Green party execs cancel non-confidence vote against leader Annamie Paul: sources

OTTAWA — Green party executives have called off a planned non-confidence vote this week that could have led to leader Annamie Paul’s ouster.

Two senior party sources, who were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, say the vote by the Greens’ federal council slated for Tuesday is cancelled or postponed indefinitely.

The vote would have required backing from three-quarters of the 13-member governing body in order to proceed to a party-wide vote the following month at a general meeting, where an ultimate judgment on Paul’s leadership could have been rendered by the grassroots.

Members of the council had passed a motion late last month demanding that Paul hold a press conference with Green MP Paul Manly and repudiate comments from a top adviser to the leader.

The ultimatum came following a social media post from Noah Zatzman — the adviser, who has since stepped aside — calling out unspecified Green MPs for antisemitism after Green legislator Jenica Atwin warned about Israeli “apartheid” in a Twitter post.

The standoff culminated in Atwin defecting to the Liberals as internal strife continues to roil the party ahead of a likely election later this year.

It was not clear why the vote for this Tuesday was nixed. 

Green spokeswoman Rosie Emery says the party has no comment, but that Paul will hold a press conference Monday morning.

The Canadian Press