Tough Night for the Green Party Crew
The Green Party of Canada (GPC), brimming with hope for a significant leap in parliamentary seats on Election Day, faced a hard truth – failure. Jonathan Pedneault, one of their chiefs, was defeated in Outremont, adding another blow to the already disheartened party.
At the dissolution of Parliament, GPC had only two MPs - Elizabeth May in Saanich-Gulf Islands and Mike Morrice in Kitchener-Centre. By the end of the day, they managed to elect only one more candidate, with May securing the victory over David Beckham (Liberal) and Cathie Ounsted (Conservative). The race in Kitchener-Centre was tight, with Morrice trailing behind Kelly DeRidder (Conservative).
In Outremont, Pedneault fought against Rachel Bendayan (Liberal), Rémi Lebeuf (Bloc Québécois), Ronan Reich (Conservative Party of Canada), and Ève Péclet (New Democratic Party). The Green Party fielded 232 candidates in 343 ridings across the country, with Green candidates only present in 42 of the 78 federal ridings in Quebec.
As the votes rolled in, the Green Party was collecting less than 1% nationwide, significantly behind the Liberals and Conservatives. By 11:30 p.m., Pedneault admitted his party was "resilient" and planned to "take the pulse of the results and the desire of the population."
The disappointment of not being included in the leaders' debates further affected the party. The Green Party challenged the Leaders' Debates Commission's decision in court, arguing that potential candidates had difficulty getting their candidacy signatures validated.
The Green Party struggled in the 2021 federal election due to several factors, including vote-splitting among progressives, declining popular support, internal conflicts, and the limitations of the first-past-the-post electoral system. Despite these challenges, GPC continues to advocate for reducing taxes for individuals earning less than $40,000, increasing taxes for large corporations, ending public funding for oil and gas companies, and investing in clean energy and public transit projects.
As the dust settles, the Green Party will face introspection and reevaluation to regain its footing and rebuild for the future.
- The Green Party of Canada (GPC), despite fielding 232 candidates in 343 ridings across the country, failed to garner significant seats in Parliament, as indicated by their election results showing only three MPs – Elizabeth May, Mike Morrice, and the newly elected candidate.
- In Outremont, where the confined space was crowded with candidates, Jonathan Pedneault, one of the GPC chiefs, was defeated, adding another blow to the party's morale.
- At the New Democratic Party's (NDP) camp, Ève Péclet ran against Pedneault and other contenders in Outremont, while Green candidates were present in only 42 of the 78 federal ridings in Quebec.
- Amidst the general-news coverage of the election, the Green Party's persisting issues such as vote-splitting among progressives, declining popularity, internal conflicts, and the limitations of the first-past-the-post electoral system, led to their struggle in the 232nd Parliament dissolution.
