Free Party Canada
Free Party Canada Parti Libre Canada | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Michel Leclerc |
| Registered | 2016 (provincial) September 30, 2020 (federal) |
| Headquarters | 27A Hochar Avenue Saint-Sauveur, Quebec J0R 1R4[1] |
| Ideology | Direct democracy Vaccine hesitancy |
| Colours | Gold |
| Website | |
| partilibrecanada | |
Free Party Canada (French: Parti Libre Canada) is a minor federal political party in Canada. It is led by Michel Leclerc, advocates for direct democracy and lower taxes, and promotes vaccine hesitancy.
History
In 2016, the party registered provincially in Quebec as Parti libre Saint-Sauveur ("Free Party Saint-Sauveur") and ran in local elections in Saint-Sauveur, as well as in the 2017 by-election for Gouin.[2][3][4][5] Its eight candidates in the 2018 Quebec general election received a total of 1,618 votes.[6] Registered federally on September 30, 2020,[7] its first federal campaign was for the 2020 Toronto Centre federal by-election.[8]
2021 election
The party ran 59 candidates in the 2021 Canadian federal election, most of them in Quebec or in Francophone areas of New Brunswick and Ontario,[9] garnering over 47,000 votes.[10] Its platform attracted notice for its opposition to mandated COVID vaccination[11][12][13][14][15][16] and vaccination passports,[17] and some candidates had been active in organising events opposed to the pandemic health measures.[18][19] The party also called for the introduction of a direct democracy and lower taxes.[20][21][22][23] Other candidates raised issues of housing affordability, transport and local accountability to electors.[9][24][25] Party leader Michel Leclerc ran in Laurentides—Labelle, where he had been an independent candidate in the 2019 Canadian federal election.[26] In an interview with a TVA comedian at an anti-vaccination rally, Leclerc claimed that viruses were humans, that vaccinations decreased life expectancy, and (claiming to be trained as an astronaut) denied the Moon landing.[27]
Election results
Federal
| Election | Leader | Candidates | Votes | % | Seats won | +/− | Rank | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Michel Leclerc | 59 / 338
|
47,254 | 0.28% | 0 / 338
|
7th | No seats |
Provincial
| Election | Leader | Candidates | Votes | % | Seats won | +/− | Rank | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Michel Leclerc | 8 / 125
|
1,678 | 0.04% | 0 / 125
|
12th | No seats |
Municipal (Saint-Sauveur)
| Election | Leader | Candidates | Votes[28] (Mayor) |
% | Seats won | +/− | Rank | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Michel Leclerc | 7 / 7
|
88 | 2.39% | 0 / 7
|
4th | No seats | |
| 2021 | Michel Leclerc | 5 / 7
|
36 | 0.95% | 0 / 7
|
|
4th | No seats |
References
- ^ "Registered Political Parties and Parties Eligible for Registration". Elections Canada. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
- ^ QMI, Agence. "Partielle du 29 mai dans Gouin: 13 candidats en lice". Le Journal de Montréal.
- ^ "Michel Leclerc présente son équipe". November 1, 2017.
- ^ "Course à la mairie de Saint-Sauveur". December 14, 2016.
- ^ "Partis politiques". Élections Québec.
- ^ ICI.Radio-Canada.ca, Zone Politique-. "Élections au Québec : nombre record de partis politiques autorisés en 45 ans | Élections Québec 2018". Radio-Canada.ca (in Canadian French). Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ Canada, Elections (September 20, 2021). "Partis politiques enregistrés et partis politiques admissibles pour enregistrement". www.elections.ca.
- ^ "POLLS OPEN: Toronto voters pick federal candidates in two byelections". torontosun.
- ^ a b "Élections fédérales 2021 - Entrevue avec Louis Bérubé". FM90 Route 17. September 10, 2021. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ Canada, Elections. "Election Night Results - National". enr.elections.ca.
- ^ Brunet-Dupont, Tristan (September 16, 2021). "La vaccination et la démocratie, Bianca Girard du Parti libre du Canada explique la vision de son parti".
- ^ "Chantale Giguère représentera le Parti Libre Canada aux élections fédérales". EnBeauce.com.
- ^ Cantin, Alexandre. "Que propose vraiment le Parti libre Canada?" – via www.journaldequebec.com.
- ^ Chassagne, Boris; local, Initiative de journalisme (September 21, 2021). "Le Parti libre du Canada s'en tire avec 2% des voix".
- ^ "Le Parti libre Canada en campagne". August 31, 2021.
- ^ Dami-Houle, Laurence (September 14, 2021). "Élections fédérales: Monique Leduc représente le Parti Libre Canada".
- ^ Fortin, Claude (September 16, 2021). "Parti libre du Canada : Mélanie Gendron dit non au passeport vaccinal". MonMatane (in French). Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ "Chantale Giguère se présente pour le Parti Libre du Canada". September 5, 2021.
- ^ Racine, Jean-François. "Fédérales 2021: vaincu en Beauce, Maxime Bernier parle de la naissance d'un nouveau mouvement" – via www.journaldemontreal.com.
- ^ "Programme". partilibrecanada.org.
- ^ St-Pierre, Jean (August 31, 2021). "Bianca Girard se porte candidate du Parti Libre du Canada dans Manicouagan".
- ^ "Les quatre actions prioritaires de Carole Boisvert au sein Parti Libre Canada". September 17, 2021.
- ^ "Gilles Brodeur: la démocratie directe du Parti libre". September 14, 2021. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ "Élections fédérales 2021 : Karine Simard, Parti libre du Canada | POLITIQUE". Monsaintsauveur. September 10, 2021.
- ^ "La pénurie de main-d'oeuvre et de logements au coeur du débat de Madawaska-Restigouche". infoweekend.ca.
- ^ Proteau, Alex (September 14, 2021). "5 candidats nous expliquent pourquoi ils se présentent pour un parti qui ne gagnera (probablement) pas". 24 heures.
- ^ ""L'astronaute" du vox pop de Guy Nantel était candidat aux élections fédérales... et a perdu". TVA Nouvelles.
- ^ "Résultats des élections pour les postes de maire et de conseiller". Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation.