May 312018
 

radioAUDIO – DESCRIPTION:

On May 31, 2018, Tom McConnell (radio 610 CKTB AM / 1290 CJBK AM ) interviewed Freedom Party leader Paul McKeever in the run-up to Ontario’s June 7, 2018 provincial election. Among the questions McKeever was asked (and answered) were: Does FP have a costed platform?; What would you do about electricity in this province?; What about energy conservation programs?; Would you give a discount now and make consumers pay more later?; End the ban on incandescent lightbulbs?; What would your plans be for health care?; Is there anything in your platform re: mental health and addiction?; What would you do about the Beer Store, LCBO, and the proposed Ontario government pot-dealing monopoly?; Is there any agency, board, or commission that you would get rid of?; How many candidates are you running in this election?; Why aren’t you Freedom Party people under the PC banner, trying to effect change from within that party?; Would you re-write the Green Energy Act so that Ontario doesn’t pay more for electricity that Ontario sells it for?; Is the difference between the Freedom Party and the Libertarian party?; What are some of the other things in Freedom Party’s platform that you’d like people to be aware of (McKeever touches on issues such instruction in schools; policing and public safety at university speaking events; due process vs. workplace investigations)?; What is your party’s realistic goal in this election?; Would you be in favour of proportional representation?

NOTE: During the interview, McKeever quotes Ontario Libertarian Party leader Allen Small. Those quotations, together with a link to the source text, is provided here: Continue reading »

May 312018
 

radioAUDIO – DESCRIPTION:

On the May 31, 2018 episode of Just Right, Freedom Party leader Paul McKeever and Just Right host (and Freedom Party of Ontario president/CFO) Robert Metz discussed the coming, June 7, 2018 Ontario provincial election, and how the Ontario PC Party has essentially consisted of echoing Liberal spending promises, refusing to balance the budget, and refusing to address serious social issues. In other words: they are alienating both fiscal conservatives and social conservatives, hoping that people will vote not for ideas, but for a party with a name that just happens to have the word “conservative” in it.

Regular listeners to Just Right will recognize the voice of Andrew Lawton (in one of the audio clips used in the episode) speaking at a Freedom Party of Ontario dinner in 2013 about his journey from associating with a party devoid of pro-freedom ideas (the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario) to a party that has and promotes the right ideas and policies. Lawton praises the courage of those who run for Freedom Party because it takes more courage to do that than to run with a bigger party devoid of pro-freedom ideas. Five years later, Lawton agreed – for the 2018 provincial election – to be the Progressive Conservative Party candidate for the riding of London West. McKeever and Metz discuss integrity.

Whole Episode:
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May 252018
 

radioAUDIO – DESCRIPTION:

On May 22, 2018, the Craig Needles Show (radio AM980, London, Ontario) hosted a debate among the PC, Liberal, NDP, and Green Party candidates in the riding of London North Centre in advance of the June 7, 2018 Ontario provincial general election. FP leader Paul McKeever was not invited even though he was one of the candidates in the riding. Prior to the London North Centre debate, McKeever wrote to Needles, who said he’d call McKeever – after the debate – to set up an interview. The interview occurred on May 24, 2018.

One day later, Needles held a “Friday Round Table” discussion with a panel consisting of Cheryl Miller (who ran as the Ontario PC candidate in the riding of London Fanshawe in 2011), Conservative party staffer Nathan Caranci, and former PC candidate (in the 2013 London West by-election) Ali Chahbar. The three partisans weighed-in about who should be included in candidate debates during elections. Panelist Ali Chahbar – who McKeever had, during the London West by-election of 2013, questioned about Chahbar’s sympathies for the Liberal Party and Shariah law (Chahbar lost that election, arguably as a result; see Londoners alarmed by sudden emergence of info re: Ontario PC candidate, Ali Chahbar and McKeever debates Chahbar (in 2013) on Andy Oudman show) – asked his fellow Progressive Conservative panelists whether an exception should be made for a party’s leader, and he specifically mentioned FP leader Paul McKeever as an example (Chahbar, clearly, was aware that McKeever had been a guest of Needles’ show one day prior). Needles said that he was “quite comfortable” with his show’s decision to exclude candidates whose parties had not won at least 2% of the vote in the previous election because Elections Ontario uses 2% as the threshold (on a per-riding basis) for provincial funding (NOTE: FP had achieved over 2% in London North Centre in the 2014 election, but McKeever was excluded from the London North Centre debate nonetheless, rendering Needles’ excuse for excluding McKeever disingenuous or, at least, wilfully blind). The response from the all-PC panel: “NO!!”. Chahbar followed-up by saying (of course) that he agreed with their sentiment: FP’s candidate should not be permitted to participate in the on-air candidates’ debate. Caranci expressed his love for the fact that everyone on the panel was “shot out of a cannon today” to which the host says “yes, McKeever”, after having explained that he’d received a number of e-mails about McKeever’s exclusion from the debate.

