The
Communist Party of Canada (Marxist–Leninist) (CPC (ML)) is a
Canadian federal political party founded by
Hardial Bains in 1970. The CPC (ML) has been registered with
Elections Canada as the
Marxist–Leninist Party of Canada since 1974 as the party is prohibited from using the Communist Party name in Canadian elections to avoid confusion among voters. The party developed separately and independently from the
Communist Party of Canada (CPC) with its origins among students and intellectuals in Canada during the 1960s. After a period of alignment with
Maoism and
China, the CPC (ML) pursued a pro-
Albanian line until the early 1990s when it adopted a pro-
Cuba position.