US libertarian news site dumps on LP of Canada

Canada's Rhinoceros Party Is the Real Anti-government Party · 71 Republic - Ryan Lau, Editor in Chief:

October 26, 2019 - "On Monday, the people of Canada turned up in droves at voting stations across the country to choose who will rule them for the next several years. Though it was a tight race for several hours, Justin Trudeau eventually won a second term. Deservedly missing the news, however, was the Libertarian Party of Canada. Earning a paltry 8,281 votes, the Libertarians received less than a fourth of the support they received four years ago. It gets worse, though: the satirical Parti Rhinoceros Party ranked just above the Libertarians....

"This year, the Rhinos pulled together 9,408 votes, many of which came from Quebec. On the contrary, the Libertarian Party was lucky to pull 0.1% in Ontario; they did not meet the mark in any other province or territory....

"We’re all-too-familiar with the Libertarian Party of the United States’ awkward moments. The Canadian counterpart, though, makes them look impeccable by comparison. Their candidate for prime minister, Tim Moen, is a talented renaissance man, but his social media presence is lacking, to say the least. Did 8,000 people even see his name before the election? If anyone remembers him in a decade, it won’t be for his politics.

"The national party’s presence is even more abysmal. Their last tweet, nearly a month ago, was an awkwardly professional admission that they couldn’t scrape together one candidate in an Ontario district with more than 100,000 residents....

"The embarrassment doesn’t stop at social media; the official webpage leaves much to be desired. On the front page, an uncaptioned picture of Moen scrolls beside a grainy quote and the ever-hip #WeAreLiberty. If this is the best that Liberty has to offer, big government isn’t going anywhere for Canadians.

"Looking at the platform and confusing bylaws, the majority of points don’t stand out much. Though the party clearly attempts a serious tone and wants recognition as a political force, they should probably first make sure that they use proper punctuation on formal pages. Dull, uninspiring, and amateurish, the Libertarian Party of Canada was lucky to perform as well as they did this October. They can’t play the part of another political cog and that of a unique new voice at the same time.

"With a few keystrokes, Cody Wilson did more for liberty than the Canadian Libertarian Party ever will. If the party really wanted to make a difference, they would stop creating bylaws and regulations, stop becoming the very bureaucracy they claim to oppose, stop believing in the system that causes so much harm. They can’t be truly, radically anti-government while accepting the political landscape the State imposes.

"If they focused their efforts on proactively eliminating the demand for a strong government, rather than passively rebuking it after the fact, they would have much more success. Find something the State does and do it better, without stealing from people for revenue. It’s not that hard; governments are notoriously and inherently inefficient. Start an underground market. Educate others on the harms of war. Create a competitor to the post office or the police or the unemployment office."

Read more: https://71republic.com/2019/10/26/rhinoceros-party-beats-libertarians/

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98% of Canadians voted for more of the same

Canadians Demonstrate Rare Show of Unity: 98% Vote for Bigger Government, Higher Taxes, More Debt - Peter Diekmeyer (24/10/2019) | Sprott Money:

October 24, 2019 - "Mainstream media pundits, as usual, missed the key message when analyzing the results of Monday’s election, which returned Justin Trudeau’s Liberals to power. On paper the country was divided as never before, with no clear winner. The Conservatives, who won the popular vote, picked up a meagre 34.4% of ballots cast.

"Yet while Canadians can’t agree on a leader or how to divvy up the loot, they were unanimous on one important issue: they trust government, and they want it to do more.... [T]he Liberals, Conservatives, NDP, Greens, and the Bloc (who gathered a combined 98% votes) all put forward platforms that would increase overall taxes, spending, borrowing, and regulations during their mandate....

"During the past three years we have highlighted growing danger signals that politicians are essentially flying blind and that due to vast bureaucracy, conflicting interests, and use of misleading data points they couldn’t stop the country’s downward spiral even if they wanted to. Productivity is collapsing throughout the system and gross domestic product hasn’t grown in major economies such as the U.S. in more than a decade (as calculated on a debt-adjusted basis, using a realistic deflator).

"Canadian public sector debts, when combined with the country’s private, household and financial debts (much of which are de facto government guaranteed) now total an unbelievable $8.3 trillion. That works out to nearly $1 million in debt for each Canadian under the age of 19, making the country’s youth the functional equivalent of debt slaves.

"The results of the recent election suggest that either Canadians aren’t concerned with any this or that they trust future governments to do better.... Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party of Canada, the only major party that could credibly promise to reduce the scope of government, got a meagre 1.6% of the vote.

"The only positive sign for advocates of sound public finances came from the Libertarian Party of Canada. Party leader Tim Moen — who advocated elimination of all taxes (except the GST), the privatization of the Bank of Canada, and a return to the gold standard — managed to keep the party on its feet, despite being banned from the debates and deprived of media coverage from all major outlets.

“'We are in a battle of ideas,' said Moen. 'Right now even if a free market-oriented party won power, they would not be able to accomplish much. Things will not change unless we change the culture, and that process takes place one vote at a time.'”

Read more: https://www.sprottmoney.com/Blog/canadians-demonstrate-rare-show-of-unity-98-vote-for-bigger-government-higher-taxes-more-debt-peter-diekmeyer-24-102019.html
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PPC scraps liberty for pragmatism, says Moen

The tragedy of Mad Max - The Post Millennial - Tim Moen:

June 14, 2019 - "When Stephen Harper resigned, I, and many of my libertarian colleagues, saw an opportunity for a Canadian Ron Paul to emerge. We wanted a mainstream libertarian conservative who was against foreign interventionism, central banking, corporate bailouts, government-issued marriage permits, the income tax and the war on drugs ... who supported property rights, free trade, freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, sound money, laissez-faire, and a strictly limited government.

