OTTAWA — Leader of the Green Party, Elizabeth May (MP, Saanich-Gulf Islands) has named Anna Keenan (Malpeque, P.E.I.) to the party’s Shadow Cabinet as critic for democratic reform. The Shadow Cabinet develops party positions based on policies adopted by Green Party membership.
Ms. Keenan, a community manager with the international climate change advocacy organization 350.org, discovered her political calling while working as an intern for a U.S. congressperson.
"We can restore citizens' faith in the democratic process by looking at best practices from around the world,” said Ms. Keenan. “We can upgrade our electoral system, support the voice of community-based advocacy organizations over corporations, and use innovative approaches – like Ireland's Citizens' Assembly – to put citizens and facts at the centre of democracy, and de-escalate the inflammatory rhetoric that has come to characterize political debate in the past few years. We can rescue democracy from politics."
Ms. Keenan’s decade of work with democracy and climate change campaigns includes being Campaign Director in P.E.I.’s 2016 plebiscite on electoral reform, in which Mixed-Member Proportional Representation was supported over the current winner-take-all system by a 10-point margin of victory.
“I’m thrilled that Anna has agreed to serve as the Green Party’s critic on democratic reform,” said Ms. May. “She has first-hand experience with a variety of electoral systems, having lived and worked in Australia, Asia, Europe and North America. She’s also served on the board of Fair Vote Canada for two years. Her breadth of experience will be a valuable asset. The Liberals promised to scrap our undemocratic first-past-the-post electoral system, then promptly reneged on that promise.
"I'm excited to be stepping into this role as critic for democratic reform because I want to address, head-on, the declining faith in our democratic institutions,” said Ms. Keenan. “Canadians realize that the old political system has failed them. The Greens are the only party with a comprehensive plan to reform our electoral system and restore faith in our democratic institutions.”
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For more information or to arrange an interview contact:
Rosie Emery
Press Secretary
613-562-4916x206
rosie.emery@greenparty.ca