Libertarian Party of Canada
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2007) |
Libertarian Party of Canada Parti libertarien du Canada | |
|---|---|
| Active federal party | |
 | |
| Leader | Tim Moen[1] |
| President | Nichole Adams [2] |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Headquarters | 372 Rideau St., Suite 205 Ottawa, Ontario[1][3] |
| Ideology | Libertarianism Classical Liberalism Voluntaryism Non-interventionism Fiscal conservatism Laissez-faire Civil libertarianism |
| International affiliation | International Alliance of Libertarian Parties InterLibertarians |
| Colours | Yellow / Indigo |
| Seats in the House of Commons | 0 / 338
|
| Seats in the Senate | 0 / 105
|
| Website | |
| Official website | |
| Part of a series on |
| Libertarianism |
|---|
The Libertarian Party of Canada is a federal political party in Canada, founded in 1973. The party subscribes to classical liberal tenets of the libertarian movement across Canada. The mission of the party is to reduce the responsibilities and expense of government.[4] Policies the party advocates for include: ending drug prohibition, lowering taxes, protecting gun rights and non-interventionism.[5]
History
The party was founded on July 7, 1973 by Bruce Evoy[citation needed], who became its first chairman, and seven 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]
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.[6]
In May 2011, Katrina Chowne was elected leader of the Libertarian Party.
In May 2014, Tim Moen was elected leader of the Libertarian Party.
In the 2015 federal election, the party fielded 72 candidates and solidified their position as the 6th federal party in Canada. With growth over 500% from the 2011 elections, the party is the fastest growing party.
Election results
| Election | # of candidates | # of votes | % of popular vote | % in ridings contested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 60 | 16,042 | 0.134% | 0.576% |
| 1980 | 58 | 14,656 | 0.134% | 0.576% |
| 1984 | 72 | 23,514 | 0.187% | 0.705% |
| 1988 | 88 | 33,185 | 0.252% | 0.754% |
| 1993 | 52 | 14,630 | 0.118% | 0.580% |
| 1997 | * | * | * | |
| 2000 | * | * | * | |
| 2004 | 8 | 1,949 | 0.015% | 0.518% |
| 2006 | 10 | 3,002 | 0.02% | 0.57% |
| 2008 | 26 | 7,300 | 0.053% | 0.567% |
| 2011 | 23 | 6,017 | 0.04% | 0.498% |
| 2015 | 72[7] | 37,407[8][9] | 0.21% | 0.93% |
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
- 2012 by-election: 3
- 2013 by-election: 3
- 2014 by-election: 2
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)
- Stanisław Tymiński (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) [10]
- Jean-Serge Brisson (1999 – May 18, 2008) [f][11]
- Dennis Young (May 18, 2008 – May 2011)
- Katrina Chowne (May 2011 – May 2014)
- Tim Moen (May 2014 – present)
See also
- Libertarian Party of Canada candidates, 2015 Canadian federal election
- 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
- British Columbia Libertarian Party
- Libertarian Party of Manitoba
- Ontario Libertarian Party
References
- ^ a b Contact Us | Libertarian Party of Canada
- ^ Leadership | Libertarian Party of Canada
- ^ "Elections Canada". Elections.ca. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
- ^ "Mission".
- ^ . 2015-06-06 http://ipolitics.ca/2015/05/06/canadas-own-rand-paul-libertarian-party-amps-up-for-election/. Retrieved 2015-10-19.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Western Standard". Westernstandard.blogs.com. 2008-05-20. Retrieved 2010-08-13.
- ^ http://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=can&dir=cand/lst&document=index&lang=e Elections Canada, List of Confirmed Candidates
- ^ http://enr.elections.ca/National.aspx?lang=e Elections Canada, 2015 Results (unofficial)
- ^ Canada Election 2015 Live Results CBC
- ^ 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. Retrieved 2010-08-13.
Further reading
Archival holdings
- Libertarian Party of Canada - Canadian Political Parties and Political Interest Groups - Web Archive created by the University of Toronto Libraries