"We immediately thought of Maxime Bernier. He had written prolifically about free market economics and criticized the central banking cartel from an Austrian economics perspective. He regularly quoted Mises, Hayek, and Rothbard who are highly regarded in libertarian circles. We reached out to Max and invited him to Calgary to introduce him to a number of individuals and groups and show him that he’d have western support if he threw his name in the ring to run as Leader of the CPC....

"The fact that Max nearly won the CPC leadership on a fairly economically libertarian platform was a testament to the work libertarians have done to popularize liberty. Turns out there are many people that think these ideas matter and Max promised to be their champion, but he lost....

"Immediately after his loss I reached out to him to thank him for running. I also publicly invited him to make history and take my spot as Leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada.... This was an opportunity to take his place in the pantheon of libertarian icons like Ron Paul and take Canada’s liberty movement to the next level....

"Now I’m not so sure.... Pragmatism informs much of Max’s policy. His policy completely avoids drug legalization even though criminality and the opiate crisis is clearly driven by prohibition. There is nothing on monetary and banking reform even though central banking robs us and drives a harmful business cycle. His foreign policy position entails sending troops to the middle east to fight terrorism even though this policy has done nothing but nurture terrorism, open slave markets, a migrant crisis and made the world more dangerous for Canadians. He continually says he respects our constitution which codifies equalization payments, has weak free speech protection, enumerates no right to bear arms, and doesn’t codify property rights. These are all issues that principled libertarians care deeply about that he either gets wrong or avoids....

"This is one of the problems with pragmatism. It paints you into a corner. Now that Max has secured support from populists who see immigration, cheap labour and automation as existential threats, how is he going to be able to speak like the economically literate leader Canada needs?

"Populists tend to be economic protectionists. He is going to have to tone down talk on free trade and appease collective economic ignorance. If he achieves conventional success, eventually his policies will look no different [from] the CPC running polls to figure out what they believe."

Read more: https://www.thepostmillennial.com/the-tragedy-of-mad-max/
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The ethics of climate action

MOEN: Is climate action ethical? - The Post Millennial - Tim Moen, leader, Libertarian Party of Canada:

January 4, 2019 - "If we’re going to have a discussion about the ethics of climate action we need to ensure we have the same underlying values.... If you agree with me that human life is our highest value then we want to look at human activity as it pertains to human life..... So if we want to determine whether human activity is dangerous we need to look at metrics of human flourishing.

"Over the past 90 years while CO2 emissions have escalated we have seen climate related mortality drop by 98%. This is because Earths climate is full of unpredictable extremes; drought, flooding, heat waves, cold snaps, hurricanes, weather extremes. To protect against an adverse climate humans need a civilization powered by energy and thanks to fossil fuels we now have abundant energy.

"At the same time climate deaths have plummeted, we have seen dramatically improved food production, distribution and access worldwide. We’ve seen dramatic improvements in sanitation, clean drinking water, medicine, poverty, morbidity and mortality rates. As our physiological needs have dramatically improved the need for violent conflict and struggle has diminished and we have seen liberal democracy spread worldwide.

"So if you are a catastrophist, you ... should consider the catastrophe that would happen if fossil fuel use was cut by 45% over the next 12 years and completely eliminated by 2050 (IPCC goals). If this were to happen right now we would kill millions if not far more....

"The National Climate Assessment speculates that the worst-case economic cost of climate change will be 10% of US GDP by 2100... Noticeably absent is any mention of the cost of climate action.... What would raising the cost of everything that relies on energy have do to the economy? Crickets. What affect would these costs have on people living on the margins? Crickets....

"All of the solutions to mitigating the harm of climate change are focused on global collective consequences and none recognize the individual. We wouldn’t say that if my pollution has adversely affected a nameable individual then I ought to pay a tax to government. This does nothing to protect the individual, but rather sets up a system of payment to governments for the right to harm individuals and funds more government jobs and power in perpetuity. We wouldn’t say that I should pay money to a company working on green energy either. Again, this does nothing to repair the harm I’ve done or bring justice to the individual....

"Tort is a far better solution to mitigating climate harm than a tax or subsidy. Tort helps us derive the actual cost of CO2 emissions rather than having government funded institutes guess at the cost of carbon dioxide emissions while failing to take into account the unseen costs of climate action.

"It is estimated that 80% of CO2 emissions come from 122 corporations. A few high profile class action lawsuits brought by individuals who have been harmed by CO2 emissions could dramatically change the game.

"A focus on promoting property rights and installing legal institutions to defend those property rights seems like a superior approach on all levels of analysis. It gets individuals who have had their property flooded by the ocean or their arable land made barren by climate change access to restoration. It passes the cost on to corporations and the consumers of their products and sends a price signal that allows them to weigh the actual cost versus benefit of their activity. It incentivizes innovation towards lower CO2 emitting energy alternatives.

"It avoids the growth of government. It gives scientists their day in court and clarifies and communicates the actual state of climate science free of ideological spin. It focuses science on measuring metrics of human flourishing rather than metrics that get them government funding....

"Recognizing the individual and protecting property rights (aka liberty) seems like the best path forward to a future that both liberals and conservatives can endorse."

