The leader of a new provincial political party made Chatham his first stop during a three-riding swing on Saturday.
Jim Karahalios, of the New Blue Party of Ontario, said the momentum is building every day with disgruntled voters from other parties.
He took aim at the ruling Progressive Conservatives, particularly the government’s public health measures during the pandemic, calling them overreach.
“People were desperate for a chance and it was our obligation to give them a choice,” said Karahalios, who is a candidate in the riding of Kitchener-Conestoga.
More than 50 people were on hand at Smitty’s in Chatham on Saturday morning, with stops later in the day planned for Sarnia and Mount Brydges.
Karahalios co-founded the New Blue party with his wife, Belinda Karahalios. The party was registered with Elections Ontario in early 2021.
She was elected as a Progressive Conservative MPP for Cambridge but was kicked out of the party after voting against a bill extending provincial emergency orders related to COVID-19.
“She stood up and said no to that bill, Bill 195, that set the stage for the next two years on lockdown legislation,” Karahalios said.
The party said it is running a full slate of 124 candidates across the province.
Karahalios urged the gathering not to be defeatist when confronted about their electoral chances on June 2.
“’Pack it in,’ they say. ‘You can’t win,’ they say,” he said. “(But) I know that if we stop doing what we’re doing, things will get worse a whole lot faster.”
Rhonda Jubenville, who’s running for the party in Chatham-Kent—Leamington, believes measures such as masks and vaccines should have come down to individual choice, rather than mandates.
She said she never wants to be referred to as a politician, but rather an advocate for constituents, adding their needs will “always be at the forefront” of her efforts.
“I couldn’t sit back and watch any longer. I needed to do something,” Jubenville said, adding that New Blue is the “true conservative choice” on the ballot.
In March, the province lifted most restrictions related to the pandemic, however, Karahalios said given there is an upcoming election, people should continue to be vigilant.
During Saturday’s event, the party also touched on its other priorities, such as tax relief, choice in education, electricity rates and decommissioning wind projects. In addition, the party states it is opposed to critical race theory and gender ideology being taught in schools.
Karahalios believes the grassroots efforts seen across the province will pay off for the party.
“This is a long-term effort. We’re not going to stop,” he said.
– With Postmedia files