New party pitches itself as centrist option for voters unhappy with Liberals, Conservatives

A new federal party is entering the fray and is hoping to gain support from voters unhappy with the federal Liberals and Conservatives.

The groupCentre Ice Canadians (CIC) announced Wednesday that, after months of consultations, it would be launching a new centrist party the Canadian Future Party.

Dominic Cardy, a former Progressive Conservative provincial cabinet minister in New Brunswick and CIC advisory board chair,will lead the new partytemporarily.

WATCH | 'We're not talking about being the mushy middle': Cardy

New centrist party doesn't want to occupy the mushy middle, says interim leader

12 months ago

Duration 9:25

The group Centre Ice Canadians announced it will be launching a new federal political party the Canadian Future Party. Interim leader Dominic Cardy joins Power & Politics to discuss how the party plans to pitch itself to voters.

Cardy toldCBC News Network's Power & Politics that CIChas heard from Canadians who "are fed up with the status quo."

"We heard from Liberal and Conservative members and voters that they felt their parties were becoming more extreme and less representative of their vision for the future of Canada and less representative of their values,"Cardy told host David Cochrane.

Cardy said "evidence will be at the heart" of the party's ideology.

"When we talk about being centrist, we're not talking about being the mushy middle. We're talking about being the sharp, pointy end of the arrow trying to push things forward," he said.

'Worse than 338 root canals'

CIC was founded in 2022 by former federal Conservative leadership candidate Rick Peterson and branded itself asa "bold voice for pragmatic, centrist Canadians."

At one of CIC's initial public meetings, the group insistedit wasn't interested in forming a party. Peterson comparedthe task of setting up 338 riding associations to undergoing "338 root canals."

"We have found out there is something worse than 338 root canals," Cardy said when asked what changed since that meeting."It's letting our politics be dominated by people who are unable to present any sort of plans for our country's future and are mainly engaged in online click-baiting."

Cardy said many of the party's policies will be those CIC has been suggesting over the past year. He pitched ideas such as transitioning to nuclear energy as a way to reduce carbon emissions and bringing in more skilled immigrants to shore up Canada's workforce.

When asked about the new party, Housing Minister Sean Fraser told reporters the Liberals are focused on putting forward policies to help Canadians.

"Regardless of which parties may emerge ... our job is not to defend the interest or perspective of our party. It's to defend the interest and perspective of Canadians," he said.

CBC News reached out to the federal Conservative Party for comment but has not received a response.

The CIC says it will soon begin the process of registering the new party with Elections Canada. To do so, the party must have a minimum of three officers, an auditor and the signatures of 250 electors willing to register as party members.

Cardy said the party plans to hold its founding convention and leadership vote sometime in 2024. He didn't rule out running for the permanent leadership position but said he is focused on getting the party up and running.