Reform Party of Ontario
Encyclopedia
The Reform Party of Ontario is a political party
in Ontario
, Canada
. Until the 1999 provincial election
, the party ran one candidate each election merely to keep the party's name in the possession of the Reform Party of Canada
.
Although a small group of candidates laid claim to the name, they had been forced to run under title 'Independent Reform'. As the federal Reform Party is now defunct, several independent Reformers have revived the party name, and the party ran two candidates in the 2007 provincial election
and four in the 2011 provincial election
.
The Reform Party of Ontario is not to be confused with the pre-Confederation Reform Party
, which later became the Liberal Party of Ontario, or with the leftist United Reform
party of the 1940s.
in each election and would not campaign actively. Ken Kalopsis, the co-president of the Canadian Alliance
, was picked to run for the RPO in the 1999 provincial election
in Davenport
solely in order to control the rights to the party name. Kalopsis won 174 votes without campaigning.
Federal Reform leader Preston Manning
and Ontario Premier
Mike Harris
had a good relationship, and it was agreed that the Reform party would not campaign actively provincially in order to prevent vote-splitting. The provincial PCs returned the favour by giving some unofficial support to Reform in federal politics.
Robert Beard was the party's leader in 2002. With the end of the federal Reform Party, the RPO was deregistered in September 2003.
.
Subsequent to the 1995 general election
, the group founded "Grassroots United Against Reform's Demise" (GUARD) to lobby for the Reform Party's participation in provincial politics. "Focus Federally For Reform", which opposed an active party, was formed in response. A vast majority of Ontario Reform supporters backed Focus Federally, and Grassroots United lost their bid to have the party enter Ontario politics.
The group supporting a Reform movement in Ontario formed the Reform Association for Ontario and ran unsuccessfully in the 1995 election. The party's leader, Kimble Ainslie
, alleged that Preston Manning and Mike Harris had arranged a secret deal to prevent the federal Reform Party from participating in provincial politics. Candidates were nominated in Huron—Bruce
, Kitchener—Waterloo, and other ridings in London, Ontario
, and won only a handful of votes.
In the 1999 Ontario election
, the Reform Association for Ontario ran a candidate in Prince Edward—Hastings
and in the 2003 Ontario election
ran a candidate in Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
. Both were credited as "Independent Reform" candidates, and both were unsuccessful.
The Reform Association for Ontario was renamed the Reform Ontario Movement and continued to promote its agenda, including fixed election dates, a referendum on the issue of electoral reform, and more free votes in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
.
, which was formed by and led by Bill Cook, a former Reform Ontario activist. When the name was rejected in 2005, the party was then intended to be revived as Ontario Alternative. However, as the federal Reform party no longer has possession of the name "Reform Party of Ontaro", the name was re-claimed by the provincial Reformers for the 2007 election
. The party ran two candidates, in Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
and Lambton—Kent—Middlesex
, but neither candidate was elected.
announced that a by-election would be held on March 5, 2009 in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock
to fill the seat vacated by Progressive Conservative
Member of Provincial Parliament Laurie Scott, who stepped aside so that PC leader John Tory
could seek a seat in the legislature.
Reform Party leader Brad Harness announced that the party planned to run a candidate, and slammed Tory as an "urbanite" who wouldn't appeal to "big C" Conservatives. Harness emphasized Reformers are not social conservatives, but fiscal conservatives favouring smaller government and greater individual liberties. However, the party did not end up fielding a candidate.
Mr. Harness announced that he would run a Reform candidate in the March 4, 2010 by-election in Ottawa West—Nepean
, but did not do so.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Until the 1999 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1999
An Ontario general election was held on June 3, 1999, to elect members of the 37th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, the party ran one candidate each election merely to keep the party's name in the possession of the Reform Party of Canada
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
.
Although a small group of candidates laid claim to the name, they had been forced to run under title 'Independent Reform'. As the federal Reform Party is now defunct, several independent Reformers have revived the party name, and the party ran two candidates in the 2007 provincial election
Ontario general election, 2007
The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
and four in the 2011 provincial election
Ontario general election, 2011
The 40th Ontario general election was held on October 6, 2011 to elect members of the 40th Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The Ontario Liberal Party will form a minority government, with the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario serving as the Official Opposition and the Ontario New...
.
The Reform Party of Ontario is not to be confused with the pre-Confederation Reform Party
Reform Party (pre-Confederation)
The Reform movement, sometimes referred to as the Reform Party, began in the 1830s as the movement in the English speaking parts of British North America . It agitated for responsible government....
, which later became the Liberal Party of Ontario, or with the leftist United Reform
United Reform
The United Reform Movement or United Reform was an attempt in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, to create a left wing farmer-labour coalition....
party of the 1940s.
Official Reform Party of Ontario
The federal Reform Party registered the "Reform Party of Ontario" name in 1989, and re-registered it in 1994. This registration was made to prevent anyone else from using the 'Reform' name in Ontario politics; the party would nominate one paper candidatePaper candidate
In a representative democracy, the term paper candidate is often given to a candidate who stands for a political party in an electoral division where the party in question enjoys only low levels of support...
in each election and would not campaign actively. Ken Kalopsis, the co-president of the Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
, was picked to run for the RPO in the 1999 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1999
An Ontario general election was held on June 3, 1999, to elect members of the 37th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
in Davenport
Davenport (provincial electoral district)
Davenport is a provincial electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.It was created in 1999 from parts of Oakwood, Dovercourt, Parkdale, High Park—Swansea and a small part of York South....
solely in order to control the rights to the party name. Kalopsis won 174 votes without campaigning.
