Green leader addresses infighting
Well-publicized internal struggles have affected public perception, she says
Green Party Leader Annamie Paul answered questions on Friday about infighting in the party and why she might not be appearing in some ridings during the campaign.
Paul has had a bumpy ride since she won the leadership of the party in October 2020, but later lost a federal byelection in Toronto Centre to Liberal Marci Ien. Green MP Jenica Atwin crossed the floor to join the Liberals in June, citing lack of support for Paul.
Recent polls have suggested that the Greens have lost voter support and stand to lose seats in the upcoming election, but pundits also praised Paul's performance in Thursday night's English debate after she questioned Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's credibility as a feminist.
“It's kind of like the Super Bowl,” Paul said of the debate during a media conference on Wellington Street, which prompted a reporter to ask if it was a Hail Mary pass to salvage support and win seats.
“Absolutely, I wish we were further ahead in resolving our own internal party issues before this election was called,” Paul said.
“I recognize we were not able to do that. I know that they are self-inflected wounds, and I know that people in Canada are asking themselves if it is the time to go Green.”
Paul admitted there were a lot of open questions. “I will do my best and our candidates will do their best to earn one vote at a time,” she said.
She also addressed questions of why she had not been hitting the campaign trail on a coast-to-coast basis and acknowledged that her presence in a particular riding may be a “distraction” for the Green candidate in that riding.
Sometimes, it might not be the best thing for her to be in a riding. There have been candidates who have made that evaluation as well, Paul said.
“I want to make sure if I do something, I want to make sure it will help and not harm,” she said. “Part of that is recognizing because of what has transpired, it's not always going to be helpful for me to be there.”
The Green Party released its platform on Tuesday, including promises for new social spending such as universal pharmacare and dental care, affordable child care and free university, as well as a universal long-term-care system with national standards.
On the climate side, the Greens said they would boost emission reduction targets, end the extraction of all fossil fuels and introduce a “Just Transition Act” before the end of the year to take care of workers and communities during the transition.
Most of the items on the platform were not costed.
“There is nothing they can do in Denmark or Finland or Germany in terms of universal programs that we can't do here,” Paul said Friday.
She also argued that high-paying jobs in the fossil fuel sector could be replaced with equally high-paying jobs in the green energy sector.
“It's time for us to be daring, It's time to make the great next leap forward.”