Dominic Cardy's new centrist party faces logistical challenges, says UNB prof
Canada Future Party still needs to register, field candidates
New Brunswick MLA Dominic Cardy and the new federal party he's leading have a long road ahead of them, says a political science professor who has looked at such movements.
Cardy says the Future Party of Canada, created by the advocacy group Centre Ice Canadians, will appeal to people tired of Liberals and Conservatives.
"You can imagine an appetite for that," said Prof. J.P. Lewis of the University of New Brunswick Saint John. "But it's a difficult sell."
Cardy has been a Progressive Conservative MLA and a New Democratic Party leader during his political career. A former minister in PC Premier Blaine Higgs's cabinet, Cardy now sits as the Independent MLA for Fredericton-West Hanwell and said he will stay on in that role.
His leadership of the Future Party, which is not yet registered with Elections Canada, is on an interim basis. He called his dip into federal politics a "part-time volunteer gig" for now.
"I've already made it clear I won't be running again in provincial politics," Cardy said. "But my my first priority is still the folks in Fredericton-West Hanwell as long as that constituency exists until the next election."
The new party's platform will include revitalizing nuclear energy, more defence support for Ukraine, bringing more immigrants to Canada, and shaking a reliance on China.
The platform will be evidence-based, Cardy said.
Lewis said many new parties will make a scene about doing politics differently.
"I think that's what they're trying to present with this more 'evidence-based,' and it's just a matter of will that catch on."
J.P.
Lewis, a political science professor at UNB Saint John, says he doesn't
know a New Brunswick politician better suited than Cardy to form a new
party, but that he still faces a challenge. (Graham Thompson/CBC)
Lewis noted Cardy has been upfront about the challenges that face the new party, and it does speak to Canadians who are socially liberal and fiscally conservative.
But it's still a difficult task, and logistics are the biggest hurdle. There are 338 seats in the House of Commons now, and there could be 343 by the time of the next election.
"To show that you're serious, you want to be running candidates in almost every riding," Lewis said.
Cardy also needs to attract more big names to the party, Lewis said, since it's "too late for a grassroots movement."
"It's almost like you have to keep going down that path and recruit so-and-so, who might excite some people," Lewis said. "But again that's tough."
Cardy, the former education minister in New Brunswick, resigned from the cabinet in 2022, citing concerns with Higgs's management style.
Lewis was not shocked when he saw Cardy being put forth as the leader of the new party.
"If there was going to be any New Brunswick politician who would be leading a party, looking for a new part on the spectrum, I don't know who would fit that bill better than Cardy," Lewis said, citing his ideological path and history.
Cardy's choice to sit as an independent might be what's pushing him toward federal politics, Lewis said.
"If he's not going to find a home with the provincial Liberals, the Greens or whoever else, it's tough to win as an independent candidate, even if you have a higher profile like Cardy would," Lewis said.
Canadians will see new parties appear from time to time when voters feel they don't fit into our existing 'big tent' parties, said Lewis said.
"So, from time to time, there will be moments where certain folks don't think that they fit in that party anymore, whether it's leadership issues or policy positions," Lewis said.
Corrections
- A previous version of this story said Dominic Cardy was an NDP MLA at one point in his political career. In fact, while he was the leader of the NDP, he did not have a seat in the legislature.Sep 23, 2023 6:29 PM AT
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With files from Information Morning Fredericton and Saint John
New party pitches itself as centrist option for voters unhappy with Liberals, Conservatives
Former New Brunswick cabinet minister Dominic Cardy will lead the Canadian Future Party temporarily
The group Centre Ice Canadians (CIC) announced Wednesday that, after months of consultations, it would be launching a new centrist party — the Canadian Future Party.
Dominic Cardy, a former Progressive Conservative provincial cabinet minister in New Brunswick and CIC advisory board chair, will lead the new party temporarily.
Cardy told CBC News Network's Power & Politics that CIC has heard from Canadians who "are fed up with the status quo."
"We heard from Liberal and Conservative members and voters that they felt their parties were becoming more extreme and less representative of their vision for the future of Canada and less representative of their values," Cardy told host David Cochrane.
Cardy said "evidence will be at the heart" of the party's ideology.
"When we talk about being centrist, we're not talking about being the mushy middle. We're talking about being the sharp, pointy end of the arrow trying to push things forward," he said.
'Worse than 338 root canals'
CIC was founded in 2022 by former federal Conservative leadership candidate Rick Peterson and branded itself as a "bold voice for pragmatic, centrist Canadians."
At one of CIC's initial public meetings, the group insisted it wasn't interested in forming a party. Peterson compared the task of setting up 338 riding associations to undergoing "338 root canals."
"We have found out there is something worse than 338 root canals," Cardy said when asked what changed since that meeting. "It's letting our politics be dominated by people who are unable to present any sort of plans for our country's future and are mainly engaged in online click-baiting."
Centre
Ice Canadians founder Rick Peterson said the group heard from a number
of Canadians who feel disillusioned with the current federal parties. (Darryl Dyck/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Cardy said many of the party's policies will be those CIC has been suggesting over the past year. He pitched ideas such as transitioning to nuclear energy as a way to reduce carbon emissions and bringing in more skilled immigrants to shore up Canada's workforce.
When asked about the new party, Housing Minister Sean Fraser told reporters the Liberals are focused on putting forward policies to help Canadians.
"Regardless of which parties may emerge ... our job is not to defend the interest or perspective of our party. It's to defend the interest and perspective of Canadians," he said.