Read more: https://www.thepostmillennial.com/moen-is-climate-action-ethical/
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Bernier says no to merger with Libertarians

‘I am not a communist’: Maxime Bernier doubles down on People’s Party name amid criticism - National | Globalnews.ca - Katie Dangerfield:

September 19, 2018 - "Maxime Bernier said his new conservative party — the People’s Party of Canada — has nothing to do with communism, but about putting the 'power back in the people.'

"This comes after the leader of Canada’s Libertarian Party, Tim Moen called the name of Bernier’s party 'a bit too left wing for me' and described Bernier’s policies as 'milquetoast' and not daring enough.

"'Everyone who knows me, they know that I am not a socialist. I am not a communist,' Bernier said in an interview with Global News’ Morning Show on Wednesday. “It’s a name … the People’s Party, I am working for the people and we want to put the power back in people.'

"Although criticizing the name of Bernier’s party, Moen has also reportedly said he may be interested in merging parties. However, Bernier said it will not happen.

"'It’s not the first time the Libertarian Party wanted to have me as their leader. As you may remember at the end of their leadership they offered me their party, I said no at that time and I am saying no right now also,' Bernier said....

"Bernier vowed the People’s Party of Canada would be competitive in time for the 2019 federal election. But when asked how he expects to compete with the Liberals and Conservatives, Bernier said ...he’s raised around $140,000 in a month....

"'People are giving money to our party because they believe in our ideas so I am pretty confident that we will be competitive,' he said."

Read more: https://globalnews.ca/news/4464574/maxime-bernier-peoples-party-of-canada-name/
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LP of Canada to vote on merger, Moen tells CBC

Libertarians considering a merger with Bernier's People's Party | CBC News - Catherine Cullen:

September 17, 2018 - "Tim Moen may not like the name of Maxime Bernier's new party ('a bit too left-wing for me'). He may not think the former Conservative minister's policies are daring enough ('milquetoast libertarian' is how he described them). But the leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada is still considering a merger with Bernier's new political venture.

"'If party membership votes to merge [with The People's Party of Canada], I look forward to standing as a candidate and preaching the gospel of liberty in a principled manner like I've always done,' Moen told party supporters in a recent video.

"A spokesperson for Bernier's People's Party said 'merger' might not be quite the right word for what's being discussed — it could be something of a takeover of the Libertarian party structure by Bernier....

"Bernier is continuing the process of gathering signatures and completing the other steps required to obtain official party status, said his spokesperson Martin Masse.

"However, Masse said Elections Canada rules require a party to run a candidate in a by-election before that party can start handing out tax receipts to donors. By taking over the Libertarian Party and renaming it, he said, Bernier's venture might be able to take a shortcut to that lucrative step. But Masse said the new party isn't counting on the Libertarians....

"Moen acknowledged that there are many policy areas where Libertarian members would like to go farther than Bernier. Many Libertarians believe in legalizing all recreational drugs, for example — an idea in which Bernier has shown no interest.

"Historically, Moen said, Libertarians also have favoured fairly open borders and distrust letting government handle immigration issues. Bernier has said he wants to decrease immigration levels and argues Canadians need to talk about how to maintain Canadian values against the alleged effects of immigration.

"The merger could still be worthwhile, said Moen.... 'The biggest thing is that we see some level of commitment to restraining government and the principles of liberty that we think Canada and Western Civilization is founded on,' he said."

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/bernier-libertarian-party-merger-1.4827241
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LP of Canada denies Bernier merger rumors

Statement on the Bernier Merger Rumours - Trevor Schmidt, Libertarian Party of Canada, Facebook:

September 5, 2018 - "On Sunday September 2nd the Libertarian Party of Canada hosted an Alberta Caucus meeting in Red Deer. At this meeting Libertarian Party leader Tim Moen revealed that he has engaged in conversations with Maxime Bernier since his split with the CPC and that there had been some loose discussions about what the future of the Libertarian Party might look like. Tim then fielded questions to members regarding whether or not they would like to see Maxime’s new party and the Libertarian Party’s membership united under Bernier’s leadership or whether they would like to see the Libertarian Party of Canada continue on as a separate and distinct entity from Maxime’s new party with Tim remaining its leader.

"Subsequently, rumours circulated claiming that Maxime and the Libertarian Party were in the later stages of discussion to unite Maxime’s movement with the Libertarian Party under a single party banner. This is inaccurate and the conversations released from the meeting in Red Deer have largely been taken out of context.

"Tim and Maxime do talk. They are friends. It is no secret that our party shares many values with Max and that we are largely guided by the same principles. It is also no secret that when Maxime lost his bid for the CPC leadership in May of 2017 Tim volunteered to step down as Libertarian Party leader if Max wished to join us.... Finally, it is no secret that the Libertarians then adopted Maxime’s CPC leadership platform, which remains in place to this day. That is why recent events warranted discussions with our membership....

"The scenarios and questions raised to the Libertarian Party members in Red Deer were largely hypothetical.... [T]he meeting in Red Deer and meetings like it provide a forum to gauge membership’s reaction to Maxime’s intention of starting a new party and help determine what direction would be best for our party to take...