The whole charade underscores the desperate measures to which Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives are willing to conspire and resort to smears to prevent the emergence of Freedom Party as a party known to the public, and as a competitor to the Ontario PC party. We think they doth protest too much.

Interview:

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May 242018
 

radioAUDIO – DESCRIPTION:

On May 24, 2018, Freedom Party leader Paul McKeever was a guest of the Craig Needles Show (AM980, London, Ontario). Needles asked McKeever about Freedom Party’s election platform, including he party’s positions on balancing the budget, and on health care, electricity (unplugging wind and solar contracts), education (experiential learning and gender studies), London, Ontario’s Bus Rapid Transit (“BRT”) plan (McKeever and FP oppose provincial funding for it and oppose the plan itself) and more.

 

 

Interview:

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May 222018
 

“Freedom Party leader Paul McKeever today challenged candidates in the 4 London-area ridings (London North Centre, London Fanshawe, London West, and Elgin-Middlesex-London) to state clearly whether they are for or against the Bus Rapid Transit (“BRT”) plan, and whether they are in favour or opposed to provincial funding for the BRT…” Click here to read the full media release.

Feb 132018
 

“Freedom Party of Ontario today released its bold 2018 provincial election platform. The magazine-like cover of the platform features an illustration of Greek Titan Atlas, who has shrugged-off the weight of the world, and encourages the voter to shrug-off the government of Kathleen Wynne after 15 years of Liberal rule…” Click here to read the full media release.

Feb 132018
 

In anticipation of the June 7, 2018 Ontario provincial election, Freedom Party of Ontario released its 2018 Election platform in the early morning of February 13, 2018. In 2011, Freedom Party had released the world’s first-ever election platform audiobook and, for 2018, it again produced an audiobook version of the its platform (released at the same time). In the run-up to the election, the plaform also could be viewed in html format. Continue reading »

Jan 272017
 

radioAUDIO – DESCRIPTION:

On January 27, 2017, on The Andrew Lawton Show (CFPL AM 980, London, Ontario), Robert Metz, president and CFO of Freedom Party of Ontario, was interviewed by host Andrew Lawton about changes to the way political parties are financed in Ontario, and about proposals to replace Ontario’s first past the post electoral system with a system of proportional representation.

Lawton and Metz first discussed Ontario provincial Bill 2 (the Election Finances Statute Law Amendment Act, 2016), which simultaneously gives the Liberal, Progressive Conservative, NDP, and Green Parties millions of taxpayer dollars, annually, while imposing a barrier to the private funding of political parties (specifically, lowering the maximum contribution to $1,200 per annum, down from over $9,000.00 per annum). Metz explained that the bill takes away the public’s power over political parties because the government pays the bigger four parties out of tax revenue, regardless of whether those parties are representing the views of the public. The bill handicaps independent candidates too. The bill isn’t about funding elections: it’s about funding the biggest political parties year after year so that they can keep a lock on power, and prevent any emerging parties from competing with them. The law also violates freedom of association: it prohibits a party leader from attending his or her own fundraising events. Metz explained that one of the other purposes of the legislation is to allow political parties to spy on one another, and their contributors. Overall, said Metz, the new law “closes the door to the democratic process.”

After discussing the financing of political parties, Lawton and Metz turned to the issue of electoral reform. Metz explained that although Freedom Party might benefit a bit from a switch from our current “first past the post” system to a system of proportional representation, Freedom Party is against a switch to proportional representation. The Westminster model should be considered “sacred” said Metz. Freedom Party is in favour of principled governance, which is undermined by the minority government that results from proportional representation.

Listen to the interview:

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