Annamie Paul

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Annamie Paul
File:Annamie Paul in Toronto Regent Park (cropped).jpg
Paul in 2020
Leader of the Green Party of Canada
Assumed office
October 3, 2020
Deputy Daniel Green
Preceded by Jo-Ann Roberts (interim)
Personal details
Born (1972-11-03) November 3, 1972 (age 51)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Political party Green
Spouse(s) Mark Freeman (m. 1996)
Alma mater
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Annamie Paul (born November 3, 1972)[1] is a Canadian politician, activist and lawyer who served as leader of the Green Party of Canada from 2020 to 2021. She is the first Black Canadian and first Jewish woman to be elected leader of a federal party in Canada.[lower-alpha 1]

Paul was the founder and executive director of the Canadian Centre for Political Leadership from 2001 to 2005 and has worked in civic engagement and international affairs positions, including in political affairs in Canada's Mission to the European Union and in the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court.[2][3][4][5] She is co-founder of the Barcelona International Public Policy Hub (BIPP HUB).[6]

She was defeated as a candidate for Toronto Centre in the 2019 Canadian federal election. Paul won the 2020 Green Party of Canada leadership election to replace Elizabeth May.[4][7] Paul ran in the 2020 Toronto Centre federal by-election on October 26, 2020, which was called following the resignation of Bill Morneau.[8] She was defeated by Liberal nominee Marci Ien,[9] making her the only federal party leader who is not an MP, but whose party has representation in the House of Commons. Paul decided to run in Toronto Centre again, but again lost that election to Ien.[10][11][12] In June 2021, controversy emerged over Paul's leadership after the floor crossing of Green MP Jenica Atwin.

In the 2021 Canadian federal election, the Greens under Paul maintained 2 seats but Paul was defeated for the third time in her riding of Toronto Centre where she placed fourth. After the election, she announced her resignation as party leader.[13]

Background

Paul started her involvement with politics early, working as a page in the Ontario Legislature at age 12, and later as a page at the Canadian Senate, and as a non-partisan Ontario Legislature intern with the Ontario Legislature Internship Programme (OLIP), she was placed in a Progressive Conservative and later Liberal office in 1996.[14][15] She attended high school at Toronto's Runnymede Collegiate Institute and holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Ottawa and a Master of Public Affairs degree from Princeton University.[16][14][17] She was called to the bar in Ontario in 1998.[18]

Paul is the older sister of Canadian actress Ngozi Paul, twin sister to Luther, and is married to international human rights lawyer Mark Freeman.[18] Her mother is from Nevis and her father from Dominica.[19] Her father died in a long term care home from a bladder infection on May 29, 2020.[20] Paul converted to Judaism, the faith of her husband, in 2000.[21] She speaks English, French, Catalan and Spanish.[5]

Civic engagement

In 2001, Paul started the Canadian Centre for Political Leadership (CCPL),[22] whose work was supported by a fellowship from the Echoing Green Foundation[23] and support from the Maytree Foundation. The CCPL was an organization focused on helping women, Indigenous persons, and people of colour to pursue public offices.[18][24] Through the CCPL, Paul ran training sessions across Canada,[25] as well as conferences devoted to participation in elected roles and board appointments.[26][27] Participants in the CCPL's programs went on to achieve those objectives, being appointed and elected to boards and political staff positions.[26]

In 2017, Paul co-founded the Barcelona International Public Policy Hub (BIPP HUB), a social enterprise co-work space designed to be a catalyst for international NGOs working on global challenges.[28][29][30] Aside from providing support, the hub also hosts individual projects including democraciaAbierta, the Spanish language branch of OpenDemocracy,[31] Verificat, a Catalan language news fact-checking service, and the Climate Infrastructure Project.[32]

In 2019, Paul co-created the 1834 Fellowship to train young Black Canadian policy leaders, a project of Operation Black Vote Canada.[33]

Early political career (1996–2020)

Paul interned for Liberal MPP Dominic Agostino in 1996, who served as Gerard Kennedy's leadership campaign co-chair. She stated she interned for him to see what a leadership campaign looked like.[34]

File:Annamie Paul with Green Party of Canada supporters.jpg
Paul with Green Party supporters, several weeks prior to the 2019 Canadian federal election

Paul moved back to Canada from Barcelona in 2019 and won the Green nomination for Toronto Centre in July 2019. She stood in the 2019 federal election as the Green Party candidate in Toronto Centre, where she lost to then-Finance Minister Bill Morneau.[35][36][37] Soon after her nomination, she was appointed to the Green Party's Shadow Cabinet as International Affairs Critic by Elizabeth May, a position she held until February 2020, when she stepped down to enter the leadership race.[38][4]

