Green party executive launches membership review of its own leader, Annamie Paul
Green party executives have taken a first step toward suspending Annamie Paul's membership in the party she leads, the latest development in a feud that has threatened her future in the top job.
Dana Taylor, interim executive director of the Greens' main governing body, has kicked off a membership review that would suspend Paul's status and bar her from representing the party while it is underway, say three senior party sources. The Canadian Press granted the them anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about internal matters publicly.
The process, as outlined in the members' code of conduct, could ultimately result in Paul's party membership being revoked altogether, freezing her ability to lead a political party she would no longer belong to, ahead of a likely federal election this year.
The review emerged from a special meeting of the federal council Tuesday night, where Taylor announced the probe would go forward. Paul, who sits on the 13-member body, was not invited to the virtual meeting, the sources say.
They say the stated reason for the review is that Paul launched legal proceedings against the party, an accusation disputed by officials close to the leader. The code of conduct says legal action against the Green Party of Canada by one of its members automatically triggers a review headed by the executive director.
All three sources say the legal proceeding referred to in the membership review concerns a cease-and-desist letter sent from Paul's legal counsel to a federal council member or members. The details of the letter and whether it constitutes a legal action against the party -- and is thus grounds for a review -- remain unclear.
Taylor and party spokeswoman Rosie Emery both declined to comment, while Paul was not immediately available on Wednesday.
The membership review follows a months-long battle between party factions, in part over clashing views about how the party and its leader should respond to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Paul, who has led the party for nine months, faces a non-confidence vote by federal council on July 20 in a process distinct from the membership review. The non-confidence proposal requires three-quarters support in order to proceed to a party-wide vote the following month at a general meeting, where grassroots could render judgment on Paul's leadership.
Separately, the party brass has recently moved to withhold funding from Paul's campaign to win a downtown Toronto seat and temporarily laid off about half of the Green party's employees last week, including all staff in the leader's office.
All this has happened while the party recovers from New Brunswick MP Jenica Atwin crossing the floor to the Liberals last month, leaving the Greens with two seats in the House of Commons.
Last month, Paul fired back against party executives in response to an earlier move to push her out, calling them out for "racist" and "sexist" accusations that were included in a letter obtained by The Canadian Press. She is the first Black woman to lead a federal political party in Canada.
Green party membership can be revoked by a bare majority of council members present at a meeting following a review, the code of conduct says. The rules state that Paul, as a member of the federal council, would not be allowed to take part in any deliberations.
Membership rights are suspended until the matter is settled. A member is allowed 30 days to prepare their defence in front of party brass after being informed of a review.
The council is in an election period at the moment, with much of the current body poised to turn over as of Aug. 20. That leaves just enough time for executives to vote on their leader's status as a Green following her month-long defence period before they vacate their council seats.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2021.
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government鈥檚 three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party鈥檚 popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn鈥檛 be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING BMO online service outages reported by customers
Dozens of Bank of Montreal customers said they faced website outages early Wednesday morning, according to reports.
W5 Investigates How a clothes donation bin company passed itself off as a charity, while donated items were put up for sale
In part two of a four-part investigation into the seedy underbelly of the lucrative clothing donation bin industry, CTV W5 uses trackers tp reveal a for-profit operation masquerading as a charity.
Does the updated COVID-19 vaccine protect against the XEC variant?
The XEC strain, a hybrid of Omicron subvariants KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, was first detected in Canada in mid-August and the number of COVID-19 cases with the XEC variant has rapidly increased.
'Unbelievably violent': Gisele Pelicot, French victim of mass rape, takes the stand
Gisele Pelicot, the 72-year-old victim of mass rape whose ordeal has shocked the world, told a trial in southern France on Wednesday that she was determined that making her case public should help other women and change society.
Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.
A father and his two children who suffered severe burns in a Springfield, Ont. house fire have undergone surgery.
Bank of Canada to release interest rate decision, economic forecast today
The Bank of Canada is set to make its latest interest rate decision this morning.
American Airlines fined US$50M over mishandling of disabled passengers and wheelchairs
The U.S. government fined American Airlines $50 million for failing to provide wheelchair assistance to passengers with disabilities and damaging thousands of wheelchairs over a five-year period.
Local Spotlight
Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.
A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.
A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.
A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.
Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.
Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.
The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.
A Moncton, N.B., home has been donated to the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation and will be transformed into a resource hub for people living with cancer.
A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the 鈥楩ellow in Yellow.鈥