Derek Sloan | |
|---|---|
 Sloan in 2022 | |
| Leader of theOntario Party | |
| Assumed office December 14, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Joel Shepheard |
| Member of Parliament forHastings—Lennox and Addington | |
| In office October 21, 2019 – September 20, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Bossio |
| Succeeded by | Shelby Kramp-Neuman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1984-11-11)November 11, 1984 (age 40) Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada |
| Political party | Ontario Party (2021–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Independent (Jan - Dec 2021) Conservative (before 2021) |
| Spouse | Jennifer Sloan |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence(s) | Belleville, Ontario, Canada[1] |
| Alma mater | Pacific Union College (BBA) Queen's University (JD) |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Derek Nathaniel Sloan (born November 11, 1984) is a Canadian politician who represented theriding ofHastings—Lennox and Addington from 2019 to 2021.[2] Shortly after being elected to theHouse of Commons of Canada in the2019 Canadian federal election, Sloan ran as a candidate for theConservative Party leadership in 2020 and was eliminated after the first ballot. He has received national news coverage for his controversial views onLGBTQ issues, and making allegedly racist remarks.[3][4]
On January 20, 2021, Sloan was expelled from the Conservative Party caucus after it was revealed that he had received a donation fromwhite supremacist andperennial political candidatePaul Fromm.[5] Party leaderErin O'Toole explained that the decision had been made "because of a pattern of destructive behaviour involving multiple incidents."[6]
In the2021 Canadian federal election, Sloan ran in theBanff—Airdrie riding as an independent, and finished fifth.[7] Soon after he became the leader of theOntario Party and stood for the party in the riding ofHastings—Lennox and Addington in the2022 Ontario general election, finishing fourth.
Sloan was born in 1984 and raised nearWaterford,Ontario.[8] He attendedKingsway College, a privateSeventh-day Adventist Church-affiliated high school inOshawa.[9]
In 2003, Sloan enrolled atPacific Union College, a private university inNapa Valley,California associated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. There he completed a bachelor's degree in business in 2007.[10] While attending Pacific Union, Sloan served as president of the university's student association in 2007.[10]
After graduating, Sloan moved toToronto, Ontario to work at a water-fuel systems company.[11] Subsequently, he ran Sloan's Furniture Liquidation in Oshawa from 2011 to 2014. In 2014, Sloan began a law degree atQueen's University inKingston, Ontario; he finished articling in 2018. Sloan has said he pursued law because he was interested in "defending religious liberties against political correctness."[12]
Sloan and his wife Jennifer have two daughters and a son.[8]
In 2018, Sloan announced that he would seek theConservative Party of Canada's nomination for the riding ofHastings—Lennox and Addington.[13] At the nomination meeting, Sloan defeated three other candidates: a city councillor who had served for fifteen years inBelleville, a lawyer who had lived in the area for twenty years, and a local business owner.[14] Sloan defeated one-termLiberal incumbentMike Bossio in the2019 federal election, becoming the firstSeventh-day Adventist ever elected to theCanadian House of Commons.[12]
Sloan announced his candidacy for the2020 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election on January 22, 2020.[15] On January 27, Sloan made national headlines after tweeting in response to fellow leadership candidateRichard Décarie that the cause of sexual orientation is scientifically complicated, and that Mr. Décarie beliefs should not disqualify him from the Conservative Leadership Race.[16][better source needed][17] Sloan's comments were criticized by his former election campaign manager, Eric Lorenzen.[3]
A self-identifiedsocial conservative, Sloan attracted controversy for the policy positions he endorsed throughout the leadership race.[18] Sloan stated that were he elected leader he would permit Conservative MPs to reopen the debate onabortion or introduce private members’ bills aimed at overturningsame-sex marriage.[18] He also voiced opposition to Bill C-16, which protects people from discrimination on the basis of gender identity.[19] He also vowed to vote against a federal ban on the pseudoscientific practice ofconversion therapy, arguing that parents should be able to make children identify with the body they are born with.[20] Sloan has been widely criticized in the media and even within the Conservative Party for these views.[21][3][22]
On February 6, 2020, members of theMohawks of the Bay of Quinte blockaded theCanadian National Railway north ofTyendinaga, in support the Wetʼsuwetʼen hereditary chiefs'opposition to the Coastal GasLink Pipeline within Sloan's riding ofHastings—Lennox and Addington.[23] Sloan spoke publicly about the blockade for the first time on February 18, stating the Liberal government should have responded faster to the protests.[23] Three days later, Sloan characterized the protesters as "radical extremists" and called on theOntario Provincial Police to enforce an injunction to remove the blockade.[24]
