New Blue Party of Ontario

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

New Blue Party of Ontario
LeaderJim Karahalios[1]
PresidentBelinda Karahalios[1]
FoundedOctober 12, 2020 (2020-10-12)
RegisteredJanuary 7, 2021
Split fromProgressive Conservative Party of Ontario
HeadquartersPO Box 20046, 355 Hespeler Road
Cambridge, Ontario
Ideology
Political positionRight-wing to Far-right
ColoursBlue and gold
Seats in Legislature
1 / 124
Website
www.newblueontario.com

The New Blue Party of Ontario (abbr. New Blue;[4] French: Nouveau Parti Bleu de l'Ontario) is a political party in the Canadian province of Ontario. Founded in 2020, the party is led by Jim Karahalios, the husband of Belinda Karahalios, the party's first MPP.

History[edit]

Prior to the party's formation[edit]

In late 2017, Jim Karahalios, a corporate lawyer, was sued by the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario in retaliation for Karahalios's founding the activist groups "Axe The Carbon Tax" (opposing the party's pro-carbon tax position)[5] and "Take Back Our PC Party" (challenging the party's acceptance of nominations that resulted in allegations of electoral fraud).[6] Karahalios won the lawsuit when Superior Court Justice Paul Perell wrote a decision against the party ruling the lawsuit was a "strategic lawsuit against public participation” intended to stifle dissent.[7]

In 2018 following the resignation of Patrick Brown and the election of Doug Ford as Ontario PC Party leader, Belinda Karahalios ran for and won the party's nomination in the riding of Cambridge.[8] and in the 2018 Ontario election she was elected MPP for the riding.[9]

In November 2018, Jim Karahalios ran for the presidency of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party and later filed a lawsuit against the party after his defeat, alleging the election process was manipulated, election rules were breached and that ballot boxes were allegedly stuffed in order to elect his competitor, Brian Patterson, who was endorsed by Doug Ford.[10]

On July 21, 2020, Belinda Karahalios was expelled from the Progressive Conservative caucus by Doug Ford after voting against Bill 195, the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, which would expand the government's emergency authority during the COVID-19 pandemic. Karahalios voted against the legislation, calling it an "unnecessary overreach on our parliamentary democracy."[11][12] A month later, Belinda Karahalios, her husband Jim, and 18 other members of the Ontario PC Party were removed from the Cambridge PC Riding Association Board as a result of the party executive, led by Brian Patterson, voting to "de-register" the riding association with Elections Ontario.[13]

After the party's formation[edit]

On October 12, 2020, Jim and Belinda Karahalios released a video announcing that they were forming a new political party, claiming that the Ontario PC Party was beyond redemption. Stating that there "is no party in the Ontario legislature defending the taxpayer, defending small business, defending places of worship, promoting freedom, promoting democracy or fighting political corruption."[14][15]

On January 7, 2021, the New Blue Party was officially registered by Elections Ontario. Party leader Jim Karahalios stated that the party would focus on supporting the taxpayer, places of worship and small business.[16]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Registered Political Parties". Elections Ontario. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  2. ^ Ahmed, Alex (February 4, 2022). "Ontario's new New Blue Party set to battle Ford in election". Western Standard. Retrieved April 2, 2022. Voters in Ontario will have a brand new political party to vote for in next year’s provincial election – the conservative New Blue Party of Ontario is now officially registered.
  3. ^ "New Blue Party Founding Principles". www.newblueontario.com. March 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  4. ^ "Elections Ontario Registered Parties".
  5. ^ "Ontario needs a Plan B for fighting Trudeau's carbon tax — and this is it". financialpost. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  6. ^ "Sudbury by-election court decision could spell legal trouble for PC leader Patrick Brown | National Newswatch". www.nationalnewswatch.com. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  7. ^ "Party activist who opposed Patrick Brown gets apology from interim PC leader". thestar.com. March 1, 2018. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  8. ^ "Cambridge finally has a PC candidate for the provincial election and it's Belinda Karahalios". CBC News. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  9. ^ "PC Belinda Karahalios wins in Cambridge riding". CBC Kitchener-Waterloo, June 7, 2018.
  10. ^ D'Mello, Colin (October 17, 2019). "Lawsuit by Ontario Progressive Conservative member alleges 2018 party presidential election was flawed". CTV News. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  11. ^ Benzie, Robert (July 21, 2020). "Doug Ford ejects Cambridge MPP from PC caucus for voting against COVID-19 bill". Toronto Star. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  12. ^ Sharkey, Jackie (July 21, 2020). "Cambridge MPP Belinda Karahalios booted from PC caucus after voting against COVID-19 emergency bill". CBC News.
  13. ^ "Elections Ontario receives complaint from Cambridge PC Riding Association". KitchenerToday.com. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  14. ^ Brown, Desmond (November 8, 2020). "Ousted PC MPP Belinda Karahalios, husband Jim readying new party". CBC News. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  15. ^ "New Blue Party of Ontario". New Blue Party of Ontario. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  16. ^ Booth, Laura (February 1, 2021). "Former Cambridge Conservative MPP Belinda Karahalios and husband register new political party". Waterloo Region Record. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_Blue_Party_of_Ontario&oldid=1081533635"