New leadership is on the way for the Green Party of Nova Scotia. This coming Saturday, October 23, the party will hold elections for the positions of Leader and Deputy Leader.
While the original plan was to have a debate between various contestants on October 6, the withdrawal of two of the four potential leaders- meteorologist Richard Zurawski and digital activist Nick Hendron – leaves only one contestant in the running for each position.
Meet the Contestants
Contestant for Leader: Anthony Edmonds
Anthony Edmonds is an aerospace engineer, electoral reform activist and proud Nova Scotian currently residing in Wellington.
Edmonds’ leadership platform involves implementing sustainable forestry practices as well as building up the province’s ecotourism industry. He believes that promoting measures such as eliminating clearcutting and focusing on producing high quality lumber “can make [Nova Scotia’s] forestry industry the envy of the entire world.”
Other key parts of Edmonds’ platform include reconciliation with the province’s first nations population, as well seeking to provide guaranteed livable income to all members of Nova Scotian society.
If elected, Edmonds plans to lead with the long term future in mind.
“Planning beyond a four year government term is the correct way to build a prosperous society,” he says.
Contestant for Deputy Leader: Jo Ann Roberts
Jo Ann Roberts is an award-winning journalist who left her job at the CBC in 2014 in order to pursue her passion for environmental policy and advocacy. Her first campaign came in 2015 when she ran to be elected as Green Party Leader for the 2015 federal elections, coming in second with nearly 24,000 votes.
Roberts has since been a fixture in green politics in Canada, eventually rising to the level of Interim Party Leader, a position in which she served between November 4, 2019 and October 3 2020 after Elizabeth May stepped down.
Now running for Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Nova Scotia on a ticket with Anthony Edmonds, Roberts plans to be aggressive in her attempts to increase party membership in Nova Scotia, as well as to put together an “active and well-informed shadow cabinet” to closely monitor the activities of the province’s legislative assembly and ensure that its members are being held accountable for their legislative decisions.
Roberts opposes open pen fishing in Nova Scotia and believes that policy makers must act now to address and mitigate the “climate emergency” in the province.
“There is so much to be done [with respect to climate change] here in Nova Scotia. And I think as more and more people start to see the effect of this climate emergency, they will join us,” she states.
Next Steps in the Electoral Process
Those looking to learn more about the leadership contestants may attend their live Question and Answer session tonight, October 20th, that will be held on Zoom from 6 to 8 pm local time.
The final step in the electoral process will then take place at the Leadership Election and Special General Meeting this Saturday, October 23 at the Sackville Heights Community Centre in Sackville, Nova Scotia.
The event will begin at 2 pm local time, with voting coming to a close at 3:45 pm. The winners of the election will then be announced later that afternoon.
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