MISSISSAUGA, ON, Jan. 27,
2025 /CNW/ - Ontario's None of the Above Direct Democracy
Party (NOTA Party) calls for Referendum on our response to Trump
Tariffs and Strategic Voting in closely contested ridings to defeat
Doug Ford's Government in the
upcoming February 27, 2025 Ontario
Election.
The Party says a province wide Referendum is what is required to
get a public mandate to spend $Billions to counter Trump Tariffs,
not Premier Ford's claim about winning a big majority with under
50% of the vote in a needless $175
million-dollar snap election.
The NOTA Party believes that Premier Doug Ford has flip-flopped his formerly "For the
People" against political "Elites" populist rhetoric by taking a
complete 180-degree turn with his decision to call the early
election with almost a year and a half remaining in his current
four-year term.
The Party supports grassroots 3R's of Direct Democracy politics
(Referendum, Recall, and Electoral/Democratic Reforms).
The NOTA party is one of Ontario's 25 registered political parties
accredited to nominate candidates in the election.
NOTA nominated 8 candidates when it was established in the 2014
election, 42 candidates in 2018, and 28 candidates in 2022.
The NOTA Party is trying to run a record number of candidates
for the 2025 election.
To apply to be a candidate in the 2025 election, or for the list
of Candidates see: https://nota.ca/ontario/candidates/
Leader Greg Vezina commented,
"Ford's early snap election call is nothing more than a blatant
attempt to secure another false majority government and consolidate
his power. Ford has not even done the minimum due-diligence of
clearly informing voters of the potential costs and consequences of
Ontario's potential counter
measures in reply to US President Donald
Trump's planned 25% tariffs."
The NOTA Party believes that this issue is too important to be
left entirely in the hands of what increasingly appears to be our
squabbling political leaders. It is calling for a referendum to
allow the people of Ontario to
have a clear and direct say in how the province responds to these
tariffs.
NOTA says now is not the time to give Doug Ford and his cronies another four-year
blank cheque opportunity to continue gorging on the taxpayers'
cookie jar.
NOTA believes that the power to make major decisions should also
be in the hands of the people, not entirely with politicians.
Behaviours like Doug Ford's snap
election prove they are more concerned with their own interests,
jobs, and pension contribution benefits.
Former Ontario Progressive Conservative (PC) Premier
Mike Harris's promised Ontario
Provincial and Municipal Referendum Bills, that were approved at
Committee but not introduced in Queens Park, are available for
quick passage upon recall of legislature.
The Party is also calling for strategic voting "in closely
contested ridings" to ensure that the current Doug Ford lead PC government is not re-elected
in 2025.
Strategic Voting is considered by many experts to be one of the
least democratic of all ways to vote (as it forces voters to choose
the lesser of evils instead of voting positively for in many
instances their preferred candidate or party on the ballot). In
some instances however, it is necessary to prevent abuses like
calling a needless, early election. Due to an early 1990 election
call, former Ontario Liberal Premier David
Peterson's majority government was replaced by Bob Rae's NDP majority.
The NOTA Party is confident that with the support of even a
small number of both of the 42% of voters who cast ballots, and
especially the 58% of people who did not vote in the previous
June 2022 election, these voters can
take meaningful steps to bring about changes to make sure the vast
majority of public policies are what is best for the people, not
just the politicians.
Voters have the power to take actions to both defeat the Doug
Ford PC government for putting crass politics and self indulgences
before the public interest, and create a better future for the
entire province of Ontario.
Download Democracy, Eh?: A Guide to Voter
Action, a FREE E-Book for details on Referendum,
Electoral and Democratic Reforms, and Strategic Voting.
None of the Above Direct Democracy Party website:
https://nota.ca
SOURCE None of the Above Direct Democracy Party
