The Ontario Libertarian Party (OLP; French: Parti libertarien de l'Ontario) is a minor libertarian party in the Canadian province of Ontario. Founded in 1975 by Bruce Evoy and Vince Miller, the party was inspired by the 1972 formation of the United States Libertarian Party.[4] The party is guided by a charter of principles, and its own Ontario charter of rights and freedoms.[5]
Ontario Libertarian Party Parti libertarien de l'Ontario | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Mark Snow[1] |
| President | Michelle Lashbrook[2] |
| Deputy leader | Coreen Corcoran[3] |
| Founded | 1975 |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario |
| Ideology | |
| Colours | Yellow |
| Website | |
| libertarian | |
In the 2018 Ontario general election, the Libertarian Party ran a candidate in a majority of the province's electoral districts. Jacques Boudreau was appointed interim party leader in March 2021, replacing the departing leader Keith Komar. In October 2021, Mark Snow was elected leader at the Party's convention.[6] Under Snow, the party promotes an Ontario charter of rights which includes a section on immigration restrictions based on the eligibility of obtaining a job at an English speaking workplace.[7] The party fielded only 16 candidate in the 2022 Ontario general election, over 100 fewer candidates than the province's previous election held in 2018.
In 2024, its leader Mark Snow ran in a by-election in Bay of Quinte.[8] He placed last out of 7 candidates with 129 votes or 0.35%.[9]
Election results
editIn 1995, under the leadership of John Shadbolt, the party's total vote declined to 6,085 votes. Shadbolt resigned one day after the 1995 election, and was replaced by George Dance on an interim basis. Sam Apelbaum was chosen as the party's full-time leader at a convention in October 1996.[10]
In the 2007 general election, the party fielded 25 candidates and obtained a total of 9,249 votes.[11]
In the 2011 general election, the party ran 51 candidates and won a total of 19,387 votes, 0.45% of the popular vote, more than double the number of candidates and votes received in 2007.[12]
The party's most successful election was in the 2014 general election, with Libertarian candidates receiving 0.81% of the vote.[13]
The party failed to win any seats in the 2022 Ontario general election.[14]
| Election year | Leader | No. of overall votes |
% of overall total |
No. of candidates run |
No. of seats won |
+/− | Presence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Terry Coughlin | 4,752 | 0.13% | 17 | 0 / 125
|
New Party | Extra-parliamentary |
| 1977 | Paul Mollon | 9,961 | 0.30% | 31 | 0 / 125
|
0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| 1981 | Scott Bell | 7,087 | 0.22% | 12 | 0 / 125
|
0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| 1985 | 12,831 | 0.4% | 17 | 0 / 125
|
0 | Extra-parliamentary | |
| 1987 | Kaye Sargent | 13,514 | 0.36% | 25 | 0 / 130
|
0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| 1990 | James Stock | 24,613 | 0.61% | 45 | 0 / 130
|
0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| 1995 | John Shadbolt | 6,085 | 0.15% | 7 | 0 / 130
|
0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| 1999 | Sam Apelbaum | 2,337 | 0.05% | 7 | 0 / 103
|
0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| 2003 | 1,991 | 0.04% | 5 | 0 / 103
|
0 | Extra-parliamentary | |
| 2007 | 9,249 | 0.21% | 25 | 0 / 107
|
0 | Extra-parliamentary | |
| 2011 | 19,447 | 0.45% | 51 | 0 / 107
|
0 | Extra-parliamentary | |
| 2014 | Allen Small | 37,696 | 0.81% | 74 | 0 / 107
|
0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| 2018 | 42,918 | 0.75% | 117 | 0 / 124
|
0 | Extra-parliamentary | |
| 2022 | Mark Snow | 5,242 | 0.11% | 16 | 0 / 124
|
0 | Extra-parliamentary |
Party leaders
edit- Terry Coughlin (elected at founding meeting, July 24, 1975)
- Paul Mollon (1977 election)
- Scott Bell (1981 and 1985 elections)
- Kaye Sargent (1987 election)
- Clarke Slemon (elected October 22, 1988)[15]
- James Stock (1990 election)
- John Shadbolt (? – June 9, 1995)
- George Dance (interim) (June 9, 1995 – October 1996)
- Sam Apelbaum (October 1996 – November 5, 2011)
- Allen Small (November 5, 2011 – July 20, 2018)
- Rob Ferguson (interim) (July 21, 2018 – November 2, 2019)
- Keith Komar (November 2, 2019 – March 7, 2021)
- Jacques Boudreau (interim) (March 7, 2021 – October 24, 2021)
- Mark Snow (October 24, 2021 – Present)
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ https://www.quintenews.com/2024/09/07/ontario-libertarian-leader-running-in-bay-of-quinte/
- ^ "Registered Political Parties". Elections Ontario. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ "Coreen Corcoran". Ontario Libertarian Party. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
- ^ Miller, Vince. Taking Liberty Global, archived version: Archived July 2, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, August 4, 2005. Retrieved on December 25, 2007.
- ^ "Ontario Charter of Rights and Freedoms". libertarian.on.ca. Libertarian Party of Ontario. January 4, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ Boudreau, Jacques [@voteboudreau] (October 25, 2021). "Congratulations to Mark Snow on being elected as the new leader of the Ontario Libertarian Party yesterday at the convention. I am looking forward to working with Mark to advance the cause of Liberty" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Ontario Charter of Rights and Freedoms". libertarian.on.ca. Libertarian Party of Ontario. January 4, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ Durkin, Tim. "Ontario Libertarian Leader running in Bay of Quinte". Quinte News. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
- ^ Baldwin, Derek (September 20, 2024). "Allsopp wins Bay of Quinte byelection with 38.69% of the vote". Belleville Intelligencer. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
- ^ Bulletin 18:1 Spring 1997
- ^ "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast" (PDF). Elections Canada. October 21, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 1, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
- ^ McLarty, Jeffrey (2011). "Candidates, Vote Tally Doubled over 2007". libertarian.on.ca. Archived from the original on June 1, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
- ^ "The 1995 Provincial Election". libertarian.on.ca. 1995. Archived from the original on June 1, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
- ^ Powers, Lucas (June 3, 2022). "Ontario's Progressive Conservatives sail to 2nd majority, NDP and Liberal leaders say they will resign". CBC News.
- ^ The Sunday Sun newspaper October 23, 1988 pg. 74 "New leader waxes poetic"