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[3]
ColoursBlue and gold
Seats in Legislature
0 / 124
Website
www.newblueontario.com

The New Blue Party of Ontario (abbr. New Blue;[4] French: Nouveau Parti Bleu de l'Ontario) is a minor socially conservative[2] 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

Prior to the party's formation

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 that 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

A sign advertising the New Blue Party in the 2022 Ontario general election

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] Belinda Karahalios, an independent after having been removed from the PC caucus, became the lone MPP for the New Blue Party as of January 18, 2021.[17]

Karahalios ran as a New Blue candidate in the 2022 provincial election, but lost her seat, coming in fourth.[18] The party won no seats in the 2022 provincial election.[19]

Ideology and principles

Ideology

The New Blue Party is a right-wing, social conservative party that has been described as being to the right of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario from which it split.[3][2] The party has publicly opposed all measures taken against COVID-19; at least one of the party's candidates for the 2022 Ontario general election took part in the Canada convoy protest.[20][21]

An article in the Simcoe Reformer described the New Blue party as being against "woke activism" and in favour of removing critical race theory and "gender identity theory" from schools.[22]

Election results

Election results
Election year No. of
overall votes		  % of
overall total		 No. of
candidates run		 No. of
seats won		 +/− Government
2022 127,180 2.72
123 / 124 †
0 / 124
 -1 N/A

† One New Blue candidate in Ottawa West—Nepean was deregistered on May 17, 2022, due to Canadian military rules.[23]

References

  1. 1 2 "Registered Political Parties". Elections Ontario. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Hoff, George (May 3, 2022). "Here are the challenges the Tories will encounter as they seek a second majority". CP24. Bell Media. Retrieved May 9, 2022. The New Blue Ontario Party will be courting socially conservative Ontarians who have opposed the various public health restrictions imposed during the two years of the pandemic.
  3. 1 2 Farquhar, Ruth. "Farquhar: Now is a fun time for political junkies in Ontario". thesudburystar. Retrieved May 9, 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.
  17. ↑ "Belinda Karahalios | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". June 7, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Candidate Search". Elections Ontario. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  19. ↑ Powers, Lucas (June 3, 2022). "Ontario's Progressive Conservatives sail to 2nd majority, NDP and Liberal leaders say they will resign". CBC News.
  20. ↑ Kovach, Joelle (May 5, 2022). "Peterborough-Kawartha New Blue candidate took part in Freedom Convoy". thepeterboroughexaminer.com. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Provincial election: Who are the candidates?". Sudbury.com. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  22. ↑ Ruby, Michelle. "New Blue Party candidate enters local race in upcoming provincial election". simcoereformer. Retrieved May 4, 2022. They are also against "woke activism" and want to remove critical race theory and gender identity theory from schools.
  23. ↑ Pugliese, David (May 18, 2022). "Military rules force New Blue candidate Scott Blandford to remove name from Ottawa West-Nepean ballot". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
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