Green Party of Manitoba

Last updated
Green Party of Manitoba
Active provincial party
Leader Janine Gibson [1]
PresidentDennis Bayomi [2]
Deputy LeaderDennis Bayomi [2]
FoundedNovember 11, 1998;25 years ago (November 11, 1998)
HeadquartersP.O. Box 26023, RPO Maryland Winnipeg, Manitoba R3G 3R3 [3]
Membership (2023)Decrease2.svg 164 [4]
Ideology Green politics
Political position Centre-left
Colours Green
Seats in Legislature
0 / 57
Website
greenparty.mb.ca

The Green Party of Manitoba (French : Parti vert du Manitoba) ('GPM') is a green provincial political party in Manitoba, Canada, founded on November 11, 1998. [5] The party is legally autonomous from the Green Party of Canada, though for several years many of its members also belonged to the Green Party of Canada in Manitoba, a federal organization established in 1996 (the two organizations were separated in May 2005). The GPM has maintained a position as the fourth largest party in Manitoba since the 2003 election until the 2023 Manitoba general election, both in the number of votes received and candidates run.

Contents

History

The GPM is not the first "Green Party" in Manitoba history. Former New Democrat Nick Ternette established a "Green Party" in Winnipeg in 1989, and fielded candidates under its banner in that year's municipal elections. Ternette was from the left-wing of the NDP, and opposed the party's centrist direction in the 1980s. His "Green Party" supported several progressive and environmental causes, and was further to the left than is the current GPM. None of its candidates were elected, and the party never ran candidates at the provincial level. Ternette is not affiliated with the GPM, although neither has he opposed it.

The current party was established by Winnipeg electoral reform activist Chris Billows in November 1998, with the assistance of the Green Party of Canada. Billows, Eymond Toupin, and future provincial leader Markus Buchart hosted the Green Party of Canada's national convention in Winnipeg in August 1998.

Policies

The GPM's policies are generally progressive. The party is primarily focused on environmental issues, and promotes the conservation of land and non-renewable natural resources. It has expressed concern about "urban sprawl" in Winnipeg's suburbs, has called for reform in Manitoba's commercial hog sector, and generally supports the rights of small farming interests over corporations.

The GPM also favours liberal positions on social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage, and promotes accessible public health care with emphasis on healthy lifestyles and illness prevention. [6]

The party supports the extension of labour protection laws to farm-workers and a reduction of Manitoba's standard work week from 40 to 32 hours. It has also endorsed full employment, and has criticized Gary Doer's NDP government for not reversing welfare cutbacks enacted by the previous Tory government of Gary Filmon.

2016 Platform

The GPM released its 2016 election platform, entitled "Building a Sustainable Manitoba", on April 5, 2016. The document included promises to introduce Guaranteed Annual Income to Manitoba, a $50/tonne carbon tax, fare-free transit, and oppose the Energy East pipeline, among other items. [7]

Elections

General electionLeaderCandidatesSeats+/- %VotesPositionParliamentary status
1999 Markus Buchart
6 / 57
0 / 57
Steady2.svg0.20%973Steady2.svg5thExtra-parliamentary
2003
14 / 57
0 / 57
Steady2.svg0.96%3,792Increase2.svg 4thExtra-parliamentary
2007 Andrew Basham
15 / 57
0 / 57
Steady2.svg1.34%5,586Steady2.svg 4thExtra-parliamentary
2011 James Beddome
32 / 57
0 / 57
Steady2.svg2.52%10,886Steady2.svg 4thExtra-parliamentary
2016
31 / 57
0 / 57
Steady2.svg5.22%22,282Steady2.svg 4thExtra-parliamentary
2019
43 / 57
0 / 57
Steady2.svg6.24%27,450Steady2.svg 4thExtra-parliamentary
2023 Janine Gibson
13 / 57
0 / 57
Steady2.svg0.80%3,618Decrease2.svg 5thExtra-parliamentary

The GPM ran six candidates in the provincial election of 1999, and scored its best result in the Winnipeg riding of Wolseley, where Phyllis Abbé, also a prominent former New Democrat, received 386 votes. Former party leader Markus Buchart ran against Premier Gary Filmon in the riding of Tuxedo, and received 126 votes. The party received 0.2% of all votes cast in the province.