Federal Reform leader Preston Manning
Preston Manning
Ernest Preston Manning, CC is a Canadian politician. He was the only leader of the Reform Party of Canada, a Canadian federal political party that evolved into the Canadian Alliance...
and Ontario Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
had a good relationship, and it was agreed that the Reform party would not campaign actively provincially in order to prevent vote-splitting. The provincial PCs returned the favour by giving some unofficial support to Reform in federal politics.
Robert Beard was the party's leader in 2002. With the end of the federal Reform Party, the RPO was deregistered in September 2003.
Unofficial movement
In 1993, several supporters of the Reform Party of Canada started a movement which advocated for an active Reform party in Ontario. This movement was not affiliated with the national Reform party, and thus was prevented from using the Reform Party of Ontario name by Elections OntarioElections Ontario
Elections Ontario is a non-partisan Agency of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. They work under the Chief Electoral Officer, an officer of the Legislative Assembly. responsible for the conduct of provincial elections.-External links:*...
.
Subsequent to the 1995 general election
Ontario general election, 1995
The Ontario general election of 1995 was held on June 8, 1995, to elect members of the 36th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada...
, the group founded "Grassroots United Against Reform's Demise" (GUARD) to lobby for the Reform Party's participation in provincial politics. "Focus Federally For Reform", which opposed an active party, was formed in response. A vast majority of Ontario Reform supporters backed Focus Federally, and Grassroots United lost their bid to have the party enter Ontario politics.
The group supporting a Reform movement in Ontario formed the Reform Association for Ontario and ran unsuccessfully in the 1995 election. The party's leader, Kimble Ainslie
Kimble Ainslie
Kimble F. Ainslie is a public policy analyst, pollster, author and former politician, originally based in Ontario, Canada.Ainslie has a PhD in Political Science from York University, as well as degrees from the University of Western Ontario and Queen's University.He was a party leader in...
, alleged that Preston Manning and Mike Harris had arranged a secret deal to prevent the federal Reform Party from participating in provincial politics. Candidates were nominated in Huron—Bruce
Huron—Bruce
Huron—Bruce is a federalelectoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1953.-History:...
, Kitchener—Waterloo, and other ridings in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, and won only a handful of votes.
In the 1999 Ontario election
Ontario general election, 1999
An Ontario general election was held on June 3, 1999, to elect members of the 37th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, the Reform Association for Ontario ran a candidate in Prince Edward—Hastings
Prince Edward—Hastings
Prince Edward—Hastings is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968...
and in the 2003 Ontario election
Ontario general election, 2003
The Ontario general election of 2003 was held on October 2, 2003, to elect the 103 members of the 38th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
ran a candidate in Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound (provincial electoral district)
Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound is a provincial electoral district in western Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario....
. Both were credited as "Independent Reform" candidates, and both were unsuccessful.
The Reform Association for Ontario was renamed the Reform Ontario Movement and continued to promote its agenda, including fixed election dates, a referendum on the issue of electoral reform, and more free votes in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
.
Recent events
It appears that Reform Ontario was intended to be superseded by the Representative Party of OntarioRepresentative Party of Ontario
The Representative Party of Ontario was a reserved provincial political party name in the Province of Ontario, Canada. The party's request to register the name and abbreviation was submitted in early September 2004, verified late October-early November and reserved on Friday, December 17, 2004...
, which was formed by and led by Bill Cook, a former Reform Ontario activist. When the name was rejected in 2005, the party was then intended to be revived as Ontario Alternative. However, as the federal Reform party no longer has possession of the name "Reform Party of Ontaro", the name was re-claimed by the provincial Reformers for the 2007 election
Ontario general election, 2007
The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
. The party ran two candidates, in Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound (provincial electoral district)
Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound is a provincial electoral district in western Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario....
and Lambton—Kent—Middlesex
Lambton—Kent—Middlesex (provincial electoral district)
Lambton—Kent—Middlesex is a provincial electoral district in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario....
, but neither candidate was elected.
2009 and 2010 by-elections
On February 4, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuintyDalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
announced that a by-election would be held on March 5, 2009 in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock
Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock (provincial electoral district)
Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock is a provincial electoral district in Central Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario....
to fill the seat vacated by Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
Member of Provincial Parliament Laurie Scott, who stepped aside so that PC leader John Tory
John Tory
John Howard Tory is a Canadian businessman, political activist, former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, former Member of Provincial Parliament and broadcaster...
could seek a seat in the legislature.
Reform Party leader Brad Harness announced that the party planned to run a candidate, and slammed Tory as an "urbanite" who wouldn't appeal to "big C" Conservatives. Harness emphasized Reformers are not social conservatives, but fiscal conservatives favouring smaller government and greater individual liberties. However, the party did not end up fielding a candidate.
Mr. Harness announced that he would run a Reform candidate in the March 4, 2010 by-election in Ottawa West—Nepean
Ottawa West—Nepean (provincial electoral district)
Ottawa West—Nepean is a provincial electoral district in eastern Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.The riding has been represented in the Ontario legislature by Liberal Bob Chiarelli since 2010....
, but did not do so.
Election results
| Election | Candidates nominated | Candidates elected | Total votes | % of popular vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 Ontario general election, 2007 The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular... |
2 | - | 354 | 0.01% |
See also
- List of Ontario general elections
- List of Ontario political parties
- Reform Party of AlbertaReform Party of AlbertaThe Reform Party of Alberta is a defunct provincial political party in Alberta, Canada, that was registered with Elections Alberta. Its leader was David Salmon.-Early history:...