May disputes claim that Green Party held back candidates for ‘strategic’ reasons

The Green Party of Canada co-leaders Elizabeth May, centre, and Jonathan Pedneault, left, introduce their candidates as they launch their election campaign in Montreal, Sunday, March 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

OTTAWA — Green Party co-leader Elizabeth May said Wednesday she rejects the claim that her party made a “strategic decision” not to nominate candidates in certain ridings.

May was responding to the Leaders’ Debates Commission’s decision to rescind its invitation to Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault to participate in this week’s election debates.

The commission says the Green Party has not fulfilled two of three conditions for participation: having candidates in 90 per cent of ridings, polling at four per cent support 28 days before election day and having at least one sitting MP at dissolution.

May said this is a “misunderstanding” and she and Pedneault spent all day Tuesday trying to explain it to the commission.

“Neither the national campaign manager, nor Jonathan, nor I made any kind of decision to withdraw candidates. So that’s a mistake, a misunderstanding,” May told a Sidney, B.C. press conference.

“Certainly, you’ll find no statement from the Green Party. It was in an interview, and it’s unfortunate, but it was a misunderstanding. We asked them, ‘Show us any evidence, find one candidate why don’t you, where they were removed for strategic reasons by the party.’ They’ll never find any evidence because it didn’t happen.”

May said she was under the impression the debate commission accepted the explanation she and Pedneault offered when the Tuesday meeting ended.

Four weeks before election day, the Greens were only polling at three per cent in national polls - but they did hold two seats when Parliament was dissolved and submitted the names of 343 candidates they intended to nominate to run in every riding.

But when the official Elections Canada candidates’ list was released last week, it included only 232 Green candidates.

May said it’s “unfair” that Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet will be on the debate stage when his party only fields candidates in Quebec, while the Green Party has candidates in all jurisdictions except for Nunavut.

May said Green Party volunteers had a difficult time securing signatures to endorse candidates due to “bullying, harassment and threats of violence.” She said she brought this up during a top secret security briefing involving CSIS and Privy Council officials on April 9.

The commission initially defended its decision to include the Greens in the debates after the official candidates list was released, but changed its mind on Wednesday.

In an interview with Radio-Canada published on April 15, Pedneault said candidates were held back in certain ridings, such as Nunavut.

The Green Party has sent a letter to the commission asking to be reinstated in the French and English debates. The French debate begins Wednesday evening in Montreal at 6 p.m. EDT. The English debate starts at 7 p.m. EDT Thursday in Montreal.

May said the party doesn’t have enough time to get a court injunction to secure its participation in the debate.

Pedneault called the commission’s decision “undemocratic” and “unfounded” at a press conference in Montreal Wednesday morning. He said he intends to be at the debate.

By David Baxter, The Canadian Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2025