The GPM ran fourteen candidates in the 2003 election. Buchart received 1193 votes (19.5%) in Wolseley, placing second against New Democrat Rob Altemeyer. The GPM as a whole received 4.08% of the vote in the ridings that it contested.

In the December 13, 2005, by-election held in the strongly conservative Fort Whyte constituency, GPM candidate Shelagh Pizey-Allen garnered 1.77% of the vote.

The GPM ran fifteen candidates in the 2007 election. The fifteen captured 1.33% of the vote, or 5.5% in the electoral divisions that were contested. The Green candidates received 12.32% in Wolseley placing second, 8.46% in Lord Roberts, 7.76% in St. Boniface, 6.38% in Fort Rouge, and third place in Minnedosa ahead of the Liberal Party of Manitoba.

In 2011, the GPM ran 32 candidates across the province and took 2.52% of the vote province-wide, or 10,886 votes, and won 4.56% of votes in ridings they contested. Party leader James Beddome placed second in the Wolseley constituency with 19.64% of the vote, while nine other candidates placed third in various ridings ahead of Liberal candidates.

In 2016, the party more than doubled its total votes from 2011, breaching the 5% total vote threshold for the first time in its history. Green candidates won an average of 9.14% of the vote in ridings they constested. In Wolseley, David Nickarz would take 35.94% of the vote and come within 500 votes of unseating longtime NDP MLA Rob Altemeyer. Beddome, still the party's leader, would take 18.77% of the vote in Fort Garry-Riverview, an increase of 14 percentage points for the Greens over the previous election in that riding. The Greens also came in second in La Verendrye with Janine Gibson, Morden-Winkler with Mike Urichuk and Midland with Stacy O'Neill finishing ahead of NDP and Liberal candidates in ridings easily won by the Progressive Conservatives.

In 2019, still under Beddome's leadership, the party ran candidates in over 40 ridings for the first time ever. Greens took over 6% of the total vote, an average of 8.25% in the ridings they contested. Despite this, no Green was elected and the party finished second in only three seats (Morden-Winkler with Mike Urchik, Wolseley with David Nickarz, and Turtle Mountain with David M. Neufeld), largely due to an improved performance by the New Democratic Party.

In 2022, Beddome announced he was stepping down as leader of the GPM. He was replaced by Janine Gibson in March 2023, ahead of that year's provincial election. The Greens suffered a major setback, running only 13 candidates — the fewest since 1999, their first election — and receiving less than one percent of the total vote, and fewer raw votes than they did in 2003. The party did not finish ahead of third in any ridings, and finished third in just one riding where there were more than three candidates: Portage la Prairie, where Arishya Aggarwal finished 65 votes ahead of the last-place Liberal candidate.

Leadership

Janine G. Gibson, Leader of the GPM since March 2023. Janine G Gibson - 2023 GPM Leadership Contestant.jpg
Janine G. Gibson, Leader of the GPM since March 2023.

Leaders of the Green Party of Manitoba

Markus Buchart resigned as party leader in late February 2005. [8]

The party's second leader was Daniel Drimes. He served as leader from April 2 to 22, 2005.[ citation needed ]

The party's first leadership contest under the rules of Elections Manitoba began on July 1, 2005, and a new leader was chosen on November 20, 2005.[ citation needed ] She was Holly Nelson, a retired electrical technologist and professional writer who owned a Winnipeg New Age book store, the Philosopher's Stone, during the 1990s.

James Beddome, The longest serving leader of the GPM, led the party from 2008 to 2013 and again from 2014 to 2023. James Beddome May 2022.jpg
James Beddome, The longest serving leader of the GPM, led the party from 2008 to 2013 and again from 2014 to 2023.