On April 21, 2020, Sloan tweeted a video in which he asked whetherCanada's Chief Medical OfficerTheresa Tam worked "for Canada or for China?"[25] Sloan's comments singled out Theresa Tam, aChinese Canadian, and were denounced as racist on social media;[25][4]Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau called them intolerant, saying they had no place in Canada,[26] and several fellow Conservative MPs denounced them as personal attacks.[25] Conservative Party leaderAndrew Scheer initially declined to comment on Sloan's remarks,[27] but stated that it was "inappropriate to question someone’s loyalty to their country" the following week.[28] The municipality ofHastings County condemned Sloan's remarks as "cruel and racist" and unrepresentative of the people of his riding, before calling on him to be expelled from the Conservative Party.[4] Sloan said the following day that he would not apologize, because "the idea people would think it was racist was not even on my mind. I would have said those statements about any public health officer that made those decisions in her spot."[29] TheChinese Canadian National Council (SJ) submitted a letter to the Conservative Party demanding that Sloan be expelled from the party's caucus and denied the opportunity to run for its leadership.[30] In an emergency session on April 29, 2020, Conservative MPs demanded Sloan apologize for his statements.[31] In a statement on April 29, Sloan said his comments were "rhetorical" but declined to retract them.[32]
In the leadership election, Sloan placed last on the first ballot and was subsequently eliminated after winning 14.39% of first-ballot points.[33]
Shortly afterErin O'Toole won the leadership, Liberal MPPam Damoff called for Sloan's expulsion from the Conservative caucus. Sloan called it part of the Liberals' electoral strategy, while O'Toole declined to say whether or not he would expel him from caucus.[34] Despite a petition launched byanti-abortion organizationCampaign Life Coalition for his inclusion, O'Toole did not include Sloan in hisShadow Cabinet.[35][36]
During a campaign webinar on June 4, 2020, Sloan accused Justin Trudeau of "effectively putting into law child abuse" by proposing a ban onconversion therapy.[37] Bay of Quinte PRIDE denounced Sloan's comments as "vile" and stated that Sloan was failing to adequately represent his LGBTQ constituents.[38] Fellow leadership candidatePeter MacKay likewise denounced Sloan's remarks as reprehensible.[39]
In October 2020, Sloan voted against a bill banning various forms of conversion therapy. He claimed that the bill would outlaw prayer and "amounts to child abuse", using it for fundraising purposes following the vote.[40][41] Sloan signed an E-petition that raised questions about the safety of a future coronavirus vaccine. When asked about the e-petition, he stated that it had "good points".[42]
On January 18, 2021, O'Toole announced plans to remove Sloan from the Conservative Party caucus (of Conservative Members of Parliament) after it was revealed that Sloan unknowingly accepted a donation of $131 from white nationalistPaul Fromm. Sloan received the money (donated under the name "Frederick P. Fromm") during the 2020 leadership campaign. Upon learning of the donation, Sloan asked the Conservative Party to arrange for its return to Fromm. He also pointed out on social media that the Conservative party had taken a ten percent cut of the donation.[43] O'Toole also stated that Sloan would not be allowed to run as a Conservative candidate in thenext federal election.[44] The party also investigated his use of robocalls during his leadership campaign.[45] Sloan was voted out of the Conservative caucus on January 20, 2021.[5] The vote occurred pursuant to provisions of theReform Act.[5][46]
Before that decision was made, the Party had issued a statement that "Sloan's campaign ... sold the party membership to Fromm". In a statement on January 20, 2021, Erin O'Toole explained that Sloan's acceptance of a donation from a white nationalist was just one factor of many that led to the ouster:[6]
"The Conservative caucus voted to remove Derek Sloan not because of one specific event, but because of a pattern of destructive behaviour involving multiple incidents and disrespect towards the Conservative team for over a year."
Following his expulsion from the Conservative Party, Sloan has travelled across Ontario to speak at protests and demonstrations against public health measures enacted in response to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[47][48] On April 24, 2021, Sloan spoke at an anti-lockdown protest inBarrie where he recommended that the government explore treating COVID-19 usingVitamin D.[47] The following day Sloan,Ontario MPPRandy Hillier, and other demonstrators attended a service at the Church of God inAylmer in defiance of the Reopening Ontario Act, which limits in-person religious gatherings to ten people.[49] Sloan has also attended demonstrations inOttawa,Peterborough,Stratford, andChatham.[50] Sloan was charged in relation to the event in Aylmer and has been investigated byBelleville police regarding a gathering at Zwicks Park.[51]
In July 2021, Sloan announced his plan to form a new political party.[52] In August 2021, soon after the 44th federal election was called, he announced that he would contest theAlberta riding ofBanff—Airdrie as an independent.[7] He came fifth while the Conservative incumbent,Blake Richards, was re-elected.
