Socialist Action (Canada)

Socialist Action
Ligue pour l'Action socialiste
AbbreviationSA/LAS
Formation1994
TypePolitical organization
PurposeRevolutionary socialism
Region served
Canada
Federal secretary
Barry Weisleder
Publication
Socialist Action
AffiliationsDomestic: NDP Socialist Caucus;
International: "in solidarity with" the Fourth International (until 2025); associated with Tendency for a Revolutionary International
Websitesocialistaction.ca

Socialist Action (French: Ligue pour l'Action socialiste; SA/LAS) is a Canadian Trotskyist and revolutionary socialist organization. It describes itself as active in labour, social justice, international solidarity, feminist and environmental campaigns.[1] The organization has been closely associated with the NDP Socialist Caucus, an unofficial left-wing faction within the New Democratic Party.

History

According to a history published by Socialist Action federal secretary Barry Weisleder, SA/LAS was founded in 1994 by a small group that had split from, or been expelled by, Socialist Challenge and Gauche Socialiste.[2] Weisleder wrote that the organization was founded after disputes over democratic centralism, party-building and the orientation of the revolutionary left in Canada.[2]

The same account says that Socialist Action Canada was supported by Socialist Action in the United States and that the Canadian group continued to write for and circulate the monthly Socialist Action newspaper.[2] Socialist Action's own program describes the group as a cross-country revolutionary socialist organization in political solidarity with Trotskyist currents internationally, while also stating that it seeks the formation of a Revolutionary Workers' International.[3]

Political positions

Socialist Action describes itself as anti-capitalist, revolutionary socialist and democratic-centralist.[3][4] Its program calls for political work in trade unions, social movements and the NDP, and says that the organization supports Quebec and Indigenous self-determination.[3] It also argues for a revolutionary workers' party and for social ownership of the economy under workers' control.[3]

Because most detailed descriptions of Socialist Action's program are published by the organization itself, they are best treated as self-descriptions rather than independent assessments of its influence.

Relationship with the Fourth International

Socialist Action identifies with the Trotskyist tradition of the reunified Fourth International. In a history published on the Socialist Action Canada website, Barry Weisleder wrote that Socialist Action Canada was founded in 1994 after a split from Socialist Challenge and Gauche Socialiste, and that it appealed to the Fourth International's 1995 World Congress after the split.[2] According to Weisleder, the Fourth International designated Socialist Action Canada as "a group of partisans of the F.I." invited to participate in its meetings and activities, but only with the agreement of Gauche Socialiste, which he said was not granted.[2]

The Fourth International's own website lists Gauche Socialiste as its section in Quebec and includes Gauche Socialiste, rather than Socialist Action Canada, in its list of organizations in Canada.[5][6] A 2017 statement by Socialist Action (United States) states that "[o]ur Socialist Action Canada comrades were expelled" from the Fourth International.[7]

Socialist Action has also identified with opposition currents inside or around the Fourth International. In 2017, an article published by Socialist Action Canada described the organization as supporting the Platform for a Revolutionary International, a current critical of the Fourth International leadership.[8] In a 2022 political resolution, Socialist Action said it sought to build a "Revolutionary Workers' International", maintain ties with supporters of the Tendency for a Revolutionary International and continue its close relationship with Socialist Action (United States).[9] In 2025, the Fourth International decided to "break off relations" with the US Socialist Action and, by extension, the Tendency for a Revolutionary International.[10]

Work in the New Democratic Party

Socialist Action has long oriented toward activity inside the New Democratic Party and the NDP Socialist Caucus. Its website lists the NDP Socialist Caucus among Socialist Action's initiatives, and Weisleder has also been identified in media reports as chair of the Socialist Caucus.[11][12]

At the federal NDP convention in Vancouver in June 2011, the Socialist Caucus opposed efforts to remove references to socialism from the party's constitution.[13] The National Post reported that the caucus also submitted resolutions on issues including nationalization, Canadian foreign policy and Israel and Palestine.[14]

In September 2011, Weisleder won the Ontario NDP nomination in Thornhill for the 2011 Ontario general election, but the party rescinded the nomination within 48 hours.[12] The National Post reported that the decision followed attention to Weisleder's views on Israel and Palestine.[15]

2025–2026 NDP leadership race and Socialist Movement

In 2025, the NDP Socialist Caucus nominated author and activist Yves Engler for the 2026 New Democratic Party leadership election.[16] In December 2025, Engler was rejected by the NDP's leadership vetting process. The Canadian Press reported that the party cited allegations including harassment and intimidation; Engler denied wrongdoing and criticized the decision.[17]

After the leadership race, Socialist Action and the NDP Socialist Caucus promoted the creation of a broader Socialist Movement associated with Engler's "Capitalism Can't Be Fixed" campaign. In May 2026, Weisleder wrote that a Toronto and online conference had launched the new Socialist Movement and that some participants envisioned it eventually becoming a political party, though he also said the conference had made "no firm decisions" on its structure.[18]

Publications and activities

Socialist Action publishes articles, pamphlets and event notices through its website, and maintains a literature page that includes pamphlets on labour, feminism, Indigenous struggles, eco-socialism and socialist strategy.[19] Its website also advertises education conferences, public meetings and campaign events.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "Socialist Action Canada". Socialist Action Canada. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Weisleder, Barry (March 27, 2023). "The History and Practice of Socialist Action – Canada (2020)". Socialist Action Canada. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Our Programme". Socialist Action Canada. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Welcome". Socialist Action Canada. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Gauche Socialiste". Fourth International. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Organizations". Fourth International. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Opposition formed in the Fourth International". Socialist Action. February 3, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Debate in the Fourth International". Socialist Action Canada. December 22, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Political Situation and Tasks Resolution for Socialist Action/Ligue pour l'action socialiste, June 12, 2022". Socialist Action Canada. August 12, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Fourth International Congress: taking the measure of the crisis of capitalism". Fourth International. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  11. ↑ "NDP Socialist Caucus". Socialist Action Canada. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  12. 1 2 Zarzour, Kim (September 6, 2011). "NDP rescinds nomination of Thornhill candidate". YorkRegion.com. Metroland Media. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  13. ↑ Wherry, Aaron (June 20, 2011). "Socialist in name, for now". Maclean's. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  14. ↑ "The NDP Convention: Got a resolution". National Post. June 16, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Thornhill candidate with views critical of Israel dropped by Ontario NDP". National Post. September 7, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  16. ↑ "NDP Socialist Caucus Nominates Montreal Author and Activist Yves Engler for NDP Leader". NDP Socialist Caucus. July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  17. ↑ Baxter, David (December 10, 2025). "Pro-Palestinian activist Yves Engler barred from running for NDP leadership". CityNews Vancouver. The Canadian Press. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  18. ↑ Weisleder, Barry (May 29, 2026). "Conference Proclaims a New Socialist Movement!". Socialist Action Canada. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Literature". Socialist Action Canada. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.