Free Party Canada

Free Party Canada was a minor federal political party in Canada that also existed provincially in Quebec as a provincial and municipal party. It was led by Michel Leclerc, advocated for direct democracy and lower taxes, and promoted vaccine hesitancy.

History

In 2016, the party registered provincially in Quebec as Parti libre Saint-Sauveur and ran in local elections in Saint-Sauveur, as well as in the 2017 by-election for Gouin. Its eight candidates in the 2018 Quebec general election received a total of 1,618 votes. Registered federally on September 30, 2020, its first federal campaign was for the 2020 Toronto Centre federal by-election.

The party ran 59 candidates in the 2021 Canadian federal election, most of them in Quebec or in Francophone areas of New Brunswick and Ontario, garnering over 47,000 votes. Its platform attracted notice for its opposition to mandated COVID vaccination and vaccination passports, and some candidates had been active in organising events opposed to the pandemic health measures. The party also called for the introduction of a direct democracy and lower taxes. Other candidates raised issues of housing affordability, transport and local accountability to electors. Party leader Michel Leclerc ran in Laurentides—Labelle, where he had been an independent candidate in the 2019 Canadian federal election. In an interview with a TVA comedian at an anti-vaccination rally, Leclerc claimed that viruses were humans, that vaccinations decreased life expectancy, and denied the Moon landing.

After failing to comply with financial reporting obligations in the Canada Elections Act in 2023, Free Party Canada was deregistered by Elections Canada, effective December 31, 2024.