Only one P.E.I. Green MLA has fully endorsed Keenan leadership bid

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The chief of the P.E.I.’s Inexperienced social gathering has opted to not choose a favorite within the federal Inexperienced management race.

Federal Inexperienced Get together members have begun on-line voting within the social gathering’s management race. A brand new chief shall be introduced Nov. 19.

The management race was prompted by the resignation of former chief Annamie Paul whose efforts over the last federal election had been stymied by social gathering in-fighting.

“I am staying proper out of that,” Bevan-Baker advised SaltWire on Nov. 7. “I am not concerned in it, I am not endorsing anybody. I am simply going to focus my attentions and power right here on P.E.I.”

Anna Keenan, an area local weather activist and former president of the Inexperienced Get together of P.E.I., is operating within the federal management race. Keenan is operating on a two-person slate with Montreal Inexperienced activist Chad Walcott.

Keenan and Walcott are dealing with off towards former chief and B.C. member of Parliament Elizabeth Might, who can also be operating on her personal two-person slate with human rights activist and journalist Jonathan Pedneault.

Former Quebec candidate Simon Gnocchini-Messier and Ontario instructor Sarah Gabrielle Baron are additionally operating as management candidates.

If profitable, Keenan could be the primary P.E.I. resident to guide a nationwide social gathering.

Bevan-Baker mentioned his resolution to keep away from endorsing a candidate was private.

“Given the mess that the federal Inexperienced Get together has been for a short time now, I’ve made a really aware effort to dedicate all of my time and all of my power to the Island Inexperienced Get together and the work that we’re doing right here,” he mentioned.

Bevan-Baker just isn’t alone in his strategy. Each New Brunswick Inexperienced Get together chief David Coon and Ontario Inexperienced chief Mike Schreiner have advised SaltWire they’d keep away from endorsing a candidate within the federal race.

Bell endorsement

Inexperienced MLA Hannah Bell was extra vocal than Bevan-Baker about her personal favorite within the race.

“I am endorsing Anna Keenan and Chad Walcott because the co-leaders,” Bell mentioned on Nov. 7. “I’ve an enormous quantity of respect for Anna and her values completely align with the place I’m. But additionally, I believe, as a youthful particular person with a really totally different perspective, that is actually trying like what the federal social gathering wants.”

Bell additionally mentioned she didn’t imagine different members of the provincial Inexperienced caucus would brazenly endorse a candidate. She mentioned many felt they had been “badly burned” by the interior strife that was publicly displayed through the 2021 federal election.

“The entire thing was terrible. And we are usually over-cautious as a result of the whole lot we do is below such a microscope,” Bell mentioned.

Former chief Annamie Paul described the federal social gathering’s in-fighting as “the worst interval in my life.” Experiences emerged that Paul had confronted racism and discrimination inside the social gathering.

Thus far, the social gathering has but to publish a post-election autopsy of the occasions that gave rise to the in-fighting. In a Nov. 9 party-sanctioned debate, a number of candidates, together with Walcott and Might, mentioned they believed such an investigation must be accomplished.

Tender help

Some P.E.I. Inexperienced MLAs expressed pleasure that Keenan was operating for management.

Inexperienced MLAs Ole Hammarlund and Steve Howard each say they help Keenan however stopped wanting full endorsements. Howard mentioned Keenan could be “superb as a frontrunner” whereas Hammarlund mentioned Keenan could be “a superb alternative.”

Karla Bernard and Michele Beaton each mentioned they’d not be endorsing anybody as a degree of precept however each had been enthusiastic about Keenan’s candidacy. Beaton and Howard each mentioned they’d not been requested to endorse any candidate.

MLAs Lynne Lund and Trish Altass declined to point help for any candidate. Each advised SaltWire they weren’t following the race carefully.

Hammarlund, Howard, Beaton and Bernard attended a meet-and-greet occasion in Charlottetown with Keenan and Walcott on Nov. 9.

Atlantic fundraising

Keenan and Walcott seem like clear favourites of Inexperienced donors in Atlantic Canada.

Based on filings launched by Elections Canada, no candidates apart from Keenan and Walcott obtained any donations from P.E.I. through the month of September, the primary official month of the race.

Amongst Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and P.E.I. donors, Keenan and Walcott obtained $7,750 donations from 64 donors. Against this, Might and Pedneault obtained a mixed $175 from 4 donors in Atlantic Canada and Gabrielle Baron took in $100 from a single donor.

Throughout Canada, Keenan and Walcott obtained $35,305 from 214 donors whereas Might and Pedneault obtained near $59,000 from 174 donors between Aug. 31 and Sept. 30.

Gabrielle Baron took in $375 from 5 donors whereas Gnocchini-Messier took in $1,520 from 13 donors.

Stu Neatby is a political reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. He may be reached by electronic mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @stu_neatby.