The president of the Green Party of Canada has resigned, telling members in a letter that her “optimism has died” amid ongoing party turmoil. The Canadian Press received a letter from Lorraine Rekmans, who writes that she can no longer serve because “there is no vision of a better future, only an attempt to look back and settle old scores while the planet burns.” Reckmans writes that she has been marginalized, insulted and belittled by the leadership contestants and sees no way to continue as president when one of them will be the party’s main representative. Four of the six leadership candidates, along with Greens MP Mike Morris, recently issued a joint statement to condemn the misrepresentation of transition leader Amita Kuttner — who is transgender and non-binary — at a Zoom event, though they praised Rekmans for a prompt apology. The Greens launched a leadership contest this summer to find a replacement for Annamie Paul, who resigned after a disappointing showing for the party in the 2021 election. Her tenure was marked by internal conflict and she accused some in the party of racism and sexism. Leadership candidate Sarah Gabrielle Baron, who did not sign the joint statement, says the party’s issues should be dealt with internally. The other five candidates were not immediately available for comment. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on September 10, 2022.
Tonight I resigned as Chair of the Green Party of Canada.#GPC — Lorraine Rekmans (@Goddessonloose) September 10, 2022
