Greens’ process under the microscope

If there was a theme to Wednesday night’s Green Party nomination meeting, where five nominees became the party’s candidates, it centred around an adherence to process.

The meeting began with an explanation of the party’s candidate application process by party deputy leader Lynne Lund. Green Party leader Peter Bevan-Baker later said the young party has been increasingly under the microscope.

“The Green Party is no longer this harmless curiosity sitting in the corner of the room,” BevanBaker said in a speech.

“Expectations of our party are different, too. The level of scrutiny under which we find ourselves is something that we’ve never experienced before. It’s quite alarming, actually, if you’re in the middle of that.”

The Green Party’s selection of candidates has drawn some criticism on social media. One individual has claimed repeatedly on Twitter that he was improperly turned down for candidacy during this process. The Guardian reached out to this individual for comment; the individual refused to comment publicly.

Lund explained that the party requires potential candidates to apply to a selection committee, which, among other things, examines the applicant’s past social media posts and reviews a criminal record check. The selection committee then makes a recommendation of whether or not to green-light the candidate to the party’s provincial council, which ultimately makes the decision whether the individual can stand as a nominee.

Party members can then vote in nomination meetings for their preferred candidate or have the option of voting a “no candidate” option as a sort of protest vote.

Both the Liberal and PC Party have nomination processes similar to that of the Greens. Both require an application process, a criminal background check and a review of social media posts. If an applicant is green-lit for a PC nomination, the membership in their district then votes on the candidate. After a candidate is green-lit by a selection committee, the Liberals require a decision by the party’s election readiness committee before a vote from party members in a nomination meeting.