(OTTAWA) August 22, 2016 – Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada (MP, Saanich-Gulf Islands), released the following statement regarding her leadership decision:
“After much reflection and consideration, I am honoured to continue to serve as Leader of the Green Party of Canada,” Ms. May said. “Following a productive meeting with Federal Council on August 21, the Party has taken important steps to improve our policy proposal process, and will again allow all members to vote on new policies passed at convention or special meetings in future.
“I look forward to continuing my work on the Special Committee for Electoral Reform, and I will continue to hold the Trudeau administration to its promise to make every vote count and ensure 2015 is the last election held under our winner-take-all system. In order to do that, we need proportional representation that ensures Parliament better reflects the will of the people,” Ms. May concluded.
The GPC will hold a Special Meeting pursuant to its Constitution and bylaws in the coming months to address three key tasks: review any resolutions from the August 2016 Convention that lacked consensus; subject decisions of the August 2016 Convention that lacked consensus to a consensus process and to deal with all remaining motions for which time elapsed; and review and adopt improved processes for policy making.
The Special Meeting details will be announced at a later date. The full text of the adopted motion from the August 21 Federal Council meeting is as follows:
1. Moved that the federal council of the Green Party of Canada fully supports Elizabeth May's decision to continue to serve as leader;
2. that the GPC will hold a Special Meeting pursuant to terms of its Constitution and By-laws;
3. that details and logistical arrangements of the Special Meeting are delegated to the Council Executive;
4. that the Special Meeting will be held pursuant to Green Rules to achieve consensus decisions;
5. that the purpose of the Special Meeting will be threefold:
a. to focus attention and public awareness of the recommendations of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reform;
b. to subject decisions of the August 2016 convention that lacked consensus to a consensus process and to deal with all remaining motions for which time elapsed;
and c. to review and adopt improved processes for policy making;
6. that the federal council moves that the Special Meeting adopt the pre-2016 process of holding a ratification vote open to all members for all policies adopted at conventions or general meetings of members;
7. and that Shadow Cabinet is requested, with assistance of staff, to review all decisions of the August 2016 meeting to identify any and all policies adopted that lacked consensus and to prepare proposals to be put to the members at Special Meeting with the goal of achieving consensus.
-30-
For more information, please contact: Dan Palmer Press Secretary | Attaché de presse dan.palmer@greenparty.ca m: (613) 614-4916