This latest twist comes as Dimitri Lascaris was allowed back in and another candidate, Judy N. Green received word that she had been barred from the contest.
In the latest twist to the Green Party leadership race, eco-socialist candidate and Quebec Green Party leader Alex Tyrrell has withdrawn stating "the unfortunate reality is that the Elizabeth May era will continue for the foreseeable future." This comes just the day after fellow eco-socialist Dimitri Lascaris was allowed back in and another candidate, Judy N. Green apparently received word that she had been barred from the contest.
Tyrrell had based his campaign around "embracing the youth lead climate movement, the Green New Deal and...championing Social Justice, Anti Racism, Feminism and ecosocialism."
When I decided to put my name forward for the federal leadership, I did so under the assurance that Elizabeth May would not intervene in the race. Although this held true for the first few weeks, her intervention in the race has become more and more visible on social media, behind the scenes and most recently when she launched a fundraising tour with one of her preferred candidates.
At the same time that Ms. May has been intervening in the race on a daily basis, she has consolidated power in the party by presenting a slate of candidates – managed by her husband, for the federal council elections. Although the federal council elections were not very visible, received no media coverage, had limited voter turnout and were not even given the importance of organized debates, Ms. May has told the membership that these internal elections are arguably more significant than the leadership race. I chose to focus on the leadership race and did not run a slate of candidates for federal council. This turned out to be a mistake. I was not expecting Ms. May to consolidate power in this fashion.
Over the past months and weeks Ms. May and her entourage have made it amply clear to me that they will do everything in their power to oppose my candidacy, my political agenda of moving the party to the left and that they will fiercely undermine my leadership in the event that I would win the federal leadership race.
He goes on to claim:
I have never heard of an outgoing leader stacking the party’s highest decision-making body with family members and political allies at a time when they are supposedly stepping back from politics so that the next generation can take over.
In addition to Ms. May’s intervention in the race, the environment within the party is not favourable to democratic debate. I do not understand how candidates who would like to represent the party in the televised leaders debates for the next general election are unwilling or unable to debate the way forward with Green Party leadership candidates. Any legitimate and polite contrast or criticism of other candidates in the race, their policies or lack thereof is met with a barrage of negativity, insults and toxicity.
Tyrrell had previously denounced the $50,000 entry fee that candidates were being required to pony up to join.
Meanwhile, on Facebook another announced candidate, Judy N. Green, has said that she is not being allowed to run. According to Green's statement on June 2:
This afternoon the campaign to elect Judy N Green as Leader of the Green Party of Canada was informed that her application for the contest has been declined by the GPC. The reasons for the rejection included accusations that were not accompanied by evidence. The campaign replied immediately that it would appeal this decision to the fullest extent possible.
Judy N Green has previously been vetted and approved by the GPC when she ran in the 2019 federal election. At no time in the past have any of the cited concerns been raised at any level within the party, or by members of the public.
Green's rather innocuous looking official campaign website can be found here.