Green Party applies for judicial review after being kicked out of leaders’ debates

The aftermath of the recent leaders’ debates has brought about a new wave of controversy, with the Green Party filing a complaint in Federal Court alleging that their exclusion from the debates was unjust and lacked transparency. The party argues that the last-minute decision violated principles of procedural fairness and left them with little time to defend themselves.

According to the court filing, the Green Party was informed on the morning of April 16, the day of the French-language debate, that they would not be allowed to participate in either that debate or the English-language one the following night. This decision was made based on a discrepancy between the number of endorsed candidates the party submitted by the commission’s deadline and the number of confirmed candidates registered with Elections Canada.

The commission claimed that the Green Party deliberately reduced its number of candidates for strategic reasons, but the party argues that they did not intentionally withdraw any candidates. They explain that some candidates had to pull out due to difficulties obtaining signatures and facing intimidation from constituents.

Green Party co-Leader Elizabeth May expressed her disappointment with the decision, stating that it was unfair not only to the party but also to voters. She believes that the absence of a debates commissioner has led to confusion in the application of the rules, ultimately resulting in the party’s exclusion.

In response to allegations that the party strategically removed candidates, May clarified that the Green Party operates democratically and does not make top-down decisions to remove candidates. She emphasized that this election cycle had been particularly challenging for candidates in terms of collecting signatures.

The court filing also criticizes the commission for admitting far-right fringe media journalists to post-debate news conferences, which resulted in the cancellation of the conferences due to security concerns. This added another layer of controversy to an already tumultuous situation.

Overall, the Green Party’s application for judicial review seeks to address the unfairness and lack of transparency in the commission’s decision-making process. While it may not impact the current election, the party hopes that it will lead to improvements in how future debates are organized and conducted.