Ontario Libertarian Party

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.[2] The party is guided by a charter of principles, and its own Ontario charter of rights and freedoms.[3]

Ontario Libertarian Party
Parti libertarien de l'Ontario
Active provincial party
LeaderMark Snow
PresidentSerge Korovitsyn[1]
Founded1975 (1975)
HeadquartersToronto, Ontario
Ideology
ColoursYellow
Website
libertarian.on.ca

In the 2018 Ontario general election, the Libertarian Party, under the leadership of Allen Small, was one of only five such organizations running a candidate in a majority of the province's electoral districts. Jacques Boudreau was appointed interim party leader in March 2021, replacing elected leader Keith Komar after he stepped down. In October 2021, Mark Snow was elected leader at the Party's convention.[4] 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.[5] The party fielded only 16 candidates in the 2022 Ontario general election, over 100 fewer candidates than the province's previous election held in 2018.

Election results
Results of the 2014 Ontario general election showing support for Libertarian candidates by riding

In 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.[6]

Changes to the Ontario Election Act, enabling fixed election dates at four-year intervals, allowed the party to prepare well in advance for the 2007 general election. As a result, the party fielded 25 candidates and obtained a total of 9,249 votes.[7]

In the 2011 general election, the party ran 51 candidates and won a total of 19,387 votes, 0.45% of the popular vote. This was more than double the number of candidates and votes received in the 2007 general election.[8]

The party's most successful election was in the 2014 general election, with Libertarian candidates receiving 0.81% of the vote.[9]

The party failed to win any seats in the 2022 Ontario general election.[10]

Election results
Election year No. of
overall votes		  % of
overall total		 No. of
candidates run		 No. of
seats won		 +/− Presence
1975 4,752 17
0 / 125
 New Party Extra-parliamentary
1977 9,961 31
0 / 125
 0 Extra-parliamentary
1981 7,087 12
0 / 125
 0 Extra-parliamentary
1985 12,831 0.4% 17
0 / 125
 0 Extra-parliamentary
1987 13,514 0.36% 25
0 / 130
 0 Extra-parliamentary
1990 24,613 0.61% 45
0 / 130
 0 Extra-parliamentary
1995 6,085 0.15% 7
0 / 130
 0 Extra-parliamentary
1999 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 37,696 0.81% 74
0 / 107
 0 Extra-parliamentary
2018 42,918 0.75% 117
0 / 124
 0 Extra-parliamentary

Party leaders
  • 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)<The Sunday Sun newspaper October 23, 1988 pg. 74 "New leader waxes poetic"></ref>
  • 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

References
  1. "Party Officers: Ontario Libertarian Party". Retrieved November 4, 2017.
  2. Miller, Vince. Taking Liberty Global, archived version: Archived July 2, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, August 4, 2005. Retrieved on December 25, 2007.
  3. "Ontario Charter of Rights and Freedoms". libertarian.on.ca. Libertarian Party of Ontario. January 4, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  4. 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.
  5. "Ontario Charter of Rights and Freedoms". libertarian.on.ca. Libertarian Party of Ontario. January 4, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  6. Bulletin 18:1 Spring 1997
  7. "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast" (PDF). Elections Canada. October 21, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 1, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  8. McLarty, Jeffrey (2011). "Candidates, Vote Tally Doubled over 2007". libertarian.on.ca. Archived from the original on June 1, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  9. "The 1995 Provincial Election". libertarian.on.ca. 1995. Archived from the original on June 1, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  10. Powers, Lucas (June 3, 2022). "Ontario's Progressive Conservatives sail to 2nd majority, NDP and Liberal leaders say they will resign". CBC News.
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