Progressive Conservatives' turmoil has would-be politician turning to a new party

Joshua Carron planned to run to be the Progressive Conservative candidate in Cambridge for the upcoming provincial election.

But the 27-year-old would-be politician said the more he learned about the party and the party's leadership, the more he didn't quite like what he was hearing.

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He would speak to people about his potential run for the nomination, and he said people expressed frustration to him.

"People wanted to take out a membership to support me but they're apprehensive to do so because of the leadership of the PC party," he said, adding it was "disheartening" because he really wanted to work for the people in the community.

He started to look at controversial nomination battles in Carleton-York, Hamilton and Scarborough, along with a "misunderstanding" about the date of a nomination meeting in Cambridge, and said, "I began to lose faith."

The PC conference in November "was the final straw and when I saw the big Patrick Brown show and was largely unimpressed with that whole event."

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Last weekend, Carron handed back his membership for the Progressive Conservatives and became a member of the Alliance Party of Ontario, dubbed The A-Team.

New 'fringe' parties in Ontario

The Alliance Party has the tagline "bring Ontario back" and Carron said it's an "Ontario first" party and has a similar mandate to that of the Saskatchewan Party.

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It was created by members of the PC party who didn't want the Patrick Brown they elected to lead the provincial party.

With a history of voting against same-sex marriage and a carbon tax while an MP in Ottawa, he seemed to do a 180 when he became leader, said Carron. 

Brown has since stepped down from his role as leader following allegations of sexual misconduct.

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There's also the Trillium Party of Ontario. Founder Bob Yaciuk told CBC News in September disgruntled PC members were turning to that party, including MPP Jack MacLaren, who became a member of the party after he was kicked out of the PC caucus in May.

Some voters may turn to these "fringe" parties because of frustration, but Andrea Perrella isn't convinced it will be enough to hurt the PC party.

Perrella is an associate professor at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo and is also director of the Laurier Institute for the Study of Public Opinion and Policy.

It's hard for an outside party to break in. It's easier for a member of a legislature or a cluster to form their own party.- Andrea Perrella, associate professor at Wilfrid Laurier Univeristy

The fringe parties that are successful are the ones that are formed by sitting members of legislatures or parliament, he said.

"To be a successful outsider, you have to start as an insider," he said.

That means MPPs or MPs decide to form a party. Rarely does a party started by people outside Queen's Park or Parliament Hill succeed.

"It's hard for an outside party to break in. It's easier for a member of a legislature or a cluster to form their own party," Perrella said.

Voters not ready to oust main parties

The Saskatchewan Party was formed by Progressive Conservatives and Liberals who already had seats.

A "classic example of a party that seemingly emerged out of nowhere and almost totally revolutionized Canada" was the Parti Quebecois.

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"Some of the prominent members were members of the Quebec Liberal Party," Perrella said.

This doesn't mean there is no hope for the Trillium or Alliance parties, Perrella said.

But it will take time and if they are successful, it won't be in time for June's provincial election.

"There may be the desire for a none-of-the-above and people may switch or choose some of these fringe parties, but if you look at the ballots in Ontario elections, fringe parties are few and far between," he said.

"The Alliance party may be part of that same phenomena. It may deflect some disenchantment, it may absorb some of it, but there does not seem to be a groundswell of support that voters are ready to oust the main parties in favour of something totally new."