PERTH COUNTY – The New Blue Party, started by Jim and Belinda Karahalios, is looking to shake up establishment. From March 31 to April 2, the new party held its first conference where they had guest speakers and announcements to make – the biggest being their platform: The New Blueprint.
The New Blueprint, found on their website, lists a few key issues:
- renew political accountability
- defund established media
- grow Ontario’s economy
- provide tax reform
- reform education
- re-establish transparency in health care.
Specifically, they want to scrap “the $100 million taxpayer subsidy of political parties” and ban lobbyists from party politics. They want to cut “HST from 13 per cent to 10 per cent and axe the Doug Ford carbon tax.” As listed on their platform page, they are also against “woke activism” and want to remove critical race theory and gender identity theory from schools.
Belinda Karahalios previously served Cambridge as a member of the PC party, before she was expelled from the caucus in July of 2020 for voting against Bill 195, The Reopening Ontario Act. She has since sat as the first and only member of the New Blue, the party started by her and her husband, Jim, who serves as leader.
During their three-day conference, which they used as training for their new candidates, they had guests such as journalist Sue-Ann Levy, radio host Richard Syrett, and best-selling author Theo Fleury, among others.
They also announced all 118 candidates for Ontario. For Perth-Wellington, they announced Bob Hosken of Harriston as their candidate.