CBC News reached out to the federal Conservative Party for comment but has not received a response.
The CIC says it will soon begin the process of registering the new party with Elections Canada. To do so, the party must have a minimum of three officers, an auditor and the signatures of 250 electors willing to register as party members.
Cardy said the party plans to hold its founding convention and leadership vote sometime in 2024. He didn't rule out running for the permanent leadership position but said he is focused on getting the party up and running.
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Centre Ice Conservatives are warming the bench for now
Moderate conservatives are worried, but what are they going to do about it?
Aaron Wherry · CBC News · Posted: Aug 13, 2022 5:00 AM ADT
"Former British Columbia premier Christy Clark commended those in attendance at the Centre Ice Conservatives conference for 'trying to preserve that middle political path."
Thursday's event was billed as the first annual "Let's Grow Canada" conference and panellists included a mix of academics, journalists and politicians — former Conservative MP Leona Alleslev, former Conservative senator Marjory LeBreton and former Conservative candidate Ann Francis. The lone active politician to participate — and one of the day's most impassioned speakers – was Dominic Cardy, minister of education and early childhood development in New Brunswick's Progressive Conservative government.
"There is a void at the heart of Canadian politics. If we don't fill it, we will lose our country," Cardy ominously declared in an essay that preceded the conference this week.
The day's discussion covered several broad topics and panellists expounded on ideas like the importance of economic growth, the value of fiscal discipline and the need to deal seriously with the global threats that loom beyond Canada's borders. In her keynote address, Clark lamented that both Liberals and Conservatives were being divisive and exclusionary in their rhetoric.
(Moments later, in response to a question from the audience, Clark said that calls for an Alberta Sovereignty Act were "batshit crazy." So apparently it's still OK to condemn some things in emphatic terms.)"
Near the end of Thursday's gathering, Peterson made a point of noting that his group is not affiliated with the federal Conservative party. "We're talking about bringing together ideas and people who could have an effect on any political party or any person who's running for political office," he said.
So perhaps the Centre Ice Conservatives could become a Progressive Conservative answer to the Canada Strong and Free Network, which was originally founded by former Reform Party leader Preston Manning. Maybe that would allow moderates to exert some small measure of influence over the agenda of a Poilievre government — or prepare for some future post-Poilievre leadership race.
Why not a new party?
At the outset of the one-day conference, Peterson was also adamant that he wasn't interested in starting a new political party. "Believe me, nobody here wants to do that. Who wants to set up 338 EDAs?" Peterson said, referring to electoral district associations. "That's worse than 338 root canals."
Thursday's event was billed as the first annual "Let's Grow Canada" conference and panellists included a mix of academics, journalists and politicians — former Conservative MP Leona Alleslev, former Conservative senator Marjory LeBreton and former Conservative candidate Ann Francis. The lone active politician to participate — and one of the day's most impassioned speakers – was Dominic Cardy, minister of education and early childhood development in New Brunswick's Progressive Conservative government.
"There is a void at the heart of Canadian politics. If we don't fill it, we will lose our country," Cardy ominously declared in an essay that preceded the conference this week.
We need a little comic relief.
NDP gets help from democracy expert
CBC News · Posted: Jan 09, 2006 4:23 PM AST
An international expert on democracy has flown all the way from Egypt to help NDP candidate John Carty campaign in Fredericton.
Dominic Cardy is with a group called The National Democratic Institute. Its members include such people as former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. The group's mission is to teach democratic values and spread democracy around the world.
Cardy has taught about democracy in Algeria, Bangladesh, and Cambodia during the past few years. When he heard his friend John Carty was running for office back in his home town of Fredericton, he hopped on a plane.
"It was a strange experience," Cardy said. "One evening I was watching the sun go down over the pyramids, and the next evening watched it go down over Fredericton airport as I came into land."
Cardy is no relation to the NDP candidate. But he loves elections and loves getting people pumped up about democracy.
Carty the candidate is running against federal Indian Affairs Minister Andy Scott, Conservative Pat Lynch, Green candidate Philip Duchastel and independent David Amos. The riding has sent Scott to Ottawa for the last four elections, despite the best efforts of the other parties.
Cardy says he doesn't care how tough the race his – he just wants people to participate in the process. "People have forgotten how incredibly precious these gifts that our ancestors fought for are and were just giving them away. It makes me furious when I talk to people and people just say 'ah there's no point in voting.'"
After election day, Dominic Cardy is flying back home to his wife in Kathmandu, Nepal. He hopes to leave behind a new Member of Parliament for Fredericton, his friend John Carty for the NDP.
♪♫ Well, the one on the right was on the left ♪♫
♪♫ And the one in the middle was on the right ♪♫
♪♫ And the one on the left was in the middle ♪♫
♪♫ And the guy in the rear burned his driver's license ♪♫
Let’s move on.
I welcome a new "PC" party to displace the CPC Reformers, but will Poilievre suddenly become 'centre-right' and confuse the space? How will his base react to him becoming 'woke'?
This is great news for the Liberals and NDP, especially if the LPC elects a new leader before the next election.
Now one of the electable ones is undergoing a takeover.
New Brunswick NDP meet to elect new leader
CBC News · Posted: Oct 12, 2007 1:58 PM ADT
"The province's NDP will pick a new leader this weekend in Moncton and begin the process of rebuilding the party after dismal election results in 2006.
Communications specialist Dennis Atchison, 51, and former Catholic priest Roger Duguay, 44, will have their names on the ballot. Both men ran unsuccessfully in last year's provincial election."
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