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Left Caucus

The Left Caucus was an Ontario-based left-wing pressure group within the New Democratic Party of Canada and the Ontario New Democratic Party from the late 1970s to early 1990s. The Caucus was formed several years after the demise of The Waffle, an earlier left-wing faction which had been forced to leave the NDP in the mid-1970s. It was formed by 150 to 200 members in the lead up to the NDP's 1979 federal convention to which it proposed a series of radical resolutions promoting greater public ownership of the economy and other socialist and left-wing measures. John Rodriguez, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt, was the leading spokesperson for the caucus. Another notable founding member of the Left Caucus was Ontario NDP MPP and future provincial finance minister Floyd Laughren. Rodriguez said the caucus differed from the Waffle in that its ultra-left elements were a minor part and as it was willing to abide by the final resolutions of the convention, whether it agrees with them or not. However, Rodriguez warned that the Left Caucus would be outspoken if resolutions it favours passed the convention but were ignored by the party's leadership. The only one of the caucus' resolutions to be approved by the 1979 convention, however, was one protesting the jail sentence handed to Jean-Claude Parrot, president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers for leading a wildcat strike.…

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Article summary

The Left Caucus was an Ontario-based left-wing pressure group within the New Democratic Party of Canada and the Ontario New Democratic Party from the late 1970s to early 1990s. The Caucus was formed several years after the demise of The Waffle, an earlier left-wing faction which had been forced to leave the NDP in the mid-1970s. It was formed by 150 to 200 members in the lead up to the NDP's 1979 federal convention to which it proposed a series of radical resolutions promoting greater public ownership of the economy and other socialist and left-wing measures. John Rodriguez, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt, was the leading spokesperson for the caucus. Another notable founding member of the Left Caucus was Ontario NDP MPP and future provincial finance minister Floyd Laughren. Rodriguez said the caucus differed from the Waffle in that its ultra-left elements were a minor part and as it was willing to abide by the final resolutions of the convention, whether it agrees with them or not. However, Rodriguez warned that the Left Caucus would be outspoken if resolutions it favours passed the convention but were ignored by the party's leadership. The only one of the caucus' resolutions to be approved by the 1979 convention, however, was one protesting the jail sentence handed to Jean-Claude Parrot, president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers for leading a wildcat strike.…

Key claims

  1. date of formation: 1979 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  2. members: 200 members — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the date of formation is "1979". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. The record states that the members is "200 members". What evidence would count against this claim?
  4. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  5. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1346150358

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.