ONTARIO (June 8, 1995) - Ontario voters took no chances on having to endure another term with Bob Rae's New Democratic Party by voting for the most electable alternative that seemed the furthest removed from Rae's policies: Mike Harris' Progressive Conservatives.
For Freedom Party, the conservative victory was the bittersweet consequence of an election that, from the very beginning, left voters with few options. With the PC platform sounding more and more like Freedom Party's with each passing day approaching election, the conservative majority clearly affected potential votes for Freedom Party, resulting in the lowest vote average in Fp's four-election history. (See chart, below.)
Freedom Party's 12 candidates averaged a vote return of 1.14% in Election'95, down almost a third from the 1.70% Election'90 average. Though disappointing, this compared favourably against the nearly 50% loss in votes collectively suffered by Ontario's other alternative parties (See second chart, below.) When viewed against the backdrop of the NDP's destructive fiscal and social policies, the voter's shift towards Harris' "Common Sense Revolution" was not entirely unexpected. Both Liberals and New Democrats suffered vote losses, each contributing to the doubling of the vote garnered by the PCs.
On the brighter side for Fp supporters, the PC victory was a sign that Ontario voters are starting to look for the kinds of policies that Fp has been consistently advocating since its founding in 1984, Whether or not the PCs are philosophically willing or able to deliver on their promises is another matter. Many of the policies in their "Common Sense Revolution" represent a direct turnabout on past PC policies, indicating a total lack of philosophical consistency for the party.
As Fp vice-president and London Centre candidate Lloyd Walker continually reminded voters in his riding: "The PCs, Liberals, and NDP brought us here. Does anyone believe they will solve the problems they created?"
This was reflected in calls to Fp's offices about its Election'95 platform. Though received very warmly, and often enthusiastically, those same voters expressed both regret and frustration with their having to vote for the PCs, since Fp could not form a government with only 12 candidates on the slate.
Needless to say, between now and the next provincial election, Freedom Party will be hard at work to establish a full slate of candidates (99, if the PCs reduce the size of provincial parliament as they promised; 130 if no changes are made). We invite all interested readers to get involved by contacting Fp headquarters as soon as possible. The time to begin campaigning for Ontario's next election is NOW!
| RIDING | 1985 VOTES | 1987 VOTES | 1990 VOTES | 1995 VOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don Mills*** | - | 475 (1.75%) | 413 (1.45%) | 227 (0.87%) |
| Elgin | - | 546 (1.68%) | 1104 (3.29%) | 560 (1.70%) |
| Fort York | - | 174 (0.83%) | - | - |
| Halton Centre | - | - | 731 (1.89%) | - |
| Lambton | - | - | - | 389 (1.43%) |
| London Centre | 403 (1.58%) | 587 (1.36%) | 491 (1.41%) | 519 (1.70%) |
| London North* | 566 (1.49%) | 534 (1.34%) | 601 (1.37%) | 338 (0.77%) |
| London South | 614 (1.27%) | 430 (1.01%) | 614 (1.61%) | 336 (0.83%) |
| Middlesex | - | 499 (1.46%) | 895 (2.34%) | 448 (1.21%) |
| Mississauga East | - | 767 (2.37%) | 453 (1.48%) | - |
| Mississauga South | - | 707 (2.16%) | - | - |
| Nepean | - | - | - | 283 (0.78%) |
| Oxford | - | - | 341 (0.93%) | 148 (0.42%) |
| Perth | - | - | - | 427 (1.40%) |
| Scarborough North | - | - | - | 657 (1.97%) |
| Welland-Thorold** | - | - | 396 (1.23%) | 285 (0.95%) |
| TOTALS (AVERAGES) | 1583 (1.45%) | 4719 (1.55%) | 6039 (1.70%) | 4626 (1.14%) |
| PARTY | 1987 | 1990 | 1995 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC | 931,473 | 904,564 | 1,854,298 |
| LIBERAL | 1,788,214 | 1,302,134 | 1,788,214 |
| NDP | 970,813 | 1,509,508 | 847,759 |
| OTHERS | 86,811 | 261,875 | 142,382 |
| TOTAL | 3,777,311 | 4,081,079 | 4,125,558 |
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last updated on April 28, 2002
