Content article
Chatham-Kent-Leamington MPP Rick Nicholls has officially joined the Ontario Party.
Content article
Nicholls announced in a media release Wednesday morning that he has joined the party to become its first sitting member in the Ontario Legislature.
The announcement comes on the heels of Nicholls announcing his support for the Ontario Party’s leader Derek Sloan.
Nicholls, who was ousted from the Doug Ford Progressive Conservative caucus in August for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, said in release: “I am very pleased to announce that I am joining thousands of Ontarians who have also decided to join the Ontario Party.
“The Ford Progressives have lost their moral, conservative compass,” he added. “I’m choosing to be part of a positive movement that will bring back true conservatism to the people of this province, giving hope and assurances to families and businesses who have been hard hit because of the current government’s handling of the pandemic.”
Nicholls said he continues to proudly represent his riding as he has since 2011.
The Ontario Party, which has existed since 2018, intends to recruit and run a slate of candidates in the Ontario general election in June 2022, the release said.
“I look forward to working with Derek Sloan and the entire Ontario Party, as we bring our shared, conservative values forward to oppose Doug Ford’s threat to our freedoms and democracy in Ontario,” Nicholls said.
This story will be updated.