Green Party MP Elizabeth May looks on before the start of a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Tuesday, June 21, 2022. May says she never threatened to leave the Green Party and an email suggesting it was a ‘false characterization’ by a well-intentioned executive that has since been corrected. Elizabeth May says she never threatened to quit the Green Party and an email suggests it was a “mischaracterization” by a well-meaning executive. An internal email from a staffer in MP Mike Morris’ office, obtained by The Canadian Press, said Morris and May were prepared to quit and sit as Independents if the ongoing party leadership race was suspended. The party’s federal council was considering a pause in the leadership contest and the closing of an Ottawa office space as it faced high-profile resignations and internal turmoil. The email was sent to top officials last Friday, saying any move would cause “irreversible damage” to the party. May, the former leader, said in an interview that she remains very committed to the party. “I have never threatened to leave the Green Party of Canada. Never,” he said. May admitted it was clear the transition since she stepped down in November 2019 had not been smooth. He is running in the current leadership contest on a joint ticket with Jonathan Pedneault. He described the email as a “mischaracterization of a well-intentioned effort by an employee working with Mike.” “I would never ever threaten to leave the party and I think the employee in question has made it clear that’s not what she was saying,” he said. Morris also said in a statement earlier this week that he has no plans to leave the Greens. Anna Keenan and Chad Walcott, who are running for the joint leadership, said they were pleased with the decision of the federal board to continue the race. “We want to be able to focus our energy on the foreign issues that matter to Canadians,” they said in a statement posted on their website. “To be able to do this and end the cycle of endless strife, our party must put its own house in order.” A party spokesman said discussions were ongoing and officials were trying to resolve the situation internally. An official announcement is expected in the coming days. This latest public spat comes after Morris and four of the six leadership candidates issued a joint statement condemning the misogyny of transition leader Amita Kuttner — who is transgender and non-binary — during a Zoom party event. Party chair Lorraine Reckmans apologized on behalf of the Greens. Kuttner clarified in their own statement that Rekmans herself did not abuse them and that they appreciated her quick apology. Reckmans then resigned late last week in a letter telling members there was “no vision for a better future”. “I am leaving this party on my own terms,” Reckmans wrote. “I have resigned to start with. I had no confidence in the leadership contestants, and they had no confidence in me, and I lost confidence in the federal council.” He said he was disqualified and charged with being a nuisance. Reckmans wrote that she had been marginalized, insulted and belittled by the leadership contestants, and saw no way to continue as president when one of them would soon be the party’s main spokesperson. The Greens launched a leadership contest this summer to find a replacement for Annamie Paul, who resigned after a disappointing showing in the 2021 election.
