Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, the forerunner to the NDP, had no doubts about its economics. Born in Calgary in 1932, it laid out its thought for all to see a year later in the Regina Manifesto.

Unlike the Bennett Conservative government, the CCF wanted to do something about the economic collapse known as the great depression: replace capitalism with a planned economy. The ambitious CCF agenda featured public ownership, income security for all and price supports for agriculture.

The initial CCF supporters were farmers, academics, trade unionists and the "ginger group" MPs. In 1935, its first general election, the CCF got less than 10 per cent of the popular vote but elected seven MPs. The party leader was J.S. Woodsworth, the consummate Christian socialist.