The Cochef of the Green Party Jonathan Pedneault does not digest the decision of the commission of the debates of the chiefs to exclude him from the debates in French and in English. He asks the commission to review its “undemocratic” decision. His Cocheffe, Elizabeth May, confirms that they will “not have time” to seize the courts.
Let’s be clear, [cette] last minute decision to exclude the Green Party of Canada from this evening debates is not only unfounded […] But she is undemocratic
said Mr. Pedneault in a speech pronounced at his campaign office in Montreal.
It is a decision that does not protect democracy. It is a decision that protects those who have already had their turn
he added.
It is the result of a soiling campaign led by the Bloc Québécois and conservative commentators, which are more concerned with protecting their political comfort than to face reality and informing the population.
The criteria to participate in the debate are three in number and one party must fulfill at least two to be invited: 1) to have at least one deputy elected to the House of Commons; 2) Obtain at least 4 % of voting intentions in the average of national polls; and 3) must endorse candidates in 90 % of the constituencies across the country 28 days before the ballot.
On April 10, in an email sent to Radio-Canada, the chief debates committee confirmed that the Greens had qualified for the debates under criteria 1 and 3.
In a statement released on Wednesday morning, the committee concludes that because the Green Party of Canada has intentionally reduced the number of candidates present in the election for strategic reasons, it no longer meets the intention of the participation criteria which justifies its inclusion in the debates of the chiefs
.
The Commission is based on a Cochef declaration on Radio-Canada to explain why the number of confirmed candidates for the PVC was lower compared to the last elections. This is a strategic decision, said Jonathan Pedneault. We decided not to send candidates to certain counties, especially where the Conservatives are more likely to win the elections that we
.
The Greens plead in their letter to the commission that these words were misinterpreted
and that This misunderstanding is the only reason for their last minute exclusion
. The environmental training also denies having withdrawn candidates voluntarily.
Too late to seize the courts
Jonathan Pedneault does not intend to give up: I expect to be on the debate tonight, he said. I expect the commission to overthrow this decision which is unfair, unacceptable and which is not democratic.
However, he will not be able to count on the courts to force the hand of the commission of the debates of the chiefs, said the Cocheffe des Grerts, Elizabeth May, in a press point this afternoon.
If we had known yesterday that we would not be in the debate, the lawyer that we consulted may have had time to ask for an injunction
she said since her constituency, Saanich-Gulf Islands, British Columbia.
After his speech, the Cochef des Verts did not answer any questions from journalists, but some of them nevertheless touted him when he left the campaign office.
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After his speech, the Cochef des Verts did not answer any questions from journalists, but some of them nevertheless touted him at the exit of his campaign office.
Photo: Canadian press / Christopher Katsarov
Disappointed liberals
Although it is important that all the criteria are met, we are disappointed with this last -minute decision, and we would have supported the maintenance of the Green Party in these debates if we had been consulted
said a spokesperson for the Liberal Party of Canada.
We hope that Canadians’ priorities in environmental protection and climate change will continue to play an important role during this debate
we add in the declaration.
One of the five themes addressed during the French debate this evening will be theenergy and climate
.
A little earlier today, the Liberals confirmed that Mark Carney would be on the Radio-Canada set this evening.
Recall that in the start of the campaign, the liberal chief had justified his decision not to participate in the Face-to-face VAT because the Greens were not there. The debate, for which TVA requested a contribution of $ 75,000 per political party, was subsequently canceled.
The silent block
Directly arrested by Jonathan Pedneault this morning, the Bloc Québécois did not wish to react to the exclusion of the Green Party of the debates.
In his speech before the media, Mr. Pedneault tried to be the victim of a Quebec Bloc Salling campaign and conservative commentators
who would have led, he said, to the decision of the commission of the debates of the chiefs.
Without questioning the participation of the Blocker Chief Yves-François Blanchet in the debate, the Cocheffe des Gés Elizabeth May criticized the fact that he can take part in it while his political party is only represented in a single province. The Green Party has candidates in all provinces and all territories, she said.
Ms. May thus deplored that Canadians will have the opportunity to hear the blocist in French and English, but that they will not have the chance to listen to the Greens’ proposals.
I have nothing against the Green Party, but if the rules disqualify it, how to explain that it is invited to the debate? The main effect is to reduce the speaking time of others
wrote on X the Blocker Chief Yves-François Blanchet last Saturday.
Yesterday he added to a press point, saying that In a purely mathematical way, we cannot deny that 20 % of the time that will go to the leader of the Green Party-who should not be there-it will spare the Liberal leader, who would like to have only two minutes in the debate to speak as little as possible
.
With information from Julie-Anne Lapointe and Christian Noël
