May Tries to Share the Spotlight, but Old Habits Die Hard at Green Party Rebrand Launch

At today’s Green Party of Canada press conference unveiling the party’s new branding and logo, co-leader Elizabeth May made a clear effort to share the stage with Jonathan Pedneault—but not without a few missteps that underscored past criticisms about her dominant role in the party.

In a shift from previous press conferences, May allowed Pedneault to speak first, seemingly giving him space to take the lead on explaining the new Green Party identity. However, as he spoke, May could be seen standing behind him, muttering to herself. At one point, she raised her hand to interrupt his response to a journalist before appearing to catch herself and step back.

An Uneasy Dynamic

Throughout the event, there were subtle but telling moments of negotiation between May and Pedneault as they responded to media questions. At one point, as a journalist posed a question to the group, May and Pedneault were visibly engaged in a side conversation, raising questions about who was taking the lead in the discussion.

This comes after months of scrutiny over May’s reluctance to share power. Past reports on Global Green News highlighted Pedneault’s absence from key events, May cutting ahead of him at the podium, and instances where she was the sole representative of the party in media statements despite their supposed co-leadership model.

Rebranding Without Clear Policy Changes

While the Green Party promoted the rebrand as a bold new era, the event was light on policy announcements. When journalists asked for specific policy changes tied to the rebrand, May, Pedneault, and Green MP Mike Morrice were on the defensive, emphasizing that their platform would be revealed later.

“The logo is only the first step in unveiling the platform,” Pedneault assured reporters. “That’s going to start very soon.”

The party did not announce any major shifts in policy, leaving observers wondering how much of this “new vision” is actually new.

Meanwhile, some Green supporters expressed relief that the party did not dive deeper into its recent pro-military stances or adopt military camouflage green—a satirical suggestion previously raised in Global Green News as a critique of their shifting foreign policy.