- Libertarian Party of Canada
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Libertarian Party of Canada 
Active federal partyLeader Katrina Chowne[1] President John Shaw[2] Founded 1973 Headquarters Suite 425
1111 Davis Drive
Newmarket, Ontario
L3Y 9E5[3][4]Ideology Libertarianism International affiliation Interlibertarians Official colours Green Seats in the House of Commons 0 / 308Seats in the Senate 0 / 105Website Official website Politics of Canada
Political parties
ElectionsThe Libertarian Party of Canada is a political party in Canada that subscribes to the tenets of the libertarian movement across Canada.
Contents
History
The party was founded on July 7, 1973 by Bruce Evoy, who became its first chairman, and 7 others. Evoy ran for election to Parliament in the 1974 federal election in the Toronto riding of Rosedale. The party achieved registered status in the 1979 federal election by running more than fifty candidates.
The party described itself as Canada's "fourth party" in the 1980s[citation needed], but it has since been displaced by new parties such as the Bloc Québécois and the Green Party of Canada. The party declined to join the Reform Party of Canada when it was formed in 1987[citation needed]. Many libertarians were also attracted to provincial Progressive Conservative parties that moved to the right during the 1990s in Ontario under Mike Harris, and in Alberta under Ralph Klein.
The decline in the party's membership and resources resulted in Elections Canada removing their status as a registered party immediately before the 1997 federal election when the party failed to run the minimum fifty candidates needed to maintain its registration.[citation needed]
The party successfully re-registered with Elections Canada on June 2, 2004, in time for the 2004 election. Its eight candidates won 1,949 votes.
Jean-Serge Brisson led the party from May 22, 2000 until May 18, 2008 when he was succeeded by Dennis Young. Young defeated outgoing party president Alan Mercer for the leadership. Savannah Linklater was elected deputy leader.[5]
Platform
The Libertarian Party of Canada are a hybrid of left-wing social policy and right-wing economic. Some of their policies are as follows:
- Adoption of laissez-faire principles which would reduce the state's role in the economy. These would include, but are not limited to, the elimination of the federal income tax and government sales tax.[6]
- Supports property rights of all Canadians
- Reducing government bureaucracy.
- Support for civil liberties, such as free association and free speech. [7]
- Ending the war on drugs.
- A non-interventionist foreign policy.
- Abolishing the Bank of Canada
- Abolishing the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
- Repealing the Canada Health Act
Election results
Election # of candidates # of votes % of popular vote % in ridings contested 1979 60 16,042 0.14% ? 1980 58 14,656 0.13% ? 1984 72 23,514 0.19% 0.70% 1988 88 33,185 0.25% 0.35% 1993 52 14,630 0.11% 0.25% 1997 * * * 2000 * * * 2004 8 1,949 0.01% 0.32% 2006 10 3,002 0.02% 0.27% 2008 26 7,300 0.05% 0.07% 2011 23 6,017 0.04% The party also nominated a number of candidates to run in by-elections:
- 1980 by-election: 1
- 1981 by-election: 1
- 1982 by-election: 1
- 1990 by-election: 2
- 1995 by-election: 1
- 2008 by-election: 1
- 2010 by-election: 1
Sources: 1974: Libertarian Party of Canada News, July/August 1974, 4. 1979-2006: Parliament of Canada History of the Federal Electoral Ridings since 1867
Leaders
- Sieg Pedde (1973 – 1974)
- Charles 'Chuck' Lyall (1974 – 1976)
- Ron Bailey (1976 – 1978)
- Alex Eaglesham (1978 – 1979)
- Linda Cain (1980 – 1982)
- Neil Reynolds (May 1982 – 1983)
- Victor Levis (1983 – 1987)
- Dennis Corrigan (1987 – 1990)
- Stanislaw Tyminski (1990 – 1991)
- George Dance (1991 – 1993)
- Hilliard Cox (May 1993 – 1995)
- George Dance (1995 – 1996)
- Vincent Pouliot (May 12, 1996 – April 5, 1997)
- Robert Morse (1997-1999) [8]
- Jean-Serge Brisson (1999 - May 18, 2008) [f][9]
- Dennis Young (May 18, 2008 - May 2011)
- Katrina Chowne (May 2011 - present)
References
- ^ Katrina Chowne The Newly Elected Leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada
- ^ The Libertarian party: Smaller government, more freedom John Shaw, National Post, Retrieved April 11, 2011
- ^ "Elections Canada". Elections.ca. http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?section=pol&document=index&dir=par&lang=e&textonly=false#libert. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Western Standard". Westernstandard.blogs.com. 2008-05-20. http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2008/05/dennis-young-ne.html. Retrieved 2010-08-13.
- ^ "Libertarian Party of Canada: Civil Order". Libertarian.ca. http://www.libertarian.ca/english/positions-civil-order.html. Retrieved 2010-08-13.
- ^ "Libertarian Party of Canada: Individual Rights". Libertarian.ca. http://www.libertarian.ca/english/positions-individual-rights.html. Retrieved 2010-08-13.
- ^ Libertarian Party of Canada, "Leadership Roles," Party File, ParlInfo, parl.gc.ca. Web, Dec. 7, 2010. http://www2.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/files/Party.aspx?Item=2ef41a44-7f48-4b22-a342-781e589f8ed1&Language=E
- ^ "Agenda". Libertarian.ca. http://www.libertarian.ca/english/news/LPC_convention_agenda.html. Retrieved 2010-08-13.
See also
- Libertarian Party of Canada candidates, 2011 Canadian federal election
- Libertarian Party of Canada candidates, 2008 Canadian federal election
- Libertarian Party of Canada candidates, 2006 Canadian federal election
- Libertarian Party of Canada candidates, 1993 Canadian federal election
- Libertarian Party of Canada candidates, 1988 Canadian federal election
- Ontario Libertarian Party
- Libertarian Party of Manitoba
- British Columbia Libertarian Party
External links
- Libertarian Party of Canada official site
- LP of Canada Nominees
- Libertarian Party of Canada Reference on Our Campaigns
- LPedia
Federal political parties in Canada House of Commons Senate Other parties recognized
by Elections CanadaAnimal Alliance-Environment Voters · Canadian Action · Christian Heritage · Communist · First Peoples · Libertarian · Marxist–Leninist · Marijuana · Pirate · Progressive Canadian · Rhinoceros · United · Western BlockNotable historical parties Anti-Confederate · Bloc populaire · Canadian Alliance · Conservative (historical) · Co-operative Commonwealth · Labour · Labour-Progressive · New Democracy · Progressive Conservative · Progressive/United Farmers · Ralliement créditiste · Reform · Rhinoceros (historical) · Social Credit · UnionistCategories:- Federal political parties in Canada
- Libertarian parties
- Libertarian Party of Canada
- Political parties established in 1973
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