, Elections Ontario and Elections Manitoba. Provincial election expenditures in Manitoba refer to individual candidate expenses. Italicized expenditures refer to submitted totals, and are presented when the final reviewed totals are not available.

Footnotes

  1. ^ "The Communist Party: Darrell Rankin", Party leaders, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 10 May 2007, accessed 26 October 2007.
  2. ^ Election 2000 entry: Darrell Rankin, Globe and Mail, online report.
  3. ^ "Handful hold low-key protests", Toronto Star, 11 February 1989, A11.
  4. ^ Abby Deveney and Jacquie Miller, "First rooms open in new courthouse", Ottawa Citizen, 18 August 1996, C2.
  5. ^ "Protesters condemn ground attack", Ottawa Citizen, 25 February 1991, C1.
  6. ^ John Gray, "Liberal numbers don't add up in attack on NDP expenditure", Globe and Mail, 16 May 1995, A6.
  7. ^ Nicolaas Van Rijn, "Meet the people who want your vote", Toronto Star, 5 June 1995, A12.
  8. ^ Darrell Rankin, "Observations on the setbacks to Socialism", The Spark! No. 6, 1995.
  9. ^ Holli Moncrieff, "Volunteers needed for Earth Day events", Winnipeg Free Press, 3 April 1996, p. 1.
  10. ^ "Communist party plans to field five in election", Winnipeg Free Press, 22 March 1999, A8.
  11. ^ Kevin Rollason, "No bombs in Kosovo, activists say", Winnipeg Free Press, 23 March 1999, A3; Kevin Rollason, "War in Afghanistan draws critics", Winnipeg Free Press, 24 March 2002, A4; Alexandra Paul, "Threats to Iraq all about oil,say protesters", Winnipeg Free Press, 19 January 2003, A5.
  12. ^ For instance, Darrell Rankin, ""No!" to Privatized Health Care", 16-31 January 2006 (Volume 14, No. 2).
  13. ^ "Communists celebrate", Winnipeg Free Press, 12 November 2007.
  14. ^ Darrell Rankin, "Humanity needs a strong peace movement", Political Affairs Magazine, 18 March 2006.
  15. ^ Brian Laghi, "Moscow not on the North Saskatchewan", Edmonton Journal, 15 January 1995, B2.
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