In a video released Tuesday night, community advocate Mike Morice announced that he is joining the Green Party of Canada as a Deputy Leader, pledging to use the role to amplify the economic and social concerns of working-class Canadians.
Morice framed his appointment as an opportunity to bring national attention to issues he says are eroding affordability and fairness in everyday life. “I’m joining as a deputy leader with the Green Party of Canada to give a national stage to our community’s voices, concerns, and priorities,” he said.
Criticism of Grocery Retailers and Billionaire Wealth
In the announcement, Morice pointed to the “small number of grocery chains” dominating Canada’s food market—companies that, he noted, have previously admitted to price collusion. He argued these chains “find any number of reasons to spin why they continue to jack prices on us going forward,” despite record profits.
Morice linked the issue to wealth inequality at the very top. Most major grocery retailers, he said, are controlled by a handful of ultra-rich families, including “the 65 billionaires in this country who’ve hoarded more wealth than the bottom 5.3 million households in Canada combined.”
Housing Pressures and the Threat of Community ‘Hollowing Out’
Morice warned that rising housing and living costs are threatening the stability of working communities. He said nurses, teachers, tradespeople, and other essential workers are increasingly unable to afford to live where they work.
“We run the risk of getting hollowed out,” he said, describing a future where essential workers are priced out of the very communities they serve.
Calls for Tax Reform and Ending Fossil Fuel Subsidies
Framing the moment as a turning point, Morice argued that Canada’s wealthiest must “pay their fair share.” He called for ending “tens of billions in handouts to foreign-owned fossil fuel giants,” redirecting those funds into public services and climate solutions.
Morice emphasized that these subsidies could instead be invested in:
- Free and expanded public transit, including all-day, two-way GO Train service
- Large-scale public social housing construction, recalling how Canada once built housing at scale
- Universal healthcare expansion, including prescription drug coverage and mental-health services
- Arts and culture funding, ensuring communities get their “fair share”
Poverty, Disability Justice, and Climate Action
Morice also advocated for eliminating “legislative poverty” for people with disabilities—an implicit reference to federal and provincial programs that keep disabled individuals below the poverty line.
On the climate crisis, he stressed the urgency of the moment, saying Canada must “recognize the science and the urgency of the situation.”
A ‘Momentum-Building’ Role
Morice concluded by saying he is “thrilled” by how this new role will create opportunities to “build the momentum we need” to champion community priorities at the national level.
His appointment adds another high-profile figure to the Green Party as it seeks to rebuild its national presence ahead of the next federal election.
