Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox political party The Ontario Libertarian Party (OLP; Template:Langx) 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.<ref>Miller, Vince. Taking Liberty Global, archived version: Template:Webarchive, August 4, 2005. Retrieved on December 25, 2007.</ref> The party is guided by a charter of principles, and its own Ontario charter of rights and freedoms.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He placed last out of 7 candidates with 129 votes or 0.35%.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Election resultsEdit
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.<ref>Bulletin 18:1 Spring 1997</ref>
In the 2007 general election, the party fielded 25 candidates and obtained a total of 9,249 votes.<ref name="elxn2014">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In the 2011 general election, the party ran 51 candidates and won a total of 19,387 votes; the party received 0.45% of the popular vote, which was more than double the number of candidates and votes received in 2007.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The party's most successful election was in the 2014 general election, with Libertarian candidates receiving 0.81% of the vote.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The party has never won a seat in any Ontario general election.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Party leadersEdit
- 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)<ref>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 alsoEdit
- Libertarian Party candidates, 2003 Ontario provincial election
- List of Ontario general elections
- List of political parties in Canada
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
Template:Ontario provincial political parties Template:Libertarian parties in Canada Template:Authority control