Those wanting to learn more about Ontario's newest political party are invited to the Sarnia Library Theatre this Saturday at 2 p.m.
New Blue Party leader Jim Karahalios is making a stop in town to share his party's platform, and to drum up some local support.
Local candidate Keith Benn said the party is the only viable conservative option remaining, noting the PCs have drifted too far to the left on the political spectrum.
"This is not the Ontario that I know, this is not the Ontario that anybody really knows or wants other than perhaps a certain number of people in the political establishment who seem to think it's a wonderful thing to have absolute power over the people of this province," said Benn. "It's inexcusable, it's unacceptable and New Blue aims to put an end to that."
Benn said it's time to elect a party that will bring integrity, accountability, and transparency to government.
"We also want to recognize and respect the dignity of the individual in this province," he said. "That's something that's been slowly eroding and that has gone almost off the cliff in the last couple of years. Frankly, I think the people of Ontario are tired of being treated like a herd of cattle and told to go here or go there. We're tired of having a premier who asks the police to set up random checkpoints on roads to have people show their papers as if we're in East Berlin in 1952."
Benn believes the party has a strong chance to have success in the June 2 provincial election.
"There is a large portion, I think a majority of the population, that knows that the three main legacy parties (the PCs, Liberals and New Democrats) cannot be trusted to govern this province properly. There could be a lot of people who are historical Liberal or NDP voters that will be looking for something different and we are the party that offers that."
Jim Karahalios co-founded the New Blue Party in 2021 with his wife Belinda, a sitting MPP of the riding of Cambridge.
Belinda was kicked out of the Conservative caucus after voting against Premier Doug Ford's Bill 195 to extend COVID emergency orders.
Karahalios will also be making stops on Saturday in Chatham and Mount Brydges.