Libertarians: Ready to Party Again?

by Paul Geddes
April 1999

Libertarians in BC have now gone more than a year without having either a federal or provincial "registered" political party. The provincial party (BCLP) was deregistered for missing a financial report deadline and refusing to pay the subsequent late fee. The federal party (LPC) for not running fifty candidates in the last federal election. Both parties were forced to turn over all accumulated assets to the government and operate without the benefit of tax credits.

In Vancouver, local libertarians started the West Coast Libertarian Foundation and have continued to produce this newsletter and operate our periodic supper clubs. The foundation has not noticed any drop in donations and has already built up (through our summer barbecue auction) and generous contributions a bank balance of almost $2,000 (enough to pay for at least 10 more issues of the newsletter).

But recent events have made possible the re-registration of both parties. First, Elections BC has accepted the audited financial reports for the BC Libertarian Party and has decreed that the party is eligible for re-registration on December 31, 1999. Party President Rob Gillespie is thinking of holding a provincial convention before the end of the year to find a new party Leader to replace interim Leader Kelly Pearson. (Past Leader, Ken Wiebe resigned when he failed to receive a sufficient show of support at an emergency meeting on whether or not to comply with the Supreme Court's ruling about submitting our audited reports.)

On the federal scene, an Ontario judge recently ruled that the federal Election Act requires that a party nominate a minimum of 50 candidates (each paying a $1,000 registration fee) is too onerous. This judge ruled that the Communist Party need only two candidates to be registered and that the party should be entitled to keep its assets built up over its fifty year history.

We don't know how this ruling applies to the LPC. Elections Canada has not yet responded to our inquiries. Newspapers report that Elections Canada will appeal this judge's ruling and that the recently rewritten federal Elections Act may even impose more regulations that will affect small parties. In any case, the LPC ran only one candidate (John Clarke in Vancouver Centre) in the last election which the Ontario branch boycotted (ostensibly in support of relief efforts for the Winnipeg flooding). Party President (and interim Leader) Serge Brisson (dz510@freenet.carleton.ca) has suggested that the party should hold a convention soon to choose a new party Leader. (Past Leader Vincent Pouliot was forced to resign just as the last federal election was called for constitutional musings (i.e. saving the senate?) that had little to do with libertarianism.)

Also of interest, the libertarian Freedom Party of Ontario (www.freedomparty.org) is contemplating becoming a federal party. Party Leader Robert Metz has built up a small, stable organization in London, Ontario which has dedicated itself to slow and steady growth. From Vancouver, it's difficult to see why other Ontario libertarians don't get along with Metz. LPC members are urged to examine the Freedom Party's policy documents to see if this might be a better tool to bring the libertarian message to Canada. Although each of us might have sentimental attachments to the LPC name, they should also recall with sadness that muddy thinkers the likes of Stan Tyminski and Vincent Pouliot have emerged as party Leaders from past LPC conventions.