"In the event of more changes to the Canadian political landscape, our party’s leadership wants to be ready to act in a way that is commensurate to the wishes of its members. We are keeping an open dialogue with Max, but it remains our understanding that he is still exploring the best options to properly represent his supporters. Likewise, the Libertarian Party is engaging in discussions, such as the recent one in Red Deer, in order to explore the best options to properly represent our members. "

Read more: https://www.facebook.com/libertarianCDN/posts/1802350626549763?__tn__=K-R
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LPC leader Moen rules out joining Bernier's party

Libertarian leader responds to calls for Bernier alliance - The Post Millennial - Dean Tea:

August 25, 2018 - "In a video posted to his personal Facebook page late Thursday night, Libertarian Party [of Canada] leader Tim Moen addressed queries as to whether he would consider joining and running for Maxime Bernier’s newly announced political party, or whether a merger of the Libertarian Party and that of Maxime Bernier's is possible....

"Earlier this year, following Bernier’s narrow loss to Andrew Scheer in the Conservative leadership race, Moen and the Libertarians ... adopt[ed] Mad Max’s leadership platform wholesale, and Moen promis[ed] to step aside and hand the reins to Bernier if he would join the Libertarian Party. According to Moen, the two had a handful of polite conversations, but Bernier remained noncommittal.

"In his video statement, Moen expressed his misgivings regarding the possibility of a Conservative party offshoot achieving lasting reform and adopting libertarian values in a meaningful way.... 'Conservatives tend to be rudderless. They’re driven by panic and fear of the Liberals...They abandon principles for votes ... [to] avoid the Liberals getting power, and in doing so become the very thing they fear the most.'

"In a clear reference to the Reform and Alliance experiments ... he predicted that another political experiment of the sort is likely to end the same way.... 'They break down and split into competing factions, only to have fear of the Liberals reunite them again under some banner of reform so they can go ahead and lose their soul again.'

"Moen doesn’t seem to think that anything will be different for the new party of Maxime Bernier, who unabashedly spouts libertarian talking points, regularly quoting revered libertarian theorists like Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman .'I suspect it would be a watered-down version of our party principles and platform..... Are we going to see any discussion on meaningful restrictions on government? An end to Health Canada, a restriction on military interventionism?... Is he going to get on stage like Ron Paul and say, "End the Bank of Canada, end the income tax, legalize all the drugs."? I have my doubts.'

"Furthermore, he questions the staying power of a new party beyond the personal popularity of Bernier himself.... 'My guess is that this party is going to be a flash in the pan and fizzle as soon as Max looses his seat or retires.... I’m not going to merge the Libertarian Party with Max’s new party. Max’s party is likely to burn bright and then flame out and I’m not going to let our party die by hitching it to his.'

"He emphasized his party’s long track record of sticking to principled libertarian messaging, in an effort to steer conservative and other mainstream parties in their direction.

"'Western civilization is built on ideas; primarily the idea of individual liberty. Our party has been standing on those principles ... for over 45 years. We have been unflinching.... As far as I can tell, we’re making a difference. Libertarianism is on the rise. I don’t think [Mad Max] would have got 49% in the leadership election had it not been for the work our party has been doing for the last 45 years.'"

Read more: https://www.thepostmillennial.com/libertarian-leader-responds-to-calls-for-bernier-alliance/
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Sprott Money talks to LP of Canada's Tim Moen

Canada’s crazy Libertarians want to legalize lemonade stands, baby-walkers and Bitcoin - Peter Diekmeyer (21/06/2018) | Sprott Money:

June 21, 2018 - "Maxime Bernier’s near win of the Conservative Party leadership suggests that Canadians increasingly are tempted by smaller government. But maybe Bernier is in the wrong party. So says Tim Moen, the dynamic leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada....

"'Libertarians have long been a small niche in Canadian politics, which is dominated by special interests. But recent events have energized our base. Maxime Bernier's near-win of the Conservative Party leadership and his subsequent repudiation by the party’s establishment provided Canadians with a key message: those who want liberty, free markets and smaller government will be more at home in the Libertarian Party'....

"You recently provided Bernier a chance to run for the Libertarian Party’s leadership by offering to step aside. What makes you think he would do a better job than you?
"'Maxime has a national profile, well-established credentials and excellent knowledge of the threats posed by the Bank of Canada’s disastrous monetary policies. Libertarians are a party of ideas not of personalities. We work with anyone who is willing to build a better country. If that means stepping aside to take on new talent, I’d do so in a second'....

"What are the key issues on the minds of Canadians?
"'The people I talk to are all increasingly worried about their quality of life, their futures and those of their kids. Canadians trust government to resolve those issues. But governments have let them down. You can see this in three key issues: pipelines, free trade and taxes.

"'On the Trans Mountain pipeline governments at various levels created a slew of burdensome regulations that impeded the development of a promising energy resource. Then to 'solve' the problem that it created, the Trudeau administration wants to invest billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money.

"'As for the trade "wars" – there is an argument that they are ... just an excuse for governments to raise taxes (which they call "protective tariffs") and to pick winners and losers in the economy. For example, the Trump Administration gets to protect US steel producers and the Trudeau Administration protects dairy farmers. In short, deals are made in the backrooms and consumers lose'....

"It sounds like you aren’t a big believer in government?
"'People have a fundamental misunderstanding that government is there to help. That is only partly true. Government, like corporations, will help …but they help themselves first. That’s why we need rigid checks and balances. Sadly, these have been eroding.

"'As a result, governments in Canada and around the world have been growing both in real terms and as a percentage of GDP. Governments get away with this through their control of the public education system which, over 12 years, tells kids that governments can solve any problem.

