New Blue Party of Ontario

Prior to the party's formation

In 2017, following the resignation of Patrick Brown and the election of Doug Ford as Ontario PC Party leader, Belinda Karahalios ran for and won the party's nomination in the riding of Cambridge.^[5] She was then elected in the 2018 Ontario election.^[6]

In November 2018, Belinda's husband, corporate lawyer Jim Karahalios, ran unsuccessfully for the presidency of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party. He filed a lawsuit against the party after his defeat, alleging that his competitor, Brian Patterson, who was endorsed by Doug Ford, was chosen through manipulation of the election process, breached election rules and stuffed ballot boxes.^[7] In late 2018, Jim was sued by the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario after he founded the activist groups "Axe The Carbon Tax" (opposing the party's pro-carbon tax position)^[8] and "Take Back Our PC Party" (challenging the party's acceptance of nominations that resulted in allegations of electoral fraud).^[9] The suit was dismissed by Ontario Superior Court justice Paul Perell, who ruled that the PC Party's lawsuit was a strategic lawsuit against public participation intended to stifle dissent.^[10]

On July 21, 2020, Belinda Karahalios was expelled from the Progressive Conservative caucus by Doug Ford after voting against Bill 195, the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, which would expand the government's emergency authority during the COVID-19 pandemic. Karahalios voted against the legislation, calling it an "unnecessary overreach on our parliamentary democracy."^[11][12] A month later, Belinda, Jim, and 18 other members of the Ontario PC Party were removed from the Cambridge PC Riding Association Board after the party executive, led by Brian Patterson, voted to "de-register" the riding association with Elections Ontario.^[13]

After the party's formation

On October 12, 2020, Jim and Belinda Karahalios released a video announcing that they were forming a new political party, claiming that the Ontario PC Party was beyond redemption. Stating that there "is no party in the Ontario legislature defending the taxpayer, defending small business, defending places of worship, promoting freedom, promoting democracy or fighting political corruption."^[14][15]

On January 7, 2021, the New Blue Party was officially registered by Elections Ontario with Jim as leader. He stated that the party would focus on supporting the taxpayer, places of worship and small business.^[16] Belinda, who became an independent after she was removed from the PC caucus, became the lone MPP for the New Blue Party as of January 18, 2021.^[17]

Belinda ran as a New Blue candidate in the 2022 provincial election, but lost her seat, coming in fourth.^[18] The party won no seats in the 2022 or 2025 provincial elections.^[19]

Ideology

The New Blue Party is a conservative populist party that has been described as being to the right of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario from which it split.^[3][2] The party has publicly opposed all measures taken against COVID-19; at least one of the party's candidates for the 2022 Ontario general election took part in the Canada convoy protest.^[20][21]

An article in the Simcoe Reformer described the New Blue party as being against "woke activism" and in favour of removing critical race theory and gender identity from schools.^[22]

On tax issues, New Blue is determined to reduce Ontario's Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) from 13% to 10% along with eliminating electrical vehicle subsidies and taking down government subsidized wind turbines in order to reduce the tax burden on Ontarians.^[23]

By-elections