In early 1983, the party membership ousted Lewis and its executive. The party's new leader, Ronald Gilson, promptly reinstated separation from Ontario as the party's primary goal. By 1985, however, the party was deregistered after failing to file its annual contributions and expenses return for 1984; Don Joynt, the executive director of the provincial Commission on Election Contributions and Expenses, revealed that in its year-end return for 1983, the party had listed just ninety cents in assets and only four card-carrying members.