In March 2020, she was the first candidate registered to run in the race to be the 9th leader of the Green Party of Canada.[39] She called the leadership race, the first one since 2006, an "opportunity for renewal" for the party.[35] Elizabeth May offered to step aside to allow Paul to run in Saanich—Gulf Islands.[40] On September 24, 2020, Paul announced that she had received permission from the Green Party to apply to be a candidate in the October 2020 federal by-election in Toronto Centre.[8]

Leadership of the Green Party of Canada (2020–2021)

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See also: 2020 Green Party of Canada leadership election

On October 3, 2020, Paul was elected leader of the Green Party of Canada, becoming the first Black Canadian and first Jewish woman to be elected leader of a major political party in Canada.[4][41][42][43] She won 54.53 per cent of votes on the final round of voting, defeating runner-up Dimitri Lascaris and six other candidates. Paul has been described as a centrist.[44][45]

On October 26, Paul placed second in the Toronto Centre by-election, increasing her proportion of the vote by just over 25 per cent from the 2019 race.[46] In January 2021, it was reported that Paul had decided to run in an Ontario riding during the next federal election, and was considering Guelph or a Toronto electoral district.[47][11] About two weeks later, it was confirmed that Paul intended to run again in Toronto Centre.[10][12]

Controversy

Noah Zatzman statement and subsequent MP floor crossing

Controversy erupted in May 2021 when Paul's senior advisor Noah Zatzman called out Green MPs Jenica Atwin and Paul Manly in a May 14 Facebook post, calling their statements regarding the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis "appalling" and antisemitic, and saying "we will work to defeat you."[48] This followed a statement published on the Party website regarding the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis which called for de-escalation of violence and return to dialogue, and quoting Paul as urging restraint and calling on those in authority to try to prevent further injury or loss of life,[49] which Atwin responded to with a statement that both reiterated support for the official Party policy[50] on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict of expecting MPs to oppose illegal settlements and the siege of Gaza, and described the statement quoting Paul as "totally inadequate".[51]

While Party insiders called on Paul to denounce Zatzman's attack and on the Party to remove Zatzman from his position, Paul instead described the situation as a "difference of opinion",[52] and also called for "solidarity to condemn anti-Semitism".[53] Other prominent members of the Party, including former leadership candidate Dimitri Lascaris, indicated that criticism of the statement quoting Paul was expressed by Atwin and others because it did not reflect the Party policy, which was adopted in 2016 with over 90% support, and expressed astonishment that Paul did not jump to defend MPs or repudiate Noah Zatzman's remarks, when she herself stated that she does not believe that the MPs are antisemitic.[54]

Atwin subsequently crossed the floor and joined the Liberal Party on June 10, citing lack of support from Paul's leadership after Zatzman's threat.[55] Paul disagreed with this account and claimed the events had nothing to do with Zatzman or her;[56] however, the remaining Green MPs, Elizabeth May and Paul Manly, issued a statement stating "Unfortunately, the attack against Ms. Atwin by the Green Party leader's chief spokesperson on May 14th created the conditions that led to this crisis."[57] On June 4, the Green Party executive voted not to renew Zatzman's contract, while the Green Party of Quebec released a statement saying it would be "difficult ... to fully collaborate with Ms. Paul and her staff" after Zatzman's comments.[52] David Suzuki stated that he believes that a strength of the Green Party was that MPs were allowed to express a "diversity of opinion," but Annamie Paul "has totally destroyed that one thing."[58]

Federal council response

On June 15, the Green Party launched the process that could remove Paul from leadership on July 15.[59] The federal council passed a motion requiring Paul to denounce Zatzman and support the federal caucus, under threat of a vote of non-confidence on July 20.[60] Paul claimed later in June that the federal council had decided to call off the vote,[61] but in a Party town hall on June 30, interim president Liana Cusmano confirmed that this is not the case.[62]

In July 2021, the Party's interim executive director kicked off a process to review Paul's membership, a process that is automatically triggered under the Party's code of conduct when a member triggers a legal action against the Party.[63]

On July 19, Paul announced in a press conference that the non-confidence vote and membership review would not take place under the currently elected council; the council body is poised to turn over to a newly elected council on August 20.[64] On July 21, the Party and the Green Party of Canada Fund filed an application with the Ontario Superior Court arguing that an arbitrator exceeded authority in setting aside a non-confidence vote and membership review because Paul's contract was not with the Party's federal council, but with the Green Party of Canada Fund.[65] The Party president also disputed a claim by Paul that she cannot speak publicly about why the non-confidence vote and membership review were put on hold.[65]

