MEDIA RELEASE – It’s Official: Freedom Government Possible for Ontario

 All, FPO Media Releases
Sep 152011
 

“Nominations closed at 2 PM today in Ontario’s provincial election and, for the first time, the Freedom Party of Ontario is running candidates in enough ridings to form a majority government. Ontario has 107 ridings. Fifty-four (54) MPPs are required to form a majority government. Freedom Party has nominated candidates in at least 56 ridings. Freedom Party is running candidates in all 24 Toronto ridings, giving it a full slate in the province’s most vote-rich region…”. Click here to read the full media release.

LETTER: Lifting McGuinty’s Ban on Pesticides Approved by Health Canada

 All, FPO Open Letters
Sep 132011
 

Freedom Party received an e-mail from a graduate student, K, who wrote, in part:

As a scientist-in-training, I applaud your party’s commitment to reason and in particular your suggestions to separate religious practice from schooling. However, I take issue with your party’s stance on pesticides.

There are two problems I have with this. The first is that it’s one thing to let people expose themselves to whatever toxic substance they wish, but nobody has a solid wall around their property that blocks windborn movement of pesticides, or insects (whose good health is important to birds, pollination services, and many small mammals). Consider it like having a neighbour blaring loud music at all hours of the day: their right to play loud music doesn’t override your right to be able to enjoy your property (including having a good night’s sleep).

The second I have is an issue of onus. While you argue that it is irrational to ban something that hasn’t been proven to be unsafe, I would argue the opposite: the onus is on government to regulate items that are not necessary (and really, a green lawn is not particularly necessary to one’s survival, ability to hold down a job, or have a family) that cannot be proven to be safe and impact everyone around them. Think of it like recreational drugs: I think it’s any one person’s (of age) choice to take recreational substances, but I don’t think people have the right to smoke indoors at their workplace where other people are forced to also consume that drug.

Toxicology is an immensely complicated science (and I’m appalled at the difficulties researchers in that field have with obtaining funding). And the tricky part about it is that testing on pregnant women or small children is unethical. But I think just because something hasn’t been proven to be safe, doesn’t mean it is. And we need to balance the benefits that item brings us versus the potential costs–I don’t think a green lawn is really more important than our health.

Anyway, I’m happy to hear what you think!

I replied as follows. Continue reading »

Freedom Party of Ontario’s 2011 Election Platform

 2011, All
Sep 072011
 

During the 2011 election, Freedom Party of Ontario released its election platform one plank at a time, beginning October 12, 2010 (Affordable Electricity). The 18th and final plank (Separating Public Schools and Organized Religious Practice) was released on August 2, 2011. Each plank was announced with a media release, and each plank release was accompanied by the release of a pre-election commercial that was viewable only on the web. Each plank release was also accompanied by an audio recording, available only on the web, of Freedom Party leader Paul McKeever reading the plank for the voter’s convenience. Freedom Party maintained a 2011 Election Platform web page. As each plank was released, a link to the plank was added to the Platform page. On September 7, 2011 – the day that the election writ was dropped for the 2011 Ontario provincial election – Freedom Party released its 2011 election platform as the world’s first-ever election platform audiobook.

HTML (web) version: https://freedomparty.on.ca/archive/elections/2011/platform/2011electionplanks.htm
AUDIOBOOK version: https://freedomparty.on.ca/archive/elections/2011/platform/2011-09-07.fpo-2011-platform-audiobook.m4b

SunMedia/Canoe: “Freedom leader slams LCBO”

 All, FPO Updates Blog
Aug 092011
 

updates-blog-entryAugust 9, 2011 – The St. Thomas Times-Journal (SunMedia/Canoe) today ran a big story today about Freedom Party of Ontario’s stand on making wine and beer sales legal in convenience/variety stores and grocery stores. The Liberals, NDP, and PCs are not in favour, but 60% of the Ontario public is. The story also features responses from the LCBO and the Ontario Ministry of Finance. Click here to read the article. Don’t forget to share it with your friends and acquaintances. And be sure to send a brief (3 to 5 sentence) letter to the Editor, expressing your views about the story, and the issue. You can submit your letter to the editor of the St. Thomas Time-Journal here. Continue reading »

St. Thomas Times Journal (Sunmedia/Canoe): FPO Leader – Quote of the Week

 All, Newspaper Clipping
Aug 062011
 

August 6, 2011 – Columnist Ian McCallum at the St. Thomas Times-Journal’s (SunMedia/Canoe), in his Saturday, August 6, 2011 City Scope column, has selected his quote of the week. Excerpt:

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“We want to have schools where the focus of education is reading, writing and arithmetic . . . we think we should leave divine revelation to the churches, the synagogues and the mosques.”

Freedom Party leader and Elgin-Middlesex-London candidate Paul McKeever in an interview this week with the T-J to unveil the party’s final plank for the fall provincial vote.

Be sure to bookmark and read the St. Thomas Times-Journal which, so far, appears more committed to local coverage of the Ontario election than most other newspapers in the province. Paul McKeever is Freedom Party of Ontario’s candidate in the riding of Elgin-Middlesex-London, which includes St. Thomas, so the St. Thomas Times-Journal may also prove to be a valuable news source about province-wide issues discussed by Ontario’s political party leaders as election day (October 6, 2011) approaches.

SunMedia/Canoe: “Freedom Party Expels Religion: Keep faith out of school, party says”

 All, Newspaper Clipping
Aug 032011
 

August 3, 2011 – The St. Thomas Times-Journal (SunMedia/Canoe) today ran a large and well-researched story today about the release, yesterday, of Freedom Party of Ontario’s “Separating Public Schools and Organized Religious Practice” plank. Writer Nick Lypaczewski sought comments about the plank from the Progressive Conservative candidate running against Freedom Party leader Paul McKeever in the riding of Elgin-Middlesex-London, and spoke to a superintendent of education with the Greater Essex County District School Board about its “pilot” project to teach public school children in Arabic. Click here to read the article. Don’t forget to share it with your friends and acquaintances. And be sure to send a brief (3 to 5 sentence) letter to the Editor, expressing your views about the story, and the issue. You can submit your letter to the editor of the St. Thomas Time-Journal here. Continue reading »

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