The Greens released the competition details and began accepting leadership candidates on Tuesday. With a strict requirement for bilingualism, low participation costs and a short competition period: people in the Canadian Green Movement say the rules may not prepare the party for success after a turbulent year. “We seem to be setting rules that our most successful leader, Elizabeth May, could not have succeeded if she had become a leader,” said Naomi Hunter, leader of the Saskatchewan Green County.
Hunter and some other candidates have expressed interest in leading the Greens after the former leader. Annamie Paul’s departure from the party after the 2021 federal elections. The main obstacle for Hunter is the language requirements of the fight. Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in English and French at an advanced level or what is known as a B2 level according to the European Common Reference Framework for Languages. It is a requirement that May, an English-speaking woman, did not have to fulfill when she was elected leader of the Green Party, Hunter notes. When May became an MP, faced criticism for the quality of its French. Hunter said she believes the national leader should be proficient in both official languages, but should not be a barrier to entry. Applicants should be able to learn on the job. “This excludes much of Western Canada that already feels very politically marginalized,” Hunter said. Other leadership candidates, such as Najib Jutt, have said that strict language requirements will eliminate many BIPOCs (Black, Indigenous and Colored), such as those who may not have grown up speaking French or English but speaking another mother tongue. “I’m also worried about other people who would have a similar obstacle, like me,” said Jutt, who also worked on Paul ‘s campaign. “I am an immigrant in this country. I speak two other languages.”

Short leadership race, $ 1,000 entry

Quebec Green Party leader Alex Tyrrell, who is fully bilingual, also has problems with such a high language requirement. However, Tyrrell, who is also considering a new candidate for the federal Greens, said he was more interested in the shorter campaign. The last time the Greens sought a leader, the party waged a struggle that lasted at least eight months. This time the candidates have a little more than five months to go to the polls before the final vote and the results will be announced in November. The federal campaign coincides with the Quebec provincial election, and Tyrrell said he does not give enough time to relatively unknown candidates to create their profile within the party. He fears that a high-profile candidate could parachute into the race and have an unfair advantage. “It doesn’t really give people much time to get to know each other or tour the country or build momentum,” Tyrrell said. “So it seems to me that it is a band that would favor, you know, someone who was very well known.” The $ 1,000 entry price is also ranked among the controversial aspects. During the last leadership race, the entrance fee was $ 50,000 before the party reduced it to $ 30,000 when the pandemic limited fundraising. Now the low cost of admission could provide a platform for biased candidates to enter the race and embarrass the party, which is still rebuilding its image after the messy exit of its former leader, Annamie Paul. The former leader’s departure was marked by allegations that Paul, the first black and Jewish woman elected to lead a federal party, endured misogyny, racism and anti-Semitism.
“[It] “It opens the door for marginal aspects of the party to have a big stage,” said Kayne Alleyne-Adams, who worked on Paul’s leadership and campaigning. “Some marginal aspects of this party are very anti-Semitic, some are transphobic.” Tyrrell, on the other hand, is not opposed to such a low charge. “I was very vocal against such high pay,” Tyrell said when he last ran. “I advocated getting a lot of money out of politics and having a more equal playing field.”

The official rules of the competition may change

One week ago, the party sent its members an extensive document outlining the proposed rules of the competition and giving members the opportunity to express their opinion and vote on whether they approved the rules. The party did not immediately share the results of this vote when it published its final rules. The Greens had planned to hold a press conference in Ottawa on Tuesday morning, revealing the latest rules, but the event was canceled. The CBC requested an interview with Lorraine Rekmans, chairwoman of the Green Party and a member of the competition committee, but received no response. The party’s interim leader has reservations about the need for language tests. “I think there are a number of ways that could have been considered for implementation (of the language requirement) that would have made it more accessible,” said Amita Kuttner. “I am not sure if they were explored. However, Kuttner said that political parties and the process of electing new leaders will never be perfect and encourage the Greens to claim leadership. “We are trying something new. It will be fun. I definitely hope it will be interesting.” Apart from a handful of interested candidates, not many candidates have submitted their names to be the next leader. Kuttner, MP Mike Morrice and second in the last leadership race Dimitris Laskaris confirmed that they will not run. According to the party leadership guidelines, the party will announce official candidates for the leadership on August 31st. Candidates will be limited by two rounds of voting. The candidates who will pass the first round will be announced on October 14. The final round begins shortly afterwards, with the party announcing the new leader on November 19th.