The Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) fielded fifty-nine candidates in the 2008 Canadian federal election, none of whom were elected. Information about these candidates may be found on this page.

Quebec

Hull—Aylmer: Gabriel Girard-Bernier Gabriel Girard-Bernier is a perennial candidate for the Marxist-Leninist Party. He received 121 votes (0.23%), finishing sixth against Liberal incumbent Marcel Proulx.

Ontario

Guelph: Manuel Couto Manuel Couto has been a Marxist-Leninist Party candidate in four federal elections. He joined the party while attending the University of Guelph in 1980 and has said that he did so to defend the right to education and oppose the threat of war.Canada Votes: Guelph 2008, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, accessed 2 September 2010; Manuel Couto, "Fighting for your vote," Guelph Mercury, 20 January 2006, A11. A resident of Toronto, he does not appear to have participated in candidates' debates in 2004, 2006, or 2008."Two new candidates enter race," Guelph Mercury, 8 June 2004, A12; Vik Kirsch, "Guelph candidates court business crowd," Guelph Mercury, 24 June 2004, A3; Greg Mercer, "Greens, NDP battle for 'progressive' vote," Guelph Mercury, 17 January 2006, A1; Nicole O'Reilly, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine . . .; Guelph all-candidates debate; Guelph's all-candidates debate saw nine of 10 candidates duking it out," Guelph Mercury, 8 October 2008, A1; "Trying to make it beyond the fringe," Guelph Mercury, 10 October 2008, A10. He has described himself at different times as an industrial worker, a small business person, and self-employed.History of Federal Ridings since 1867: GUELPH--WELLINGTON (2000/11/27), Parliament of Canada, accessed 2 September 2010; History of Federal Ridings since 1867: GUELPH--WELLINGTON (2004/06/28), Parliament of Canada, accessed 2 September 2010; History of Federal Ridings since 1867: GUELPH--WELLINGTON (2008/10/14), Parliament of Canada, accessed 2 September 2010. He is married to Elaine Couto, who is also a perennial candidate for the party.

+ Electoral record Election Division Party Votes % Place Winner 2000 federal Guelph–Wellington Marxist-Leninist 68 0.12 8/8 Brenda Chamberlain, Liberal 2004 federal Guelph Marxist-Leninist 66 0.13 7/7 Brenda Chamberlain, Liberal 2006 federal Guelph Marxist-Leninist 45 0.07 7/7 Brenda Chamberlain, Liberal 2008 federal Guelph Marxist-Leninist 29 0.05 10/10 Frank Valeriote, Liberal

Ottawa Centre: Pierre Soublière Pierre Soublière is a perennial candidate for the Marxist-Leninist Party. He received 95 votes (0.15%) in 2008, finishing sixth against New Democratic Party incumbent Paul Dewar.

Peterborough: Elaine Couto Elaine Couto was born in Bruce County, Ontario, and became active with the Marxist-Leninist Party while attending university. In this time, she called for Canada to withdraw from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD). Peterborough Examiner, 2008, accessed 29 August 2010. She worked on the New Hamilton Weekly journal in the early 1990s with fellow party member Rolf Gerstenberger,Michael-Allan Marion, "Can you spell the word ....?", Hamilton Spectator, 11 September 1992, B1. and has been a receptionist and sales manager.History of Federal Ridings since 1867: HAMILTON WEST (1993/10/25), Parliament of Canada, accessed 29 August 2010; History of Federal Ridings since 1867: ST. CATHARINES (2000/11/27), Parliament of Canada, accessed 29 August 2010. She has also written for TML Daily, the online newspaper of the Marxist-Leninist Party.See Elaine Couto, "Harper Government's Arrogant Denial of Responsibility for the Problem of Women's Impoverishment", 5 March 2010, accessed 29 August 2010. In 2008, she described herself as self-employed. Peterborough Examiner, 2008, accessed 29 August 2010.

Couto is a perennial candidate. She first sought election to public office in the 1993 federal election as a candidate of the Canadian Party for Renewal, an unregistered party affiliated with the Marxist-Leninist Party.She was identified in the local media as a Marxist-Leninist candidate. See Michael Davie, "Seeking fringe votes," Hamilton Spectator, 29 September 1993, B3. She was thirty-two years old at the time. See Rosemary Todd, "Voters demand change," Hamilton Spectator, 21 October 1993. In every federal election since then, she has campaigned as an official Marxist-Leninist candidate. She also ran in the 1999 provincial election, appearing on the ballot as an independent candidate since the Marxist-Leninists are not registered at the provincial level.Couto petitioned Elections Ontario to register the "People's Front Party of Ontario" in 1998. Permission was granted, but it does not appear that this name was ever used. See Party Names , Elections Ontario, accessed 29 August 2010.

Couto lived in Toronto in 2008 and said that she chose to run in Peterborough because it was a city with many working people. She said that her party was focused on reforming Canada's political system in ways that would empower the people. Peterborough Examiner, 2008, accessed 29 August 2010.

She is married to Manuel Couto, who is also a perennial candidate for the Marxist-Leninist Party.

+ Electoral record Election Division Party Votes % Place Winner 1993 federal Hamilton West N/A (Renewal) 134 0.35 7/7 Stan Keyes, Liberal 1997 federal Guelph–Wellington Marxist-Leninist 146 0.28 7/7 Brenda Chamberlain, Liberal 1999 provincial Etobicoke Centre Ind. (Marxist-Leninist) 209 0.44 7/7 Chris Stockwell, Progressive Conservative 2000 federal St. Catharines Marxist-Leninist 93 0.20 7/7 Walt Lastewka, Liberal 2004 federal St. Catharines Marxist-Leninist 61 0.12 7/7 Walt Lastewka, Liberal 2006 federal St. Catharines Marxist-Leninist 101 0.17 6/6 Rick Dykstra, Conservative 2008 federal Peterborough Marxist-Leninist 98 0.17 5/5 Dean Del Mastro, Conservative

References