Statement of Ultimate Goals and Principles

A. Libertarian Statement of Principles

We, the members of the Ontario Libertarian Party, support the following principles:

  1. Every individual has the right to his or her own life.

  2. Property rights are essential to individual rights.

  3. No individual or group has a right to initiate force against any other.

  4. Every individual or group has a right to defend his or her own person and property, and every individual has the right to join with others for common purposes. This is the only justification for government.

  5. The only rights of groups, including governments, are those based on the individual rights of their members.

  6. Every individual – so long as he or she respects the rights of others – has the right to live as he or she alone sees fit.

B. Preamble

The ultimate goal of the Libertarian Party is to achieve a social structure in which initiatory coercive force is illegal. In order to achieve this goal, the following conditions are necessary:

C. Individual Rights

  • Each individual shall exercise sole responsibility for his or her own life.
  • No person shall interfere in the life of any other person except with the agreement of that person.
  • Governments shall have no authority to interfere in the life of any person who is engaged in legally acceptable endeavors.
  • No individual, body of individuals, or corporation, shall have any right which is paramount to the rights of an individual.
  • Individuals shall have, but not be limited to, the following rights: freedom of association, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom to engage in enterprise, freedom to protect one's own life and property, ownership of property, and protection of privacy.

D. Justice

  • All laws creating victimless crimes will have been repealed and no person will be charged in any proceeding to which penal sanctions apply unless there is a victim.
  • A person charged with a crime shall be compensated for his costs if found innocent.
  • A person who causes harm or damage to the person or property of another shall make restitution.
  • Victims or their successors shall be entitled to receive restitution for their loss.
  • Each person shall honor his or her agreements where not to do so would harm another person.

E. Government

  • Government shall be empowered to use force to protect the rights of individuals.
  • Government shall control the army, police, and courts.
  • Government may not obtain tax money by force.
  • Government shall not regulate commerce, establish monopolies, or start any business which competes with private enterprise and shall, within a reasonably short time, divest itself of state-owned enterprises.
  • Government shall be prohibited from operating at a deficit.
  • Government shall provide no subsidies or grants to individuals or business unless the money has been voluntarily contributed to government for that purpose.

F. Monetary Policy

  • The value of government currency and deposits shall be based upon the value of commodities and fixed assets which support it.
  • It shall be illegal for the government to create currency or deposits in excess of the appraised value of the assets backing the economy.
  • The government shall not regulate monetary policy.
  • Individuals and corporations may issue their own currency.

G. Social Welfare

  • Government shall be prohibited from giving money to charitable endeavors unless the funds are voluntarily contributed to government for that purpose.
  • Charity and social welfare should more properly be administered by voluntary organizations.