OTTAWA – The Green Party of Canada is once again in search of a new leader following Elizabeth May's announcement on Tuesday that she will not lead the party into the next election. May, who has been a prominent figure in the party's leadership, indicated in an email to party members that she intends to remain both as an MP and as party leader until a new leader is elected.
In her communication, May emphasized the importance of her role, stating, “We have big plans for the fall 2025 session of Parliament." She highlighted that her voice is more powerful as the sole Green MP in the House of Commons while she leads the party. May aims to expand the party's parliamentary representation before her departure, focusing on critical issues such as the climate crisis, affordability, and promoting peace in conflict-ridden areas.
May elaborated on her responsibilities as a leader, especially in regard to fundraising, stressing her commitment to concluding the party's financial affairs for 2025 in a positive light. She informed members that they would soon receive information regarding a leadership review and the procedures for casting their votes.
As part of the transition process, May intends to step down once a new leader or co-leaders are elected. She recognized that succession planning within any political party poses challenges but expressed confidence in the Federal Council's commitment to learn from past mistakes. May assured that the council would work collaboratively to create a leadership transition plan designed to strengthen and support the party moving forward.
Currently, May stands as the sole Green MP in the House of Commons, having secured only one seat in the recent federal election. She first became the leader of the Green Party in 2006 and briefly resigned in 2019 when Annamie Paul took over as the party leader. However, due to Paul's lack of a seat in Parliament, May remained in a leadership role as the parliamentary leader until Paul's resignation after the 2021 election, wherein she placed fourth in her riding in Toronto.
May was re-elected as co-leader alongside Jonathan Pedneault in 2022 but resumed the role of sole leader again after Pedneault's resignation in April, which he attributed to the disappointing election results for the party. In the April 2025 election, the Greens garnered a mere 1.3 percent of national support, with May as the only successful candidate. In comparison, the party had received almost seven percent of the total votes in the 2021 election, in which three MPs were elected.
The party had endorsed 342 nominees to run in the most recent campaign; however, fewer than 240 Green candidates were ultimately on the ballots due to difficulties confirming all nominees, partly stemming from the requirement that each nominee secure 100 signatures from electors in their riding. The federal commission organizing the televised election debates even retracted Pedneault's invitation to participate, citing the decision to reduce the number of Green candidates “for strategic reasons."
In light of this, May stated that the commission's decision had undermined her party's chances in the election. The challenges faced by the Green Party, including the inability to mobilize a sufficient number of candidates and the impact of the debate commission's decision, have been significant factors in their recent performance.
This information reflects the current state of the Green Party of Canada as it navigates leadership transition and prepares for future electoral challenges.
