Leader Paul McKeever Founded July 2001 (2001-07) | President Robert Metz Ideology Objectivism | |
Headquarters 240 Commissioners Road West
London, Ontario
N6J 1Y1 International affiliation Freedom Party International | ||
The Freedom Party of Canada (French: Parti de la Liberté du Canada) was founded on 20 July 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 yet registered 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 at that time and did not field candidates in the 2008 federal election. The party is preparing to register in the near future.
The party is not related to the Freedom Party of British Columbia.