The Green Party of Canada is currently facing a difficult time and a leadership crisis. Following the resignation of their long-term party leader, Elizabeth May, the leadership then passed to the interim Jo-Ann Roberts before settling in the hands of Annamie Paul. Paul made history, becoming the first Jewish Canadian Party leader and the first African American woman to be elected leader.
However, following her assuming power, the party dissolved into infighting, and confidence questions began to arise. The issues ranged from Paul not securing a seat in the House of Commons, a decline in Green party voters, and financial concerns within the party. In addition, some members have condemned Paul for not using strong enough language to condemn Israeli violence against Palestinians. In contrast, Paul has stated that she has had to deal with sexism and racism within the party.
Paul has now resigned, and Dr. Amita Kuttner has taken over in the interim.
These issues have created a sense of disenchantment within the party, and Dr. Kuttner is hoping to regain a sense of connectedness among party members. Indicative of why the new leader launched a Reconnection Tour. Dr. Kuttner stated:
“We’ve all been through a difficult couple of years, but at last things seem to be looking up – for the Green Party and for the country,” said Dr. Kuttner. “It’s a great opportunity for Greens across Canada to get reconnected – with their party, with their values and with each other”.
The Green Party leader has visited places around Ontario and plans to visit the rest of the country in the summer of 2022. The tour’s impact remains to be seen, and while an uplifting idea, Dr. Kuttner’s leadership is not long-term, and someone will still need to be elected. Hopefully, the tour reconciles different interests and priorities nationally within the party so that when the new election comes to fruition, the new leader will have a unified party with concrete goals.
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