"'However governments increasingly ARE the problem. We have all heard stories about 'dangerous baby-walkers,' bans on high diving boards and kids’ lemonade stands being shut down. These actions stifle innovation, creativity and productivity. We’d change course on all these issues.'"

Read more: https://www.sprottmoney.com/Blog/canadas-crazy-libertarians.html
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Moen offers Bernier Libertarian leadership (video)

by George J. Dance

May 29, 2017 - Tim Moen, leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada (LPC), has offered his job to defeated Conservative Party leadership contender Maxime Bernier.

Bernier is the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Quebec riding of Beauce and a self-described libertarian. The front-runner in the race to succeed Stephen Harper as Conservative leader, he lost that race on Saturday, with 49% of the vote in the 13th voting round, to social conservative MP Andrew Scheer.

On Sunday, Josh Sigurdson of World Alternative Media reported that Moen had offered to step down in favor of Bernier. Moen's offer reportedly also included calling a snap LPC convention to elect Bernier as leader and adopt his election platform.

CRTC rules keep Libertarians' M103 video off air

M103 is ALREADY censoring the press - Josh Steffler, Freedom Free for All:

February 21, 2017 - "As many of you know, M103 has been introduced to the House of Commons ... 'on how the government could develop a whole-of-government approach to reducing or eliminating systemic racism and religious discrimination including Islamophobia'.... This has many free speech advocates quite concerned, especially since “islamophobia” is not defined. The Libertarian party of Canada recently put together [a video] about this dangerous motion....

"Freedom Free For All is a new media show on public access TV Shaw channel 4 in Victoria. We tried to broadcast this video on our show to provide some counterbalance to the Mainstream Media narrative. We believe that almost all MSM in Victoria have been playing highly biased in favour of this motion.... Shaw .. will not broadcast this video on TV.... Have a look at what we have been told about this video.

All Community broadcasters including Shaw TV are responsible for putting content on the air that balances all viewpoints.... To only present one side is a violation of the CRTC’s Community Television Regulatory Framework. At present, we have no such content to fulfill this nor do we have the resources to do so in a timely way....

"Luckily FFFA is nimble and smart enough to find ways to work around this, and while we cannot air the video as of yet, we DO have the Libertarian Party Of Canada Leader, Tim Moen, available to come speak on our show via Skype to discuss this attack on one of the foundations of a free society, Freedom of Speech."

Read more: http://www.freedomfreeforall.com/m103-is-already-censoring-the-press/
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Moen slams Trudeau, Trump in year-end interview

Moen Slams Trade Skeptics, Lauds Gold - Sprott Money, Value Walk:

December 29, 2016 - "Tim Moen, leader of the fast-growing Libertarian Party of Canada, took time off during the Holidays to provide insights into key issues facing the Canadian economy in 2017. One priority: partially divesting US dollar holdings and shoring up Canada’s gold reserves.

"Canada’s economy contracted by 0.3% (in October). The unemployment rate came in at 6.8% (in November), two percentage points above the US total. The deficit has skyrocketed. How do you assess the Liberal government’s economic performance?

"It’s hard to imagine a worse set of policy proposals.... Deficits are the wrong thing to do in an economic downturn. When my family hits tough times, we tighten our belts and cut spending.

"When you believe (as most left-wing economists seem to) that wealth is created when government taxes and borrows and directs money to the right areas, then you might think they are on the right track. But any serious economist knows that the market is the most efficient way to distribute money because it does not tolerate foolishness and incompetence.

"Other jurisdictions have discovered that for every job created by government spending another two to four are lost. Nobody considers the unseen costs of these policies.

"What are your views on a future Trump Administration?

"Trump (through his borrow, spend and simplistic anti-trade policies) is offering a hit of heroin to Americans, who in many ways have become a country of heroin junkies when it comes to public policy. They are lapping it up. Trump’s election matters in that he had an anti-establishment message. He hit on a note in an American culture that is sick of the status quo.

"But I remain guarded that this means we are going to see any meaningful change. I don’t get that sense at all. Trump is not pursuing Hillary Clinton like he said he would, and shows no signs of 'draining the swamp,' judging from the number of Goldman Sachs executives and other insiders being nominated to key posts.

"For meaningful change to happen, we need a population that demands liberty, more than the illusion of security, and that is willing to make uncomfortable adjustments and sacrifices right now in their own personal lives in exchange for long-term gains.

"Many in the 'Alt Right' community, a key segment of Trump’s supporters, are coming out in favour of protectionist, anti-trade measures, such as tariffs and increased restrictions on labour mobility. What is your position?

"They are wrong. If obstacles to trade between countries made us richer, why not have walls between states and even cities? As the Smoot-Hawley tariffs showed, trade barriers make everyone poorer....

"Protectionism may save some jobs in the near term but it does so at the expense of everyone else. Many politicians simply don’t understand these basic laws of economics. I blame public education and decades of leftist economic indoctrination."

Read more: http://www.valuewalk.com/2016/12/moen-slams-trade-skeptics-lauds-gold/
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LP of Canada membership tripled in 2015 (video)

Libertarian Party holds convention in Calgary: Is liberty on the rise across Canada? - The Rebel - Holly Nicholas:

July 27, 2016 - "The Libertarian Party of Canada hosted a convention in Calgary over the weekend. I had a chance to talk to leader Tim Moen about some of the exciting things that have happened within the last year.

"With membership numbers tripling in 2015 alone and a big contingent of Libertarians in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, most of the party’s growth has occurred in liberty-oriented Alberta....

