(OTTAWA) July 4, 2016 – The Green Party of Canada released the following statement on the results of the 2016 Council Elections and Resolutions Ballot:
2016 Council Elections results:
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President – Ken Melamed
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Vice-President English – Patricia Farnese
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Vice-President French – Jean Rousseau
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Treasurer – Kate Storey
Detailed Council Election results are now available online.
“Congratulations to our incoming Federal Council. I look forward to working with this dedicated group of volunteers to strengthen the Green Party of Canada from coast to coast to coast,” said Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada (MP, Saanich-Gulf Islands).
Non-binding voting results for policy resolutions are also available online. Resolutions include proposals to advance the rights of LGBTQ+ Canadians, improve high-speed passenger rail service, advocate for dental healthcare, and potential changes to the Party constitution.
The Green Party resolution process is very different from other political parties. All members are welcome to submit resolutions on any topic. The Green Party of Canada uses the Bonser Method, a colour-coded, non-binding voting process, to prioritize motions submitted in advance to a National Convention.
In this process, voters choose Red, Yellow or Green for each motion, with a threshold of 60% for “greenlighting” motions. In accordance with the Bonser Method threshold, motions voted green will be recommended to be adopted by majority vote without further discussion at Convention. However, members may also vote to remove greenlit motions for further discussion and workshopping at this time.
Two resolutions in particular – one pertaining to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and the other to the charitable status of the Jewish National Fund (JNF) – have drawn the interest of some stakeholder groups in recent weeks. The Party anticipates an open, respectful dialogue on both resolutions at Convention.
For clarity, the Green Party’s current policy on Israel-Palestine can be found here: https://www.greenparty.ca/en/policy/vision-green/world/israel-palestine
The Green Party supports a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict that addresses the security, economic, and religious concerns of the both sides.
Ms. May has personally opposed the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Ms. May has also stated that the draft resolution relating to the JNF contains a number of concerns that she hopes to address at Convention.
The Party will extend invitations to representatives from JNF and Independent Jewish Voices to address their viewpoints on the proposed resolutions at Convention. Members will still need to vote at Convention to allow organization representatives to address resolutions.
Ms. May recently had a very productive and respectful meeting with Josh Cooper, CEO of JNF Canada. Ms. May also met with Israeli Ambassador Rafael Barak, to reiterate the Green Party of Canada’s unwavering support for the state of Israel and its equal support for the rights of the Palestinian people.
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For more information, please contact:Dan Palmer
Press Secretary | Attaché de presse
dan.palmer@greenparty.ca
m: (613) 614-4916