On September 20, 2023, it was announced that, after months of discussion, the group would be forming a political party to contest elections. Former New Brunswick cabinet minister Dominic Cardy became interim leader of the party.[9] On February 6, 2024, it was announced that Denis Blanchette had joined their national council. He is a former New Democratic Party MP and was the first president of the New Democratic Party of Quebec.[10] The party announced the formation of an internal youth council on February 21, 2024.[11]
The party applied to be registered by Elections Canada and was recognized by the agency as an "eligible party" on July 22, 2024, and became officially registered on August 8, 2024.[12] The party was officially launched at an August 14, 2024 press conference.[3]
In July 2024, interim leader Dominic Cardy was arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest in Toronto for disturbing the peace after chanting "Free Palestine from Hamas".[13]
On July 29, 2024, the party announced its intention to run candidates in the federal by-elections in LaSalle—Émard—Verdun and Elmwood—Transcona scheduled for September 16, 2024.[14][15][16] On August 14, 2024, Mark Khoury was announced as the party's candidate for the LaSalle—Émard—Verdun by-election.[17] Zbig Strycharz was later announced as its standard-bearer in Elmwood—Transcona.[18][19]
The party elected its first leader Dominic Cardy at its founding convention in November 2024.[20] 112 delegates attended the event.[21]
The party's early stances involved positioning themselves as political centrists while trying to differentiate themselves from the Liberal and Conservative Parties.[22][8][23] The party's 'interim policy framework' lists five areas of concern: Personal Freedoms, Open Government, Responsible Spending, Stronger Together (At Home), and Stronger Together (Abroad).[24] In February 2024 interim leader Dominic Cardy held a virtual discussion hosted by CPAC on the topic of Canadian support for Ukraine during which he noted the need for Canada to rebuild Canada's military and foreign relations and criticizing both the Liberal and Conservative Parties.[25]
Interim policy framework
Freedoms
Remaining uninvolved in anything considered a private matter for adult citizens[24]
Increase military spending to 2% of GDP to meet NATO goals[24][26]
Russo-Ukrainian War
The Canadian Future Party supports the aid granted by the Government of Canada to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion of the country began in February 2022. It has also been critical of the Conservative Party for voting against the Canada–Ukraine Free Trade Agreement over the language on carbon pricing, claiming they sacrificed Ukrainian interests to appease pro-Russian and climate change denying influencers on social media. The Future Party calls for more monetary, diplomatic, and material aid to be given to Ukraine. It also would like to see greater spending on the Canadian Forces to support NATO and other democracies globally, and has expressed discontent with cuts to defence spending by the Liberal Party.[27]
Housing
Citing forecasts by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation that five million new housing units will be needed by 2030 to meet current needs, the Canadian Future Party has proposed directly involving the federal government in new developments. It proposes first engaging in areas under federal responsibility, such as housing for military bases and government employees, which can take pressure off of local supply. This housing would also prioritize the use of new technologies to minimize their environmental impact. Housing for indigenous communities is also something the party would look into, building off-reserve stock to address their needs.[28]
Furthermore, the party aims to encourage remote work. Ultimatums requiring employees to return to the office are seen as a negative factor in dense urban centres. Flexible workforces are seen as a possible solution to maximizing existing housing stock. The party also sees it as a way to revitalize smaller communities across the country in the process of alleviating large cities.[28]
Foreign interference
The Canadian Future Party expressed concerns regarding allegations of the Liberal nomination of Han Dong in Don Valley North having been subject to foreign interference. Referring to a report by the Foreign Interference Commission, which stated that nomination contests can be gateways for foreign states wishing to interfere in democratic processes, the following four recommendations were put forward for the party's own operations:[29]
Only Canadian citizens can become voting members of the Canadian Future Party
Permanent residents can be engaged but will be given observer status
Voting members will have to join the party in advance of a nomination to participate
The disclosure of any candidate's relationship to a foreign power will be required
Bill C-70 has been described by the party as containing many positive elements they have called for. These include the foreign agent registry, new powers for CSIS, and new criminal offences aimed at protecting Canadian institutions. An additional recommendation was made to amend the Elections Act to strengthen oversight over party nominations. Due to the possibility that Bill C-70 may not be in force in time for a future election, it was suggested that Elections Canada create voluntary guidelines for all federal parties to update their nomination processes beforehand.[29]
