Independent New Brunswick MLA Dominic Cardy has officially launched a new “no-nonsense” federal political party, with plans to run candidates in the upcoming Quebec and Winnipeg byelections.
The Canadian Future Party will be “fiscally responsible” and “socially liberal,” said Cardy, who is currently the interim leader of the new party, during an Aug. 14 news conference in Ottawa.
“Until today, no party is offering that combination. We do,” he said.
“The Canadian Future Party is for all Canadians, and I promise that we’re going to be courageous, we’re going to be competent, and we’re going to be evidence-based.”
Emphasizing that the party will be a “no-nonsense” one, he elaborated on the evidence-based approach.
“We’re going to approach every problem by looking at evidence. That’s our ideology—by looking at facts, by sharing our research, our methodology, so Canadians can understand how we arrive at our policy conclusions.”
While in the PC caucus, he served as minister of education and early childhood development, before resigning from the role and the caucus in 2022 over disagreements with party leadership. He currently sits as an Independent.
Cardy said the party has candidates lined up to run in the Sept. 16 byelections in Winnipeg and Montreal.
“The Canadian Future Party proposes to move not left, not right, but forward,” he said.
The party also intends to tackle the immigration system, which Cardy said without proper safeguards has led to an “immigration and housing crisis today.”
Cardy announced his intention to start a new federal party in 2023 as part of the group Centre Ice Canadians. It was first called Centre Ice Conservatives and focused on influencing Conservative positions during the party’s leadership race. It later changed “Conservatives” to “Canadians” to attract those from other parties as well.