"Moen says he’ll be travelling the country encouraging new members to join, and hopes to have [a] full slate of candidates running in the next federal election."

Read more: http://www.therebel.media/libertarian_party_holds_convention_in_calgary_is_liberty_on_the_rise_across_canada
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Conservatism losing due to sacrifice of principles

The Right Needs Principle, Not Unity | Tim Moen - Huffington Post:

February 19, 2016 - "There was a time when conservatism was synonymous with small accountable government, protection of property rights, frugal government spending, a society organized around Burke's little platoons (family, business, charity, community, the church), fierce advocacy of free market capitalism, minding one's business, and an aversion to taxation. Those days are long past. Now the term conservatism is synonymous with a hawkish foreign policy influenced by Trotskyism, Christian fundamentalism, a fixation on muslims, a surveillance state, closed borders, a command and control economy, and dogmatic opposition to social freedoms.

"Once upon a time you could accuse a conservative of being principled. Newly elected party leader Maggie Thatcher said 'that's what we believe" and smacked down a moderate with Hayek's The Constitution of Liberty in response to his pleas for caution. Now conservatism is nothing more than a constellation of feelings and platitudes shifting with the zeitgeist of a left leaning culture. Conservatism has become an aesthetic in opposition to 'the left' rather than an ethos anchored in philosophical bedrock. Conservatives have traded away their soul and now we are all paying the price....

"What explains Stephen Harper's Keynesian apologetics and auto industry bailouts? What explains Brad Wall recently calling for federal money to employ oil and gas workers? How does Preston Manning explain his advocacy for taxing the primary energy source protecting us from a hostile climate in the name of 'climate action'?

"On what principle would Mr. Harper oppose a subsidy to Bombardier, or Mr. Wall oppose government green energy projects, or Mr. Manning oppose uniting all the parties under one giant feel-good umbrella? How does a conservative that loves socialized healthcare oppose socialized food production and distribution? How is a social conservative who rallies vociferously to get the state involved in marriage (ie to prohibit gay marriage) going to oppose a state agenda on marriage imposed on their church? How does a conservative who supports invasion of privacy vis-a-vis Bill C-51 and C-13 oppose a surveillance state interested in quashing conservative dissidents? What principle will a cannabis prohibitionist use to oppose banning sugary soft drinks?...

"I posit that the fall of conservatism in the West is because key leaders in the movement have sacrificed principle in order to win. In fact the problem is that their definition of winning is entirely misguided. The metric of success shouldn't be whether one wins a popularity contest or not. If you have to be Trotskyist on foreign policy, Marxist on healthcare and supply management, Keynesian in economic and monetary policy in order to get the win, well you haven't won anything worthwhile have you? The metric of success should be a society and government aligned with the enlightenment principles that undergird western civilization....

"We are in trouble not because of particular politicians but because of a culture devoid of an ethical compass, driven by base fears, that views government as a wish-fulfilling committee of virtue rather than a necessary evil to be restricted.

"The only thing that will turn this around is a shift in culture. To win an election you must reflect and reinforce status quo culture, but to create the kind of government conservatives want requires a cultural shift. Government emerges from culture. Do you want a conservative government or a conservative in charge of a socialist government?"

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/tim-moen/the-right-needs-principle_b_9267644.html
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Thanks from Libertarian Party of Canada leader (video)

Canada's Libertarians work to shed 'fringe' label

Some of the incidental coverage of the Libertarian Party of Canada this election campaign:

Rhinos and Pirates: A look at Canada’s federal fringe parties | CTV News - Michelle Zillio:
August 30, 2015 - "The Libertarian Party’s goal is to reduce the responsibilities and expense of the government so that Canadians can manage their own needs. The party stands for free market economic policies, including a gradual phase out of government control over the money supply. It believes that governmental regulatory agencies 'often do far more harm than good.'  The party also has a full platform with policies on health care, justice, immigration, foreign policy, gun ownership, aboriginal affairs and the environment. https://www.libertarian.ca"

Libertarians on the march | Toronto & GTA | News | Toronto Sun - Mike Strobel:
September 6, 2015 - "Libertarians have a snazzed-up image and a hot new leader. Fox News called him 'a dreamboat.' He’s a firefighter, for crying out loud....  'I’m no kook,' Tim Moen chuckles down the line from Calgary. Moen, 42, is the first line of the Libertarian Party of Canada slogan: New leader. New colours. New party. 'We’re here, we’re politically active and we’re ready to put our stamp on the Canadian political scene,' he tells me....  'We can’t keep throwing a reckless hail Mary pass into an endzone called Libertopia. We need to grind the ball down the field, making Canadians a little freer each time.' By 'freer,' he means small bureaucracy, a 15% flat tax and raising the personal exempt level to $17,300 from $11,000. Weed, the sex trade and other victimless 'crimes' would be legal. As taxes fall, the nanny state, which all major parties nurture, would fold its tent. 'Our culture sees government as there to solve all our problems and relieve all our anxieties. We need to change the culture.'"

Fringe candidates raise a little hell come election time - Politics - CBC News - Steve Patterson:
October 13, 2015 - "There was also a Libertarian candidate in my riding, a party I have never quite understood other than to imagine it mocking the Liberal Party for not being Liberal enough (i.e., if the Liberals say 'Vote for Justin,' the Libertarians would just say 'Vote ... or don't')."