In September 2006, a few weeks before the party's leadership convention, she stepped down, having accepted an out-of-province job. On November 19, 2006, the party chose 23-year-old Andrew Basham as its new leader.[ citation needed ]

On November 15, 2008, James Beddome was elected leader, defeating incumbent leader Andrew Basham and contender Shane Nestruck. Beddome's first term expired November 2010, and he was acclaimed a second term.

Alain Landry was appointed interim party leader for the Manitoba Greens in Nov, 2013 [9] after the resignation of former leader James Beddome. James stepped down to focus on his new career as a lawyer after graduating from the faculty of law at the University of Manitoba in 2013. [10] [11]

Landry ran as a candidate in the 2007 and 2011 elections. In January 2014, he ran in the Morris by-election. [12]

Former leader James Beddome sought to return to the leadership of the Greens and ran in the leadership race held in November 2014. [13] He defeated past Green candidate Kate Storey in the contest with 21 votes to 9 for Storey. [14]

In May 2022, Beddome announced that he would step down as leader of the Green Party of Manitoba. [15] He was succeeded by Janine Gibson on March 26, 2023. [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Party of Saskatchewan</span> Political party in Canada

The Saskatchewan Green Party is a Green political party in Saskatchewan, Canada. The party was founded in 1998 as the New Green Alliance by a coalition of environmental and social justice activists. In the twenty-first century, only the New Democratic Party and the Saskatchewan Party have fielded more candidates than the Greens in provincial elections, yet no Greens have been elected to the Legislature. The current party leader is Naomi Hunter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Lamoureux</span> Canadian politician (born 1962)

Kevin Lamoureux is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. On November 29, 2010, he was elected to the House of Commons of Canada for the constituency of Winnipeg North in a by-election. He was re-elected during the 2011 election by a margin of just 44 votes and being the only Liberal flip this election. Lamoureux previously served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1988 to 1999 and from 2003 to 2010, and he twice sought the leadership of the Manitoba Liberal Party. He serves in the House of Commons as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.

The New Democratic Party of Manitoba has held seven leadership conventions to select a party leader since its founding in 1961. In each instance, the leader was chosen by secret-ballot voting among delegates. The results of these votes are listed below. The leaders of the party's predecessors, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and the Independent Labour Party (Manitoba) had all been elected unopposed.

Sidney Green is a retired politician in Manitoba, Canada. He twice ran for the leadership of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba, served in the cabinet of Premier Edward Schreyer, and later formed the Progressive Party of Manitoba.

Markus Buchart is a lawyer and politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was the first leader of the Green Party of Manitoba, serving from 1999 until his resignation in March 2005.

Rob Altemeyer is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Manitoba legislature from 2003 to 2019. Altemeyer has long been involved in social justice and environmental issues in the Winnipeg area. He was responsible for implementing a recycling program at the University of Manitoba, and was one of the founders of the Global Change Game while still a student. Altemeyer served a two-year term on the Council of Canadians, and has taken part in a variety of activities in the fair trade/anti-globalization movement. In 1998, he organized an anti-globalization study group known as Beyond McWorld.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Rouge (electoral district)</span> Provincial electoral district in Manitoba, Canada

Fort Rouge is a provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was created by redistribution in 1957, and formally came into existence in the general election of 1958. The riding was eliminated in 1989, and re-established in 1999. It is located in the central section of the City of Winnipeg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolseley (Manitoba electoral district)</span> Provincial electoral district in Manitoba, Canada

Wolseley is a provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was created by redistribution in 1957, and has formally existed since the 1958 provincial election. The riding is located in the centre of the City of Winnipeg. It is named for Col. Garnet Joseph Wolseley, the nineteenth-century army officer who played a significant role in crushing the Red River Rebellion in 1870.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. James (provincial electoral district)</span> Provincial electoral district in Manitoba, Canada

St. James is a provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adriane Carr</span> Canadian politician

Adriane Carr is a Canadian academic, activist and green politician. She has served on Vancouver City Council since its 2011 municipal election. She was a founding member of the Green Party of British Columbia and was the party's first leader, then known as "spokesperson", from 1983 to 1985. In 2000, she became the party's leader again. In the 2005 provincial election, she received over 25 percent of the vote in her home riding of Powell River-Sunshine Coast. In September 2006, she was appointed by federal Green Party leader Elizabeth May, to be one of her two deputy leaders.

