There are more than a dozen parties campaigning in the provincial election.
In the London region, there are 10 different parties.
There are single issue parties – such as the equal parenting party running in Huron-Bruce and the Communist Party, only in the riding of London North.
Eric Ames, the Family Coalition Party of Ontario leader, believes traditional family values are important.
“In some ways I think we're where the PCs should be, because there's different policies they seem to not be willing to talk about,” he says.
“That's not an easy discussion to have. Definitely, we want to support life. Our party has a pro-life platform from conception to natural death.”
Ames, like Libertarians Devin Wright and Tim Harnick, know they won’t be part of the government, but they aren’t afraid to try.
If I don’t form government or get elected, my work is still valuable,” Ames said.
Oxford Libertarian Wright says, “If I get one more person in Woodstock to think as a Libertarian, I did my job.”
There are more than 70 Libertarian candidates across the province, running on a platform of less government, more rights and more freedom when it comes to healthcare.
“We would improve the funding model - where the hospitals didn't get paid until the patients left the facilities. We'd also introduce a nominal co-pay so people aren't plugging up the doctors’ offices with runny noses and stuff like that,” says Harnick, running in London-Fanshawe.
“One man can make a difference.”
Not every fringe party is in it to win it, but some, such as the Freedom Party of Ontario, are.
The London-based party is running candidates in 42 ridings. That’s enough to form a minority government . They have a flashy ad campaign to help in those efforts.
The party is running on two issues: a balanced budget and stopping green energy plans.
“Pulling the plug on those overpriced McGuinty Liberal green energy schemes. Not just the ones that are planned, but the ones that are already in existence,” says leader Paul McKeever.
The party has candidates in nearly every local riding.
“A decision was made as a matter of strategy to build London as our toe-hold in the legislature,” McKeever says.