When you don’t want to vote for a winner: Who are the OTHER parties in the Canadian election? | National Post - Tristin Hopper:
October 14, 2015 - "Canada’s Libertarians aren’t nearly as crazy as their U.S. equivalents. They seem fine with universal healthcare, but want to make it a provincial responsibility. And, as far as can be told, they have no plans to privatize sidewalks. But expect all the usual libertarian things: Legal drugs, legal prostitutes, no more loonies and a lot more guns. This election, the party’s got Tim Moen, the Alberta filmmaker who rose to prominence after giving an insider’s view of the sheer amount of fossil fuels Neil Young burned while shooting his anti-oilsands documentary."

Fringe candidates on rise across Saskatchewan - Andrea Hill & Charles Hamilton, Saskatoon Star-Phoenix: 
September 30, 2015 - "'The government has no right to tell people what they can and can't do,' said Bronek Hart, one of two Libertarian Party candidates in the province. He'll be on the ballot in Saskatoon-West. Hart said he knows he has no real chance of winning, but he decided to run after becoming disillusioned with the promises of the major parties. 'I went, "Wow, these parties suck",' he said. His party's platform includes ending the war on drugs, significantly reducing federal income tax and repealing the power of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission and other federal regulatory agencies. The party also promises to end all Canadian involvement in foreign wars and make it easier for lawabiding citizens to carry guns. Hart said he hopes that, at the very least, support for the Libertarian Party will influence the next government."

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Rob Anders supporters urged to vote Libertarian

Rob Anders people still don't like Ron Liepert - Laura Payton, Maclean's:

September 24, 2015 - "Calgary West MP Rob Anders ... lost the Conservative nomination more than a year ago for the newly redrawn riding of Calgary Signal Hill. Ron Liepert, Alberta’s former Progressive Conservative finance minister, won.

"In the lead-up to the nomination vote, Anders dismissed Liepert as a Red Tory, compared Red Tories to 'a flu that just won’t go away' and said Red Tories would have to 'recruit Liberals and New Democrats because they know they don’t have enough numbers in and of themselves.'

"Now, Anders’s former riding association president is asking Conservatives to support the Libertarian candidate in Signal Hill, according to an email provided to Maclean’s.

"'True conservatives were very disappointed when Ron Liepert, with the help of the left, manipulated his way in to the Calgary Signal Hill candidacy for the Conservative Party of Canada,' wrote John DeRinzy, who identifies himself in the email as a former president of the Calgary West Conservative riding association. 'We have gone from having a college-educated, dedicated MP with a voluminous knowledge of history and politics, to a guy who has a history of failure in the provincial arena'....

"DeRinzy writes that he doesn’t want to spoil his ballot or simply not vote, so he is supporting Libertarian candidate Tim Moen. Moen is also the leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada, and DeRinzy says he has committed to working with the federal Conservatives.

"That might be a tough sell, however, if the Conservatives were to win the election and introduce legislation similar to some of the bills they’ve written in the past, including C-51 (a law Liepert supports).... The Libertarian Party platform would also seem to run counter to that of the Conservatives, who have made it a point to crack down on crime: the Libertarians call for the legalization of what they see as victimless crimes, including sex work and the consumption and sale of marijuana. The party also opposes military missions.

"DeRinzy notes in the email that he doesn’t agree with everything the Libertarians stand for, but says he didn’t agree with the Conservatives on everything either.

"'I stand fully behind the Conservative Party of Canada’s efforts to make a positive difference in the lives of Canadians by implementing strong conservative values. But I have to help Tim Moen defeat Ron Liepert, in order to assist the Party. Can you imagine the chaos another red tory will do in the Harper caucus?'

Read more: http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/rob-anders-people-still-dont-like-ron-liepert/
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Tim Moen on Libertarian political action

Fort Mac Philosopher: Political Campaigning - Answering Critics - Tim Moen, leader, Libertarian Party of Canada:

March 22, 2014 - "I have wrestled with the paralyzing idea that having imperfect philosophy, not knowing the ultimate 'Truth' can result in unintended harms when acted upon. This is obviously an impossible standard to meet, and so then how is one to proceed?...

"Doing nothing is obviously not an option. Sitting still is dying. Humans don't live or survive by doing nothing and waiting for perfect philosophy. I've come to believe that the best way to proceed is by paying attention to the process of proceeding and being open to course correction as better reason and evidence present themselves. Philosopher Peter Boghossian calls this doxastic openness and contrasts it with doxastic closure which is essentially another name for dogma. To use a cliche it is about the journey not the destination.

"So I am proceeding on a course of trying to create positive change in the world by advancing the message of liberty. I want to be open to reason and evidence....

"When I hear criticism being levelled my way by fellow liberty activists I take it seriously. You are unlikely to come to the liberty movement in todays day and age through parental or institutional propaganda, in fact those are all the forces you must overcome. So liberty lovers are typically people who have reasoned their way into that position and I take what they have to say seriously. I could be on the wrong course and I need to be open to course correction.

"A friend and fellow liberty lover has been the most vocal critic of my campaign. Here is something he posted the other day that he admits is directed at me:

"The state is as good a tool for preaching liberty as is the church for preaching atheism."

"At first blush this seems to make some sense. Being the state while arguing against the state or being the church while arguing against the church seems to be self-defeating.... It's important to remember that the state doesn't exist as a material entity, it doesn't act, only people act, so what you are talking about when you use the words 'the state' is a set of beliefs that reside in ones brain and inform ones actions. If someone is devoid of these beliefs and therefore devoid of actions that lead to more initiation of force then can that be called 'the state?' It seems to me that is just a dude preaching non-aggression and trying to disabuse people of delusional beliefs, even if that dude participated in a popularity contest and most people think that gives him extra rights. His entering into the popularity contest did not create the delusion in others, but by getting in front of the delusional maybe he can influence them.

