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Former PPC candidate launches Yukon Freedom Party

The party shares a name with the group leading Yukon’s anti-vaccine movement
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Joseph Zelezny, the president of the new Yukon Freedom Party, previously ran for the People’s Party of Canada in the 2019 federal election. (Submitted file)

A brand-new political party has been officially registered in the Yukon.

Elections Yukon announced the emergence of the Yukon Freedom Party, led by Joseph Zelezny, on Nov. 15.

The requirement to obtain registered political party status includes the written support of 100 electors who are members of the party. According to reporting by CHON-FM, at least some of those signatures were collected at a recent anti-vaccine “Freedom Rally” event.

Zelezny ran for the People’s Party of Canada in the October 2019 federal election, citing his desire to see less business regulation and opposing the carbon tax. Zelezny won 284 votes or 1.4 per cent of ballots cast.

Following those results, Zelezny said he would consider running for politics again, but not under any of the existing parties.

It appears that two years later, he has decided to make that happen.

“Yukoners from all walks of life have cherished the peaceful, prosperous and liberated lives they created for themselves here and it is the Yukon Freedom Party’s aim to bring citizens across this territory together to restore that peace, prosperity and liberty,” said Zelezny in a press release issued Nov. 18.

The Yukon Freedom Party did not respond to an interview request.

The press release states that the party is “for sustainably-sized, efficient, inclusive government comprised of maximum accountability and minimal bureaucracy.”

The strongly-worded release implies that Yukon lacks both the “rule of law” and “fundamental freedoms” under the current leadership. It also criticizes the territory’s reliance on federal transfer payments.

The statement does not directly reference the COVID-19 vaccine, although it does reference government “interference in the health, wealth and happiness of Yukoners.”

Correction: An earlier version of this article referenced the party’s official website as a landing page for anti-mandate sentiments and regular rallies at Shipyards Park. The party says that website was incorrectly listed on the Elections Yukon website, and the website has no affiliation with the Yukon Freedom Party.

Contact Haley Ritchie at haley.ritchie@yukon-news.com