I can't believe I never heard of them before. I guess because I didn't live in the Vancouver area back then.
Where are these people now? Sounds like they had a good foundation to build on and too bad they disbanded when they did - or were they way out in left field somewhere on the issues?
It's a combination of things.
1. It's expensive to run a political party
2. Both federally and provincially, there are limits on what a person can contribute to a political party
3. The person that does the accounting (Official Agent provincially, Financial Agent federally) can go to jail if there are discrepancies.
4. We are a prudish society
Just to be able to run a political party costs the maximum donations of 100 or more people. That's just basics like the auditor that is required by law, the phones, office space, office furniture. Why, you ask, can't it be done out of a person's home? Because the value of providing that space far exceeds the allowable contribution a person may make.
So, you have to find over a 100 people that are willing to give $1100 per year and have their names and addresses published in the annual report that is publicly available.
Then, you must find 75 people to sign nomination papers in each riding. Nomination papers are also public documents.
The changes to the elections act federally and provincially basically killed all of the fringe parties. They just can't meet the requirements to be able to issue tax receipts. If you aren't an official political party, you don't have access to the voter's list and you don't have the money to be able to run a campaign.
The last set of changes to the elections acts federally and provincially were intended to kill off the fringe parties. The set of changes that the Harper government is proposing to the federal elections act is intended to kill off the Bloc, Greens and NDP. The vision is that Canada will have a 2 party system like the USA.