"I certainly don't want to be wrong and I don't think you do either.... So in the spirit of doxastic openness here is the evidence that could be presented to me that would convince me that what I'm doing is harmful to the liberty movement:

1. Show me that preaching to the converted is more effective than reaching out to the "lost" in my particular circumstances. 
2. Show me that the state exists as a material entity and not an abstraction, or explain to me how a person who is widely believed to have a monopoly of force actually has those rights as opposed to being perceived to have those rights.
3. Provide me with evidence that I could be doing something more effective.... ME, not you or someone else and not some Platonic version of me that's in your head. 
4. Show me some evidence that what I am doing is creating delusion that didn't previously exist. 
5. Explain to me how someone who is committed to peace and non-aggression taking a spot that would otherwise be occupied by a politician interested in using the guns of government is not making the world safer?

"Now I would ask you to consider the evidence it would take you to reconsider whether what you are doing is the best course of action for your mission in life."

Read more: http://fortmacphilosopher.blogspot.ca/2014/03/political-campaigning-answering-critics_22.html
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Tim Moen reinstates Southern as LPC candidate

The Future is Bright for Liberty - Dan Dicks, Press for Truth:

July 8, 2015 - "On July 3rd 2015 I interviewed Lauren Southern of The Rebel Media to get her views on being removed as a candidate of the Libertarian Party in response to her viral slut walk video. After hearing from Lauren that Tim was 'very supportive, he said he thought that it was a non issue and he congratulated me' ...  I suggested to Tim that he come visit the PFT studio and meet with me and Lauren to clear the air. Tim ended up doing just that and today PFT is proud to announce that a mutual agreement that works for all sides has been reached."

Statement from Tim:
Lauren Southern and I met face to face last night to see if we could reconcile. In this conversation I was able to confirm Lauren's commitment to the party and our team and I was able to affirm my commitment to Lauren's freedom of speech. I am happy to announce that Lauren's suspension has been lifted and she has been reinstated as a candidate. This reconciliation has been an ongoing process that has been difficult due to inflammatory media and social media. I apologize to people who have been hurt or let down in this incident, particularly those volunteers who have received unfair criticism and characterization in the media. Going forward I will be working hard to fix the issues that could have prevented this incident: lines of communication and accountability will be clarified, candidates will be offered more training and support, we will strengthen our on-boarding process and I will be personally calling all candidates in the upcoming weeks. - Tim Moen

Statement from Lauren:
Yesterday Tim Moen and I had a productive conversation about the future of the Libertarian party and my part to play in it. We both agreed that what transpired over the past two weeks was bad for the party. I have been assured that Tim completely supports my freedom of speech and right to express it through mediums such as The Rebel and other social media platforms. I have also agreed to communicate better with the party and maintain a level of professionalism so the party can go forward as a team. Diversity of thought - protecting each individual's opinions, values, and expressions - is central to libertarianism. In a time of growing cultural and political intolerance, I look forward to promoting a libertarian party that stands up for this kind of diversity. I very much appreciate all of the support I have received, and I hope those of you who felt alienated from the party in recent days will regain some of your confidence in us. Canada needs a libertarian party, and Canada needs liberty. Tim Moen and I are going to stand up for it. I hope you stand with us. - Lauren Southern

Read more: http://pressfortruth.ca/top-stories/future-bright-liberty/
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Libertarian candidate announced in Fort McMurray

Libertarian candidate announced | Fort McMurray Today - Cullen Bird:

July 6, 2015 - "Scott Berry says his road construction job is perfectly suited for his run as a Libertarian candidate in Fort McMurray-Cold Lake.

"Berry, 27, works in the asphalt lab at E-Construction, doing quality control tests on local roads built by the company.

"The argument against a lot of libertarians leaving it to the market is no one will build the roads,” Berry said. “Well, I can build the roads.

"'I think it’s insane that we have to sometimes lobby for federal funds to get our bridges and our roads built in this riding.'

"Berry moved to Fort McMurray two years ago, shortly after graduating with an economics degree from Trent University. His interest in Libertarianism began in his student days.

"'The way that I see it, Libertarianism, basically it sort of shakes the very foundations of what people think of government, and what they think they should or should not get out of government,' Berry said....

"The Libertarian Party would repeal the Firearms Act and make it possible for anyone to own a firearm after a criminal background check, Berry said. The party would also safeguard property rights and ensure property could not be expropriated by government.

"Libertarian Party leader Tim Moen, a former captain with the Fort McMurray Fire Department, said First Nations property rights in the riding would be respected. Moen ran in the 2014 Fort McMurray-Athabasca byelection....

"'We come from a position of humility, that we really don’t know what is the best way to run your life,” Berry said.

"The Libertarian party would also support a flat tax rate of 15%, he said. Moen stated the main objective this election is to tell voters what their party stands for.

"'We understand that our chances of winning a seat and forming government aren’t very good this election, but for us it’s about changing hearts and minds and connecting them with a new fresh message that is lacking on the political stage,' Moen said. 'I think there’s only one kind [of liberty] and that is the freedom to do whatever you want as long as you don’t harm another person in the process,' he added."

Read more: http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/2015/07/06/scott-berry-to-run-for-fort-mcmurray-cold-lake
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