The Green Party of Canada ran a full slate of 308 candidates in the 2004 federal election. Some of these candidates have separate biography pages; relevant information about other candidates may be found here.

The Green Party of Canada ran a full slate of 308 candidates in the 2006 Canadian federal election. Some of these candidates have separate biography pages; relevant information about other candidates may be found here.

The Green Party of Manitoba (GPM) fielded fourteen candidates in the 2003 provincial election, none of whom were elected. Information about these candidates may be found on this page. The party received a total of 3,792 votes.

Murdoch MacKay was a Canadian lawyer and politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was president of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba during the 1970s, and later joined the breakaway Progressive Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Beddome</span> Manitoba Green Politician

James Robert Beddome is a Canadian lawyer and politician who was the former leader of the Green Party of Manitoba from November 2014 to March 2023. He has run in several elections for the provincial party, and was also the Green Party of Canada candidate in Winnipeg South Centre for the 2019 federal election. He works as lawyer in Manitoba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Manitoba general election</span>

The 2011 Manitoba general election was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. It took place on October 4, 2011, due to the new fixed-date election laws. In the outgoing legislature, the New Democratic Party of Manitoba (NDP) held 37 of the 57 seats, the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba held 19 of the 57 seats and the Liberal Party of Manitoba held one of the 57 seats, after Kevin Lamoureux resigned his seat in the riding of Inkster to run as a Liberal candidate in a federal by-election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Manitoba general election</span>

The 2019 Manitoba general election was held on September 10, 2019, to elect the 57 members to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Manitoba general election</span> Provincial election

The 2023 Manitoba general election was held on October 3, 2023, to elect 57 members to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. The incumbent Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba, led by Premier of Manitoba Heather Stefanson, had attempted to win a third term in government, having previously won the 2016 and 2019 elections under the leadership of Brian Pallister. The New Democratic Party of Manitoba, led by Wab Kinew, formed a majority government, defeating the two-term Progressive Conservative government. Following the election, Kinew became the first First Nations person to become premier of a Canadian province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janine Gibson (politician)</span> Canadian Politician

Janine Gibson is a Canadian politician, activist, farmer, and organic agriculture consultant who has served as the Leader of the Green Party of Manitoba since March 26, 2023.

The 2024 Tuxedo provincial by-election was held on June 18.

References

  1. "Leader - Green Party of Manitoba". Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Council - Green Party of Manitoba". Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  3. "Registered Political Parties". Elections Manitoba . Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  4. "Results - 2023 GPM Leadership Contest & Council Elections". Green Party of Manitoba. Simply Voting. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  5. "Constitution & Bylaws". Green Party of Manitoba. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  6. Archived January 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  7. "Manitoba Greens unveil Platform 2016". Green Party of Manitoba. Archived from the original on April 8, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  8. "Green Party leader resigns - Manitoba - CBC News". Cbc.ca. March 11, 2005. Archived from the original on December 26, 2015. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
  9. Archived January 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  10. "Beddome steps down as Green Party of Manitoba leader". Winnipeg Free Press. November 22, 2013. Archived from the original on December 26, 2015. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
  11. "James Beddome resigns as Manitoba Green Party leader - Manitoba". Cbc.ca. November 22, 2013. Archived from the original on December 26, 2015. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
  12. "Who are the Candidates?". www.electionsmanitoba.ca. Archived from the original on January 13, 2014.
  13. "James Beddome, Ex-Manitoba Green Leader, Wants Old Job Back". Huffington Post. October 16, 2014. Archived from the original on April 21, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  14. "Green Party re-elects James Beddome". Winnipeg Sun. November 15, 2014. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  15. "Manitoba Green leader James Beddome stepping down - Winnipeg | Globalnews.ca". Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  16. "Steinbach-area ag consultant becomes new leader of Manitoba Green Party". CBC News . March 26, 2023. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023.