Ontario Party candidate upbeat on agenda

There's never been a better time for a new party, and new faces, in Ontario politics, the Ontario Party candidate for Essex said ahead of the June 2 provincial election.

Frank Causarano, a 39-yearold business owner and father from the Kingsville area, said he was inspired to run for office because he feels major parties aren't offering true solutions.

“There's never been a better time to introduce a new party and a new candidates for an election,” Causarano said. “The door is still open for change for Ontario, but that door is closing.”

Causarano is active in Kingsville through his family's business, Anna's Garden, Home and Wellness and is involved in the local business community.

With a six-year-old daughter, Causarano said he's especially focused on education in the wake of school disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our experience with the school system in the last two years was very frustrating, and it was absolutely a contributing factor to our decision for myself to join the Ontario Party and try to make a difference,” Causarano said.

In particular, he pointed to an Ontario Party platform policy that would allow parents to choose which school board receives a portion (about a third) of the provincial government's per-student funding allotment in a voucher system — a move he said would give parents more choice in their child's education and create competition among school districts.

The Ontario Party was founded in 2018 and is led by Derek Sloan, the former federal Conservative party MP ousted from the caucus in 2021.

Though the party was founded pre-pandemic, Sloan has been vocal about what he views as government overreach and infringement on personal liberties during the pandemic, often speaking out against vaccines and public health measures like lockdowns.

Chatham-kent —Leamington MPP Rick Nicholls became the party's first sitting MPP after joining in late 2021, leaving the Progressive Conservatives over reluctance to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

When asked, Causarano said he “absolutely aligns” with the leadership's opinions related to the pandemic.

Causarano said many of the messages he's been hearing while campaigning include concerns about affordability, from housing to groceries, as well as frustration with Ontario's health-care system.

He pointed to the party's pillars of truth, transparency, family, faith, freedom and fiscal responsibility as key government principles when tackling those problems.

Voters in the region have been receptive to his message while out campaigning, Causarano said.

But he also acknowledges even if he elected, it's unlikely the Ontario Party would form government.

“We envision a Doug Ford minority government. We also see the Ontario Party pulling up to eight or nine seats,” Causarano said.

“The PC government and Doug Ford are going to need our support in order to pass any of their legislation in the future.

“The excitement that we see from our interactions with voters, it's just been so positive.”