Heartwood sent each of the 2021 Green Party of Canada Federal Council candidates a questionnaire asking them to introduce themselves, share their vision for the Party, and their thoughts on a potential imminent 2021 election and the ongoing internal Party conflict.

Here is President candidate Carole Chan's response.

You

1. What would you like the members to know about you?
2. What is your history of involvement in Canadian Green Parties?
3. Why are you running for Federal Council, and why this position?
4. Why should the members vote for you?

Ayant grandi dans les années 80, je me compte parmi les premières générations pour lesquels les politiciens voulaient lutter contre le changement climatique. Fast forward through a career in corporate law and governance in community organizations, I find myself a recently widowed mother of three children, and on a planet still facing a huge climate emergency.

Mon parcours avec le Parti Vert est relativement court mais elle représente l’éveille de conscience don't on a besoin d’engager au sein du peuple canadien. Progressiste d’arrière-fond, j’ai été interpellée à servir mon amie en tant que présidente du comité des finances de sa campagne fédéral en 2019. L’année prochaine, je me suis présentée comme candidate au provincial. Dans ces deux cas, les Verts ont pris deuxième place!

My political experience comes from being called in to action rather than being called out by activism and has contributed to important results for the Green Parties in New Brunswick: the federal riding of Beausejour (finance chair) increased our vote share from 3% to 27% in 2019; the provincial riding of Moncton Centre (candidate) increased the vote share from 12% to 27% during a pandemic election in 2020.

As I right my family ship, it is time to do the same with the GPC through the open and steady leadership of Federal Council. I am offering the membership my professional time, skills, and experience so that we have a functional and effective party for the next election and many others to come.

Mes détails : www.carolechan.ca.

Your Vision

1. What is your vision for the Green Party of Canada?
2. What are your values around inclusion, diversity and equity?
3. What are your values around collaboration, finding common ground, and working through conflict as a hopeful member of FC?

The Green Party is a critical piece of Canada’s political landscape as well as a cornerstone for the solutions required to achieve social justice and ecological balance. I want the GPC to be the vehicle of choice for progressive and environmentally conscious people to plug into the federal political framework. This means not just supporting groups and EDAs that have already organized as the grass roots, but having real-life conversations with our friends, neighbours, and colleagues, to show them that they may in fact be more ‘Green’ than they think and that we have a workable ethos and infrastructure to manage conflict and to leverage diversity. And “workable” must by definition be inclusive: finding ways to engage folks who don’t have the time, internet connections, or literacy skills necessary to participate in key decisions around party policy and leadership.

Mes valeurs en général, ainsi que spécifiquement par rapport aux questions de diversité et de collaboration, sont :

1. Fais à autrui ce que tu voudrais qu’on te fasse;
2. Prendre le temps pour l’introspection en conflit pour identifier les choses dont tu peux directement actionner et influencer; et
3. L’engagement politique est un voyage, pas une destination : reconnais qu’on n’est pas tous sur la même pointe de la route et – surtout pour gagner les élections – rencontre les gens là où ils sont.

The (possible) 2021 Federal Election

1. What are your key priorities for the 2021 National Federal Election?
2. What are your key priorities for repairing the culture and operations of the Green Party of Canada in 2021?
3. Given that the Party has decided not to hire a National Campaign Manager for the next election if elected, would you want to revisit that decision? If you think that decision was correct, what changes to the role of the Fund, ED, and Council compared to past elections would not having a campaign manager necessitate?

We need to put all our internal differences aside to focus on providing solutions for Green issues that now occupy the popular psyche: living – and for those who are able, working – in dignity, connection to community, and a re-balanced relationship with nature. Greens need to prepare EDAs to make the most with what they have and ensure that any interventions from Central Party are in fact a value add.

In terms of repair, as a famous action figure once said, “Knowing is half the battle”. We must have a clear sense of what our culture is and aspires to be in order to determine how our operations can best support it. Communications - including a heavy dose of listening – and relationship-building will also be essential for healing the Green Party in 2021.

Dans l’élection fédérale qui est au seuil de notre porte, on doit être réaliste et honnête avec celles.eux qui œuvrent en première ligne : nos candidates.s, nos bénévoles, et tant qu’ils siège en office, le chef du parti, le caucus et le cabinet fantôme. On doit faire tout ça avec les fonds qu’on possède à l’actualité, pas ce qu’on espère avoir. Si on a assez pour engager un.e directeur.trice de campagne national et que ça aidera les campagnes individus qui avancent déjà leurs projets, engageons quelqu’un. Sinon, ça reposera peut-être plus carrément sur les épaules des bénévoles, y compris les membres du Fond, du conseil fédéral et du directeur général.

Current GPC Conflict

1. Given the ongoing and public rifts in the GPC and the high number of vacant and appointed positions, do you believe that the current Council should delay significant decisions until the candidates in this Council election are seated on the board?

Whatever decisions are taken prior to the seating of the new Federal Council, it will be critical for the new council members to have access to relevant information and records regarding such decisions, including any advice from experts, so that it is clear:

1. How the former Federal Council determined and defined the best interests of the Party;
2. What strategies were implemented to achieve those goals;
3. The roadmap, including contingencies, for those strategies; and
4. The assessment of the outcomes to date.

Notre Parti fait face aux défis importants et pour bien les naviguer, cela nous demande une transition aussi professionnelle et non-partisan que possible. La communication ouverte avec les directeurs du Fond Vert ainsi qu’avec le D.G. et les membres du parti sera également essentiel.