The Freedom Party of Canada (abbreviated to FpC) was founded on July 20, 2001 by Paul McKeever (then a member of the executive of the Freedom Party of Ontario) and Robert Metz (President and co-founder of Freedom Party of Ontario). It has not registered itself with Elections Canada for election finance purposes and has never run candidates.
The Freedom Party of Canada is the federal counterpart of the Freedom Party of Ontario, which was founded in 1984. The party advocates individual liberty and personal responsibility. It describes its political orientation as being in the tradition of John Locke and Ayn Rand. It is a pro-capitalist party and favours minimal government involvement in economic matters.
The Freedom Party of Canada is associated with Freedom Party International, an organization formed to continue the educational role of The Freedom Party of Ontario ("FpO") when FpO, in 2002, began the process of structuring itself to become an electoral party.
The party released a platform called The Right Direction, also known as the "burgundy book" which calls for a flat tax, less protectionism, more competition, same-sex marriage, and legalized abortion. The party released its 2008 election platform in 2004, expecting 2008 to be the year in which it would first be ready to run candidates.
Freedom Party submitted its application for registration in 2004 but its application was voided by a change in party registration and funding legislation. Freedom Party decided against registration under the new system, which it finds both objectionable and disadvantageous to the development of a party that stands for individual freedom and democracy and did not field candidates in the 2008 federal election.
The party is not related to the Freedom Party of British Columbia.
Famous quotes containing the words freedom, party and/or canada:
“I wish to speak a word for Nature, for absolute freedom and wildness, as contrasted with a freedom and culture merely civil,—to regard man as an inhabitant, or a part and parcel of Nature, rather than as a member of society. I wish to make an extreme statement, if so I may make an emphatic one, for there are enough champions of civilization: the minister and the school committee and every one of you will take care of that.”
—Henry David David (1817–1862)
“The best number for a dinner party is two—myself and a dam’ good head waiter.”
—Nubar Gulbenkian (1896–1972)
“This universal exhibition in Canada of the tools and sinews of war reminded me of the keeper of a menagerie showing his animals’ claws. It was the English leopard showing his claws.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)