Tag Archives: Elizabeth May

Can co-leadership help get the Green Party back on its feet?

By Natasha Bulowski, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Low voter turnout in its leadership race reflects the multiple challenges the federal Green Party has faced in recent years, political scientists say.

The tumultuous tenure of former leader Annamie Paul, who resigned last November, coupled with further internal strife and financial woes, likely factored into the poor turnout, Cara Camcastle, a political science professor at Simon Fraser University, told Canada’s National Observer in an emailed statement.

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Several federal MPs wanted to see Anjali Appadurai run

By Natasha Bulowski, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Anjali Appadurai says the BC NDP’s decision to disqualify her from its leadership race raises legitimate questions about the party’s democratic processes, while several federal NDP MPs think she should have been allowed to run.

Appadurai was officially disqualified from the race on Oct. 19 after running a climate-forward campaign that successfully drew thousands of new members to the provincial NDP. The disqualification was based on a report from the party’s chief electoral officer, Elizabeth Cull, which cited “serious improper conduct” by Appadurai’s campaign that included working with third parties for membership drives.

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Canada Energy Regulator gave Trans Mountain a ‘break’ on oil spill liabilities plan, says Elizabeth May

By Natasha Bulowski, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporte

Trans Mountain will not have to come up with an additional $1.1 billion to cover the cleanup cost of possible oil spills from its expansion project, the Canada Energy Regulator has decided.

The regulator told Canada’s National Observer that the Crown corporation has to maintain “total coverage of $1.1 billion” to protect the public and the environment from a possible oil spill from both the current pipeline and its expansion. But others say this is not what was agreed upon in 2019 and that a total of $2.1 billion is needed to cover oil spill risks on both pipelines.

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Green Party of Canada Interim Leader Amita Kuttner tours West Coast communities

National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Interim federal Green Party leader Amita Kuttner is looking to heal wounds and revive relationships with grassroots members after public infighting at the leadership level led to dismal outcomes during the last election. 

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Politicians and lobby groups using crisis in Ukraine to push pro-oil message is ‘crass opportunism’: Elizabeth May

By Natasha Bulowski, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Canadian politicians and lobbyists are using the crisis in Ukraine to advocate for more fossil fuel expansion in a move of “crass opportunism,” said Green Party parliamentary leader Elizabeth May.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the House of Commons and social media have reverberated with claims from politicians and fossil fuel industry representatives that Canadian oil and gas is needed to replace the 40 per cent Europe imports from Russia.

Continue reading Politicians and lobby groups using crisis in Ukraine to push pro-oil message is ‘crass opportunism’: Elizabeth May