Saturday October 3, 2020 | NATIONAL
by Mary P Brooke, Editor | Island Social Trends
The new leader of the Green Party of Canada is Annamie Paul. The results were announced today Saturday October 3 around 4:40 pm Pacific Time, speaking on live TV/livestream from the Ottawa Art Gallery.
The winner needed 11,939 votes to secure the leadership, so the process involved a few ballot counts. There was a combination of online voting (to 6:30 pm EDT today), and mail-in ballots.
Annamie Paul won on the 8th ballot with 54.5% of the votes by Green Party members. In her acceptance speech she highlighted that “Colonialism stole my original voice”. She further said: “My job is to be your strong voice, and working to get Greens elected.”
Leadership candidate Annamie Paul of Toronto did the best with fundraising during the leadership campaign. She is now pivoting right away to running as the federal by-election candidate in Toronto Centre, which takes place on October 26.
The new leader reached out to other contenders to join her in moving the Green Party forward. She acknowledged the support of her family, saying that family support is important during the ‘blood sport’ that is politics.
Setting the tone:
“The Green Party blazes the policies that other parties follow,” said Paul. She said that the Green Party introduces policy that is absolutely necessary.
To disenchanted citizens, she said: “If you don’t feel represented, make your party our home.” She says the Greens bring forward the best ideas and policies to create a resilient society.
The successor to B.C. MP Elizabeth May, who has been at the helm of the party for nearly 14 years, will have the unique opportunity to lead the fledgling party into new and/or stronger directions.
Messaging from the various candidates who are located across the country was in some ways scattered, with some specific keyed-in topics and issues.
But the commonality is about addressing income inequality (notably with a baseline livable income), improving the range of diversity and inclusiveness in Canadian society, and strong climate policy.
Torch has passed from party founder:
Overall, the Green Party of Canada has been both innovative and progressive, but with the work of Elizabeth May has grounded the party in the House of Commons.
For the longest while May was the only Green Member of Parliament in the Canadian Parliament, until 2019 when in that year’s October election two more Green MPs were elected: Paul Manly from Vancouver Island and Jenica Atwin from Atlantic Canada.
This evening’s leadership win was announced from a podium at the Ottawa Art Gallery led by party president Jo Ann Roberts.
Vancouver Island candidate thanks volunteers:
During the campaign, David Merner (well known on Vancouver Island) released an in-depth policy document on how to restructure and reorganize the party, toward giving them more robust action on the federal political stage by being better organized internally.
Merner — who has tried several times to get into federal politics (running as the Liberal candidate in the 2015 federal election, and as the Green candidate in the 2019 federal election) — sent out a note by email shortly after the new leader was announced.
To followers, today Merner wrote that his volunteers “stayed true to Green values” which he lists as ecological wisdom, non-violence, social justice, sustainability, participatory democracy, and respect for diversity.
BC Green Leader sends congratulations:
Upon hearing of Annamie Paul’s win as leader of the national Greens, BC Green Leader Sonia Furstenau sent her “heartfelt congratulations”. “I’m excited to work together as we both build the next generation of our respective parties,” said Furstenau in a statement today.
