Samara Mathew (9) | STAFF REPORTER
For Canadians all over the country, recent news of Elizabeth May stepping down as the Green Party leader, after 13 years, comes as quite a surprise. That determined, poised, and self-assured face we are all so used to seeing during the campaigning and fierce federal leaders’ debates is now stepping away from the leader profile, but will continue to serve her federal riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands in British Columbia, as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons.
After coming to Nova Scotia with her family in her teenage years, Elizabeth May became a strong environmental, social justice and human rights activist in her community and on a national scale. Besides working as a lawyer for many years after graduating from Dalhousie University and being admitted to the Bar in Ontario and Nova Scotia, Elizabeth May volunteered in many environment-related movements. These include the grassroot movement to counter a proposal made to spray insecticide on forests and a movement against uranium mining in Nova Scotia, as well. Elizabeth became the Senior Policy Advisor to Tom McMillan, the Environmental Minister under Brian Mulroney’s Conservative government, in 1986. In 2005, she was named an Officer of the Order of Canada Award, and has said to have been one of the most influential Canadian women multiple times.
From 1989 to 2006, Elizabeth May served as the Executive Director of the Sierra Club in Canada, an environmental organization dedicated to protecting the environment for generations to come. Elizabeth May stepped down from this position and decided to run for the position of the 9th Green Party of Canada leader – she won and became the leader of the party in August 2006. She has made breakthrough after breakthrough, from being the first Green Party member to win a seat in the House of Commons during the 2011 federal election, to being regarded upon as one of the most trustworthy party leaders in the minds of the Canadian population.
Elizabeth May decided to step down from her position as the leader of the federal Green Party, just two weeks after the 2019 election that gave Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party a minority government. She made this decision after the Green Party fell short of their own expectations – especially now that the fright of global warming is seeming more drastic to the population – by winning only three seats. The Green Party expected to win more seats, with the persistent issue of climate change coming forth and by putting their ambitious climate action plan on the table. They were projected to win a higher percentage of the popular vote but unfortunately, when it came to the real election results, they received less. However, the Green Party did obtain more than one million votes (1,162,361 votes or 6.5% of the popular vote) for the first time ever and did actually triple their seat count – which is a breakthrough for the once “taken-lightly” party.
After her fourth federal election as the Green Party leader, Elizabeth May feels that this is the right time for her to step down, and even promised her daughter that this past election would be her last. She thinks that it is beneficial for the party if she steps down as leader now, to give the party a refreshed look in future elections. Many members of the Green Party have applauded her excellent leadership, but do feel like it is time for the party to take on a more eco-socialist platform. One of these members is Green Party of Quebec leader Alex Tyrell, who thanks Elizabeth May for shepherding the party through key milestones. Tyrell has said that he would consider running for the leader of the Green Party, a convention that will take place in October 2020. Elizabeth May will technically remain the party leader in the actual House of Commons for now and attend the leader meetings, since interim leader Jo-Ann Roberts does not have a seat in the House of Commons (wasn’t elected). Ultimately, Elizabeth May has said that she is proud of the progress that the Green Party and Canada have made.
Though everyone’s political views respectively differ, we can all agree that Elizabeth May has shaped Canadian politics distinctively. Even the interim leader of the party, Jo-Ann Roberts, said “For now in the Green Party the focus is to start the search for the person who will take the Green Party into the next stage. This is not a replacement for Elizabeth May, I don’t think anybody would be up for applying for that job.” Her work and her leadership have left a lasting impact on Canada, like all party leaders before her, and like all future politicians-to-be who will go on to shape our country according to their vision of an accepting, growing, and amazing Canada. Many other party leaders including Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh have taken the time to thank Elizabeth May for her many contributions to Canadian politics, either in person or through a social media platform. I personally think that she has served as an inspiration for all aspiring Canadian politicians across the country, especially female ones. Her message of environmental prosperity and activism will continue to live on through her service as a Member of Parliament for Saanich-Gulf Islands, and through her dedication to ultimately serving her country – our beautiful country of Canada – to the best of her ability.
Sources:
- Cecco, L. (2019, November 4). Canada’s Green party leader Elizabeth May to step down after 13 years. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/04/canadas-green-party-leader-elizabeth-may-to-step-down-after-13-years.
- Aiello, R. (2019, November 5). Elizabeth May steps down as Green Party leader. Retrieved from https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/elizabeth-may-steps-down-as-green-party-leader-1.4669169.
- Elizabeth May’s Team. (n.d.). Meet Elizabeth May. Retrieved from http://elizabethmaymp.ca/home/meet-elizabeth-widget/meet-elizabeth-may/.