Accusations of racism, sexism, antisemitism

Paul slammed a letter[66] that was written by several councilors and presented at the June 15 council meeting that initially discussed the non-confidence vote, and stated that the letter included a "list of allegations: allegations that were so racist, so sexist that they were immediately disavowed by both of our MPs as offensive and inflammatory and contrary to party ethics, and I thank our MPs for that".[67] Paul further characterized Justin Trudeau as not being a feminist for what Paul alleges is an undermining of her leadership.[68] Paul also accused Chrystia Freeland of being a "female shield" to the Prime Minister, to which Freeland responded: "I am not a token, nor would I ever accuse another woman politician of being some man's token – that is not how a feminist treats another woman."[69]

Former leadership candidate Dimitri Lascaris criticized the Party for having the lowest proportion of racialized candidates in previous elections and for issues with institutional racism existing within the Party; Lascaris further stated that there is also a legitimate critique of Paul's leadership, and that identifying the genuine racism that exists in the Party and distinguishing it from genuine criticism is "a very difficult and painful exercise".[54] Former leadership candidate and astrophysicist Amita Kuttner stated that they have experienced first-hand racism, misogyny, transphobia and homophobia within the Party, and that it's a real challenge for the Party, and also stated that there is legitimate criticism of Paul's leadership and handling of the matter that resulted in Atwin's caucus exit.[54]

On July 20, Paul accused the federal government of antisemitism for not inviting her to an antisemitism summit.[70] The federal government has stated that federal opposition leaders including Paul were invited, but as observers, "to ensure the summit remain a safe space where community members can express their opinions and ideas".[71]

Candidate nomination issues

In June 2021, Judy N. Green, co-president of the Green Party of Nova Scotia[72] and 2020 Green Party leadership candidate, stated that a decision was made by Paul and her Chief of Staff to block Party members in the West Nova federal riding from considering Green for nomination in the upcoming federal election;[73] Green was previously nominated as the West Nova candidate in 2019.[74]

On June 19, Lisa Gunderson withdrew from the party nomination contest for the Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke federal riding, stating that "recent events are not consistent with Green values."[75][76]

Party financial issues

On July 13, Green Party executives moved to block funding for Paul's Toronto Centre riding campaign, a move that was preceded by layoffs of about half of the Party's staff; a report indicated that Party spending exceeded revenues.[77][78] Hundreds of thousands of dollars are expected to be expended by the Party on legal battles with Paul.[79]

Resignation

Paul resigned as leader on September 27, 2021.[80]

Awards and fellowships

She is an Action Canada Fellow,[15][81] Echoing Green Fellow,[18] member of the University of Ottawa Common Law Honour Society,[82] alumna of the Government of Canada Recruitment of Policy Leaders Program,[83] and a recipient of the Harry Jerome Award.[84]

Electoral record

Template:Canadian federal election, 2021/Toronto Centre Template:Canadian federal by-election, October 26, 2020/Toronto Centre

2020 Green Party of Canada leadership election results by round[85]
Candidate 1st round 2nd round 3rd round 4th round 5th round 6th round 7th round 8th round
Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast %
50px Annamie Paul 6,242 26.14% 6,242 26.16% 6,305 26.24% 6,478 27.23% 6,952 29.44% 7,614 32.52% 8,862 38.52% 12,090 54.53%
50px Dimitri Lascaris 5,768 24.15% 5,773 24.20% 5,813 24.40% 6,586 27.69% 7,050 29.86% 7,551 32.25% 8,340 36.22% 10,081 45.47%
50px Courtney Howard 3,285 13.76% 3,285 13.77% 3,348 14.05% 3,404 14.31% 3,762 15.93% 4,523 19.32% 5,824 25.29% Eliminated
50px Glen Murray 2,745 11.50% 2,746 11.51% 2,821 11.84% 2,846 11.96% 2,992 12.67% 3,725 15.91% Eliminated
50px David Merner 2,636 11.04% 2,636 11.05% 2,697 11.32% 2,727 11.46% 2,856 12.10% Eliminated
50px Amita Kuttner 1,468 6.15% 1,470 6.16% 1,486 6.24% 1,748 7.35% Eliminated
50px Meryam Haddad 1,345 5.63% 1,346 5.64% 1,358 5.70% Eliminated
50px Andrew West 352 1.47% 356 1.49% Eliminated
50px None Of The Above 36 0.15% Eliminated
Total 23,877 100% 23,854 100% 23,828 100% 23,788 100% 23,612 100% 23,413 100% 23,026 100% 22,171 100%

Template:Canadian federal election, 2019/Toronto Centre

Notes

  1. ↑ Vivian Barbot was the first black Canadian and Visible Minority to lead a federal party with representation (Bloc Québécois) but was not elected to the role. (Barbot was selected on an interim basis).

References

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External links

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