Ottawa, ON – The Green Party of Canada concluded its annual general meeting on February 25th, marking the second occasion the event was conducted virtually. Members in attendance voted on a variety of policy proposals, including condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, strict federal regulation and oversight of carbon offsets and credits, and a national Action Plan to address violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people. The proposals adopted by the members in attendance will subsequently undergo a ratification vote by the party's full membership.
Lively debate and discussion among members meant fewer proposals reached the floor of the general meeting. As a result, an anticipated debate on amending the party’s constitution to implement co-leadership did not occur. On February 28th, the party’s Federal Council voted to plan a special general meeting this spring to debate and vote on co-leadership proposals, with the date to be determined.
During the party’s 2022 leadership contest, four candidates ran on two co-leadership ballots. Among them was the party leader, Elizabeth May, who ran for co-leadership with the current deputy leader, Jonathan Pedneault. Implementing co-leadership would require a change to the party’s constitution, which must be debated and voted on at a general meeting of the members.
The Green Party is the first federal party in Canada to seriously explore a co-leadership model. Many Green parties internationally, including those in Germany, Austria, Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Scotland, England and Wales, and the European Parliament, have successfully implemented co-leadership.
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For more information please contact:
Laurie MacMillan
Interim Communications Manager
250-668-2732
media@greenparty.ca