In December 2021, Sloan was announced as the new leader of theOntario Party, intending to contest the2022 Ontario general election.[53]
| 2025 Ontario general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Ric Bresee | 20,249 | 48.58 | +1.03 | ||||
| Liberal | Lynn Rigby | 12,398 | 29.75 | +11.15 | ||||
| New Democratic | Jessica Zielke | 4,810 | 11.54 | –7.47 | ||||
| Ontario Party | Derek Sloan | 2,318 | 5.56 | –1.79 | ||||
| Green | Mike Holbrook | 1,376 | 3.30 | –1.24 | ||||
| New Blue | Glenn Tyrrell | 528 | 1.27 | –1.69 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 41,679 | 99.21 | –0.33 | |||||
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 335 | 0.79 | +0.33 | |||||
| Turnout | 42,014 | |||||||
| Eligible voters | ||||||||
| Progressive Conservativehold | Swing | –5.06 | ||||||
| Source:Elections Ontario[54] | ||||||||
| 2022 Ontario general election:Hastings—Lennox and Addington | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Progressive Conservative | Ric Bresee | 18,156 | 47.55 | −2.71 | $66,705 | |||
| New Democratic | Eric DePoe | 7,258 | 19.01 | −13.43 | $45,142 | |||
| Liberal | Ted Darby | 7,102 | 18.60 | +6.96 | $31,699 | |||
| Ontario Party | Derek Sloan | 2,807 | 7.35 | $0 | ||||
| Green | Christina Wilson | 1,732 | 4.54 | +0.21 | $0 | |||
| New Blue | Joyce Reid | 1,129 | 2.96 | $3,466 | ||||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 38,184 | 99.54 | +0.56 | $114,855 | ||||
| Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots | 178 | 0.46 | -0.56 | |||||
| Turnout | 38,362 | 47.12 | -11.98 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 82,031 | |||||||
| Progressive Conservativehold | Swing | +5.36 | ||||||
Source(s)
| ||||||||
| 2021 Canadian federal election:Banff—Airdrie | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Conservative | Blake Richards | 43,677 | 56.7 | -14.3 | $81,344.58 | |||
| New Democratic | Sarah Zagoda | 12,482 | 16.2 | +5.7 | $5,649.63 | |||
| Liberal | David Gamble | 9,572 | 12.4 | +1.6 | $27,675.24 | |||
| People's | Nadine Wellwood | 5,808 | 7.5 | +4.1 | $27,091.64 | |||
| No Affiliation | Derek Sloan | 2,020 | 2.6 | – | $135,191.03 | |||
| Maverick | Tariq Elnaga | 1,475 | 1.9 | – | $18,170.91 | |||
| Green | Aidan Blum | 1,405 | 1.8 | -2.5 | $0.00 | |||
| Independent | Caroline O'Driscoll | 489 | 0.6 | – | $10,142.91 | |||
| Independent | Ron Voss | 60 | 0.1 | – | $0.00 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 76,988 | 100.0 | – | $141,669.12 | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | 396 | 0.51 | ||||||
| Turnout | 77,384 | 69.4 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 111,566 | |||||||
| Conservativehold | Swing | -9.9 | ||||||
| Source:Elections Canada[55][56] | ||||||||
| Candidate | 1st ballot | 2nd ballot | 3rd ballot | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes cast | % | Points allocated | % | Votes cast | % | Points allocated | % | Votes cast | % | Points allocated | % | ||
.png) | Erin O'Toole | 51,258 | 29.39% | 10,681.40 | 31.60% | 56,907 | 33.20% | 11,903.69 | 35.22% | 90,635 | 58.86% | 19,271.74 | 57.02% |
.JPG) | Peter MacKay | 52,851 | 30.30% | 11,328.55 | 33.52% | 54,165 | 31.60% | 11,756.01 | 34.78% | 63,356 | 41.14% | 14,528.26 | 42.98% |
 | Leslyn Lewis | 43,017 | 24.67% | 6,925.38 | 20.49% | 60,316 | 35.20% | 10,140.30 | 30.00% | Eliminated | |||
 | Derek Sloan | 27,278 | 15.64% | 4,864.67 | 14.39% | Eliminated | |||||||
| Total | 174,404 | 100% | 33,800 | 100% | 171,388 | 100% | 33,800 | 100% | 153,991 | 100% | 33,800 | 100% | |
| 2019 Canadian federal election:Hastings—Lennox and Addington | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Conservative | Derek Sloan | 21,968 | 41.4 | -0.5 | $34,287.91 | |||
| Liberal | Mike Bossio | 19,721 | 37.1 | -5.3 | $103,242.32 | |||
| New Democratic | David Tough | 6,984 | 13.2 | +0.5 | $4,351.46 | |||
| Green | Sari Watson | 3,114 | 5.87 | +3.0 | none listed | |||
| People's | Adam L. E. Gray | 1,307 | 2.46 | $1,020.01 | ||||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 53,094 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 352 | |||||||
| Turnout | 53,446 | 66.7 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 80,079 | |||||||
| Conservativegain fromLiberal | Swing | +2.40 | ||||||
| Source:Elections Canada[58][59] | ||||||||
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