I would like to quickly thank everyone who attended the 2019 convention, our convention organizer Jim McIntosh for making such an event possible, Jean Serge Brisson for speaking to the convention on his ongoing court battle against GST, and to our membership for putting their faith in me to chair the Party as we head into the next election cycle.
I see us heading into a very special moment in history for the liberty movement. As the mainstream parties seem evermore identical, and the average voter equally as indifferent, we have before us a chance to reach the masses at their most open minded. Just like the Green Party did in 2018, we have the chance to hammer home a handful of key issues to voters, and catch a respectable result in the polls as a result.
But also just like the Green Party, our movement requires grassroots like never before. Keith Komar likes to say our Party is long in the tooth but short in the shoe. I think it's time we start walking. I envision this Party coming into 2022 with riding associations set up all over the province. I hope to see active and engaged members getting out into their communities and making themselves known, so we aren’t just faceless names next to a party affiliation on a ballot. And I wish for the word “libertarian” to be something that the average person knows and understands, and god forbid, respects us for being.
The formula to our success is simple but effective. You get involved. You care about the issues that matter and you let people know that we have the right answers to the problems. That answer is and always will be returning your freedom back to you where it belongs. If you've ever thought about volunteering, and didn’t know how or who to ask, ask me now. If you want to see more activity in your riding, let us know. If you have a skill you think may be of use to us, I bet it is, so let us know so we can get you using it.
In January of 2020 we will be completing our Party handbook for riding associations. It will outline fundraising guidelines, events and activities to build local profile, how to create your own riding newsletter and other means to grow liberty in your community.
We will begin candidate training in 2020 again as well, so we all have the skillset to represent ourselves and this Party to the best of our ability, and carry the torch of freedom high and proud. We will have a full slate of candidates in 2022, with credit due to the hard work of our 2018 team of Allen Small, Scott Marshall and the rest of the executive during the last election, laying the ground work by getting an unprecedented 116 candidates on the ballot.
In the 2022 election, while the other parties spend their efforts arguing how much more debt they plan to put us in, we have the opportunity to be a voice of reason. I look forward to being that voice with you.
