Frontlines
LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF CANADA FOUNDED
Frontlines correspondent Marshall Bruce Evoy reports:
The Founding Convention of The Libertarian Party of Canada, attended by 64 delegates from 4 provinces, together with 16 observers from both the U.S. and Canada, took place in Toronto, October 25-28. The U.S. Founding Convention consisted of approximately 100 delegates, the Canadian 80—not bad for a country with only one tenth the population of the United States! On September 15, 1973, the Libertarian Alternative (Province of Alberta) "went public" in Edmonton with approximately 70 persons in attendance.
With both Denver and Edmonton as models, the format of the Federal Convention differed slightly from that of the U.S. On the first day, delegates divided into committees, revising and amending the preconvention ad hoc committee's Constitution, By-Laws, Platform, and Statement of Principles. On the second day, the whole convention, after discussion and debate, voted on the suggested amendments. Finally, on Sunday morning, October 28th, the convention formally adopted the Statement of Principles authored by Brian Rogers of Montreal.
The LP Platform calls for a new Canadian Constitution to replace the British North America Act, proposes selling the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Post Office to the private sector, and separates (unlike the U.S. Platform) the "Trade and Economy" section into "Immediate" and "Ultimate" goals. As no consensus could be reached on either the age-of-majority or capital punishment, these were omitted from the Platform, along with abortion. Moreover, the Section on Secession was shortened; and no Foreign Diplomatic Section was included.
The acceptance of a Statement of Principles was followed by an election of officers, including Leader and Deputy Leader (the Canadian equivalent of the U.S. Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates). Sieg Pedde of London, Ontario, was elected Leader; Terry Coughlin of Whitby, Ontario, Deputy Leader; and Steve Jarvis of Toronto, Chairman. Also present at the convention were Dick Reimer and Brent Bissell, President and Director respectively of the Libertarian Alternative of Alberta. [Marshall Bruce Evoy, the chairman pro tem, received a standing ovation as Founder of the Canadian Party.]
The presence of New Jersey L.P. State Chairman Bob Steiner and Michigan L.P. State Chairman Greg Clark, both of whom addressed the Convention, clearly revealed that the libertarian movement knows no geographical boundaries. The 49th parallel had been abolished; our two countries can now go forward together as one in the cause of liberty.
For further information contact The Libertarian Party of Canada, Box 5333, Station A, Toronto, Ontario M5W 1N6 Canada.
NEW YORK ELECTION RESULTS
The unofficial vote totals for the New York City elections are in! (The Board of Elections is expected to have the official tally ready by summer…) With parts of Brooklyn and Queens still uncounted, Free Libertarian Party mayoral candidate Fran Youngstein appears to have pulled over 8,000 votes (out of 1.7 million votes cast), and Manhattan District Attorney candidate Gary Greenberg also got about 8,000 votes (out of about 220,000 votes cast, or 4%). The Free Libertarian Party outdrew all of the other minor parties (Socialist Worker, Socialist Labor, Communist, and Labor) combined—for perspective, four years ago the only minor party on the ballot, the Communist Party, got only 4,000 votes out of 2.5 million cast.
However, the main point of the campaign was not to get votes; it was to get publicity for libertarian ideas. With help from 450 contributors, the FLP sponsored an all-night radio talk show, did 12 thirty-second TV spots, and did 70 thirty- and sixty-second radio spots (ABC and Westinghouse bleeped the "offending" word from their "Do You Trust City Hall? Hell, No!" commercial!). They engaged in three TV debates with minor party candidates and ran several 1/4 page ads in the VILLAGE VOICE and other community papers. All of the New York papers gave at least some coverage to the many appearances FLP candidates made.
Congratulations to the FLP for the political/educational effort of the year!
NOTES
Libertarian Alternative of San Diego (P.O. Box 15011, San Diego, CA 92115) has begun holding monthly dinner meetings at Bit of Sweden restaurant (2850 El Cajon BIvd.). Meetings are on a Tuesday (call Sara Baase at (714) 460-9136 or 286-5231 for the date of the next one) starting at 8 P.M. Featured speakers at recent meetings: Barbara Hutchinson, chairman of the Association of Concerned Taxpayers and Bernard Siegan, author of LAND USE WITHOUT ZONING…Libertarian Alternative of Los Angeles meets at the Eater's Digest restaurant on Wilshire near Doheny every first Monday at 8:30 P.M. Their main project involves giving editorial replies on local radio and television stations, and other activist ventures are being considered…Informal monthly gatherings at Rampart College are offering libertarians, and those interested in learning more about the philosophy, a chance to participate (or just listen) in open conversation about personal and social freedom. The sessions are held on the third Tuesday of the month at 8:00 P.M.; Rampart is on the 6th floor of the First Western Bank Bldg, at 104 W. Fourth St., Santa Ana, CA. Call (714) 835-2505 for more information…Libertarians wanting to end U.S. involvement in the United Nations (and with an interest in forming ad hoc alliances) might want to check out the John Birch Society's current petition drive called Get US Out! Write the Society in Belmont, MA 02178 for information…