High-profile resignations force Green Party to consider scaling back leadership race

Following several high-profile resignations from its executive committee, the federal Green Party is considering scaling back aspects of its leadership contest.

According to several Green Party sources, party officials are discussing how they can organize a leadership contest now that four committee members have resigned.

The sources, who are not authorized to speak publicly, told CBC News the party may be holding fewer official leadership events and is considering condensing two rounds of voting into one.

The party was due to announce the finalists for the leadership after the first ballot on October 14, then introduce its new leader on November 19.

The Federal Council of the Green Party, the governing body of the party, has not yet made a decision. The body is due to meet next Wednesday. Interim leader Amita Kuttner told a news conference on Wednesday that the race continues and the party will release more details soon.

This month, Lorraine Rekmans resigned from her role on the management committee and as party president. She cited the party’s refusal to suspend the leadership contest until it can investigate allegations of systemic discrimination within the party – allegations that were highlighted when Kuttner was misinterpreted during a a leadership launch.

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Following Rekmans’ resignation, three other committee members – Natalie Odd, Michael MacLean and John Willson – quit their posts via email.

“I am surprised and disappointed to learn that the recommendations (of the steering committee) to the Federal Council, for the protection of LGBT + members against possible harm during the course of the leadership race, have been refused,” said said Willson’s resignation email, viewed by CBC News.

“We regret the unfortunate sequence of events that has occurred. This is not what we envisioned,” reads a joint resignation letter filed by Odd and MacLean and obtained by CBC News. “Operations of the contest are being transferred to (Green Party) staff who will work with volunteers.”

Although Odd, MacLean and Willson have left the committee, they retain their key roles on the Federal Council and with the Green Party Fund.

Sources told CBC that their departures were undermining preparations for the leadership vote, which was to take place mostly online. When the leadership race was launched in August, the party promised it would be the most technologically advanced.

Virtual campaign events and the party website require a lot of technical and time-consuming work. But the Green Party of Canada faces a financial crisis and relies on unpaid volunteers. Some of that expertise has now disappeared due to recent resignations, sources said.

MP Elizabeth May, a former leader of the party, is this time running for co-leader. She said the party must continue with the contest despite the setbacks.

“I was in the leadership race in 2006,” May said. “And we had fewer resources, fewer people, and we ran a very credible campaign and leadership race, with an English debate in Calgary and a French debate in Montreal. Several bilingual debates in Ottawa.

Former Green Party interim leader Jo-Ann Roberts said the party should be able to continue the race without too much difficulty because most of the hard work – setting the rules, selecting the candidates – is already done.

“The leadership organizing committee did the heavy lifting,” Roberts said. “So I think whoever comes in has a very strong base.”