Consensus Ontario is a minor political party in Ontario, Canada. The party is led by Ron Patava.[1]
Consensus Ontario | |
|---|---|
| Registered provincial party | |
| Leader | Ron Patava |
| President | Ron Patava |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Headquarters | 64 Jersey Lane Halton Hills ON L7G 0G9 [1] |
| Ideology | Populism Non-partisan consensus government |
| Political position | Centre |
| Seats in Legislature | 0 / 107
|
| Website | |
| www | |
History
editConsensus Ontario was founded in 2016 as a think tank.[2][3] Its original leader, Brad Harness, was the leader of the Reform Party of Ontario and founder of the Ontario Party of Canada, two smaller populist parties in the early 2000s. In preparation for the 2018 Ontario general election, the think tank registered as an official political party with Elections Ontario and fielded ten candidates for the election. The party de-registered after the 2018 election, but re-registered on May 11, 2022.[4]
In 2024, Ron Patava took over as leader from Brad Harness.[1]
Platform
editThe party has detailed several priority issues on its website; these include:[5]
- Introducing a single flat rate for electricity
- Reducing wait-times at health centres
- Building a long-term policy for rural and agricultural regions in Ontario
- Supporting immigration resettlement to rural areas
- Giving more autonomy to municipalities for planning and taxation
- Increased long-term care funding for seniors
- Overhauling the Ontario school curriculum, including the sexual education program
- Construction of high-speed rail in the province
- Turning the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway into provincial highways
Consensus Ontario's keystone policy is the removal of all political parties provincially and moving toward a non-partisan Consensus democracy.[6][7] Consensus democracy, used in the northern territorial governments of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, members of the legislature would not be bound by party discipline to choose a leader, speaker, or policy position.[8] The party also supports several other areas of democratic reform, including recall elections and referendums.[9]
The party also pays special attention to the provincial debt. One of Consensus Ontario's founding principles calls for a balanced budget.[9] The party hopes to balance the provincial budget within its first term in government, hoping to find 10% savings for taxpayers.[10]
Election results
editIncluding party leader Harness, Consensus Ontario nominated 10 candidates for the 2018 Ontario general election. In total, the party got 2,682 votes finishing 9th among 28 parties.
| Riding | Candidate's name | Notes | Votes[11] | %[11] | Rank[11] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humber River—Black Creek | Scott Aitchison | 320 | 1.03 | 6/7 | |
| Burlington | Peter Rusin | 154 | 0.24 | 7/7 | |
| Perth—Wellington | Paul McKendrick | 320 | 0.68 | 6/8 | |
| Kitchener—Conestoga | Dan Holt | 212 | 0.49 | 6/6 | |
| Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock | Chuck MacMillan | 312 | 0.55 | 7/7 | |
| Dufferin—Caledon | Stephen McKendrick | 301 | 0.49 | 6/7 | |
| Sudbury | Mila Chavez Wong | 284 | 0.79 | 5/8 | |
| London West | Brad Harness | 304 | 0.52 | 6/8 | |
| Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound | Janice Kaikkonen | 261 | 0.53 | 7/8 | |
| Nickel Belt | Kevin Brault | 214 | 0.59 | 7/8 |
References
edit- ^ a b c "Registered Political Parties in Ontario". www.elections.on.ca. Elections Ontario. Archived from the original on 2018-11-26. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
- ^ "Party Governance". Consensus Ontario. Archived from the original on 22 May 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
- ^ Hillman-Rapley, Lynda. "Strathroy man behind new political party". Sarnia Observer. Postmedia. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- ^ "Registered Political Parties". Elections Ontario. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ^ "Our 2018 Election Platform". Consensus Ontario. Archived from the original on 22 May 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
- ^ Brown, Dan (19 May 2018). "Consensus Ontario wants to end party politics for good". The London Free Press. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- ^ Nixon, Scott (22 March 2017). "Area publisher launches new political party". Exeter Times-Advocate. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- ^ "How Consensus Government Would Work". Consensus Ontario. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
- ^ a b "Our Principles". Consensus Ontario. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
- ^ "Policy Discussions". Consensus Ontario. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
- ^ a b c "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 December 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2019.