Ontario FCP hopes to gain in expected provincial election

Search team still working to get candidates in more ridings

By Fr. Alphonse de Valk
The Interim

On Feb. 27 the Family Coalition Party of Ontario held an upbeat pre-election annual meeting in Toronto.

The pro-life social justice conservative party is looking forward to its fourth Ontario election. Having survived the three great Liberal, NDP, and Conservative electoral sweeps of 1987, 1990, and 1995 respectively, it sees an opportunity for major advances in electoral support.

The meeting was addressed by party leader Giuseppe Gori, who is running in the riding of Halton. Ron Gray, leader of the federal Christian Heritage Party, spoke eloquently about the absolute need for an alternative to the old parties. He also pledged the full support of his Ontario members to the FCP.

Participants acclaimed a new executive and overwhelmingly approved the full-time engagement of former leader Don Pennell of Burlington to serve—together with current leader Giuseppe Gori—on a search team for prospective candidates.

New party president is Louis Reitzel of Kitchener; vice-president is Patrick Redmond of Markham; and Henri Cloudt of Toronto, is chief financial officer. Shirley Pennell of Burlington is secretary. The three vice-presidents are Linda Freiburger of Walkerton, Matt Granic of Windsor, and Lynn Scime of Hamilton. John Gots of Guelph is policy writer.

The party finances are in the black; 12 ridings have committed themselves to candidates, a figure that will grow rapidly through the months of March and April; and a new party election headquarters is to be opened in early March.

So far, the following provincial ridings have candidates or have committed themselves to get an FCP candidate in the immediate future: Bruce-Grey, Cambridge, Erie-Lincoln, Hamilton Mountain, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Markham, Oakville, Ottawa-Vanier, Oxford, Peterborough, and Toronto-Don Mills.

In education the party's policy is "parental choice;" in justice, opposition to "judicial activism;" for the sick and the elderly, "health care means healing." While being a pro-life social justice party, the FCP also believes that taxes should come down and that Ontario needs a smaller and leaner government.

The party needs volunteers and men and women to serve as candidates and in riding associations. Please contact Giuseppe Gori tel. (416) 384-5659, e-mail: gori@revenue.com. Temporary office tel. (905) 640-6702, fax (905) 640-8102, e-mail: fcpont@netrover.com. Website: www.FamilyParty.on.ca.

Party headquarters will prepare brochures for use province-wide, and will standardize candidates' brochures. Candidates are asked to send in a photo, a curriculum vitae, and local issues for space to be set aside in a brochure.