Annamie Paul uses legal threats to end Green Party Federal Council Vote

In a very undemocratic and truly un-Green way, Annamie Paul, the new leader of the Green Party of Canada, has apparently threatened legal action against members of the Green Party Federal Council. Six members of the Federal Council moved to have a vote of non-confidence on her leadership. The meeting was to take place today. The meeting was cancelled Sunday evening with several members of the Federal Council only learning of the cancellation through the media. 

Behind her new “campaign manager” Manitoba lawyer and former Liberal heavy weight Corey Shefman, Ms. Paul has apparently threatened legal action against Green Party officials who might speak out on Party matters, including members of the Federal Council.

The Green Party Federal Council is made up of volunteer Green Party members elected in internal elections every year. Most terms are two years in length. 

Green Party members should have known something was not right during the leadership contest when Ms. Paul often showed her disdain for the Party and it’s members by refusing to participate in several all-candidate meetings, and insisting she be able to do Green Party leadership events on her own, separately from the other candidates. 

Annamie Paul’s often repeated claims of racism were countered by attacks by her own supporters, badgering Greens on social media and even forcing an Ontario council member to resign and withdraw from both the federal and provincial parties because he was told that being a white, gay male wasn’t “equity enough”. 

Another Paul campaign hand, Matthew Piggott, currently running for Nova Scotia rep on Federal Council even though he lives in Ontario, made threats against Green Party members and EDAs in Toronto that did not support Ms. Paul during the leadership campaign. He was later relieved of his duties, apparently for abusive behavior, only three months after being hired as GPC National Mobilizer earlier this year. 

The aggressive actions of Ms. Paul and her team have rubbed many Greens the wrong way. News she is threatening party officials and volunteers with legal action is likely to go over like a lead balloon.  It appears democracy inside the Party that claims Participatory Democracy to be one of its core values, is struggling under its new leader Annamie Paul.