After 13 years as leader of the Green Party of Canada, Elizabeth May announced on Monday that she was resigning as leader, effective immediately. However, she will continue as a Member of Parliament for Saanich-Gulf Islands, and as parliamentary leader of the Green caucus.
I, for one, was very disappointed to hear the news. A hard-working, well-respected leader, Ms. May has been a breath of fresh air. Her press conferences are very atypical in that she doesn’t stick to pre-determined talking points but instead speaks honestly and from the heart. To give you an idea of how highly regarded she is, Elizabeth May has been repeatedly voted the most effective MP in the House of Commons, including by her fellow parliamentarians.
Where does this take the Green Party of Canada? One idea I’m intrigued by is that put forward by Alex Tyrrell, leader of the Green Party of Quebec, who has already tipped his hand that he’s interested in the leadership role. He would like to see the federal Greens move decisively left.
No more “not left, not right, but out front” as the Green Party motto puts it. Such a move would definitely put pressure on the federal NDP to move further to the left. Both developments, in my view, would be positive.
I’ve always believed that democracy and our economic system should serve the interests of all of us, not just the top 1%. This means well-thought-out, visionary policies that motivate the electorate to get out and vote for real change.
Elizabeth May has done a superb job over the years of putting the Green agenda on Canada’s philosophical and political map, and I wish nothing but the best for the Green Party moving forward. But this could be a classic watershed moment for the party to reassess itself and the direction it’s moving in, and come up with even stronger policies that will benefit all Canadians.
Let’s hear what Mr. Tyrrell has to say.
Daily atmospheric CO2 [Courtesy of CO2.Earth]
Latest daily total (Nov. 4 2019): 409.42 ppm
One year ago (Nov. 5 2018): 406.95 ppm
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