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.