On November 29, 2010, the Pirate Party of Canada made history by being the first Pirate Party outside of Europe to run a candidate in a federal election, namely Jeff Coleman in Winnipeg North. Running on a platform of strengthening dialogue with government and safeguarding leadership in the exchange of information, Coleman finished in 5th place, nearly edging out the Green Party candidate.

Canadians are starting to tire of politics as usual, getting tired of surrendering their rights with no one willing to stand up for them, and are open to new entrants to the political system that are willing to offer a compelling alternative. The Pirate Party has at its heart the goal of safeguarding the free flow of information while protecting individuals’ right to privacy. We have risen to defend these rights in the past, as we do now and will in the future, both within Parliament and without.

We look forward also to the next election, where we will work to further progress and to provide all Canadians, particularly those disenchanted with the current political system, with an opportunity to voice their discontent. There is of course always room for improvement, and we will be taking the strengths and weaknesses of our campaign in Winnipeg North to apply to our next election campaign, and to the one after that. The Pirate Party of Canada is here to stay.

Founded in 2009 and registered in 2010, the Pirate Party of Canada was established to protect the rights of consumers of information and culture against increasingly-draconian laws enacted in response to the demands of corporate interests. Specifically, the Party is committed to reform Canadian copyright laws, encourage innovation through patent reform, protect all Canadian citizens with strengthened privacy laws, and affirm their right to monitor their own government by promoting the ideals of open government.