In the wake of several high-profile resignations from its leadership committee, the federal Green Party is looking to scale back some aspects of its leadership race.
According to several Green Party sources, party officials are discussing how they can mount a leadership contest now that four committee members have resigned.
The sources, who are not authorized to speak publicly, tell CBC News that the party may hold fewer formal leadership events and is considering condensing two rounds of voting into one.
The party was expected to announce the leadership finalists after the first round of voting on October 14, and then unveil its new leader on November 19.
The Green Party’s federal council, the party’s governing body, has yet to make a decision. The body is scheduled to meet next Wednesday. Interim leader Amita Kuttner said at a news conference Wednesday that the race is on and that the party will release more details soon.
This month, Lorraine Rekmans stepped down from her role on the steering committee and as a party president. He cited the party’s refusal to halt the leadership race until it could investigate allegations of systemic discrimination in the party, allegations that came to the fore when Kuttner was misled in the leadership toss.
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After Rekmans’ resignation, three other committee members, Natalie Odd, Michael MacLean and John Willson, dropped their posts via email.
“I am surprised and disappointed to learn that (the leadership committee’s) recommendations to the federal council, for the protection of LGBT+ members from potential harm during the operation of the Leadership Competition, were rejected,” said the resignation email from Wilson, seen by CBC News.
“We regret the unfortunate sequence of events that have occurred. It is not what we had envisioned,” said a joint resignation letter submitted by Odd and MacLean and obtained by CBC News. “Competition operations are being transferred to (Green Party) staff who will be working with volunteers.”
Although Odd, MacLean and Willson have left the committee, they retain their key roles on the federal council and the Green Party Fund.
Sources tell the CBC that their departures undermine preparations for the leadership vote, which was supposed to take place mostly online. When the leadership race began in August, the party promised it would be the most technologically advanced ever.
Virtual campaign events and the party website require a lot of technical work and time. But the Green Party of Canada is fighting back a financial crisis and relies on unpaid volunteers. Some of that experience is gone because of recent resignations, sources said.
MP Elizabeth May, the former leader of the party, is running for co-leader this time. He said the party must continue with the contest despite 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 contest, with an English-language debate in Calgary and a French-language debate in Montreal. Several bilingual debates in Ottawa.”
Former interim Green Party leader Jo-Ann Roberts said the party should be able to get on with the race without too much difficulty because most of the hard work – setting the rules, vetting candidates – has already been done.
“The leadership organizing committee has done the hard work,” Roberts said. “So I think whoever comes in has a very strong foundation.”