Camille Labchuk

Mike Schreiner

The Green Party of Ontario today announced that Mike Schreiner will be the only candidate in the party’s upcoming leadership contest, with voting to conclude at the GPO leadership convention in November. Schreiner faces only one hurdle at this point – besting the none-of-the-above option on the ballot. (I don’t think he has to worry.) Although I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting Mike, his background as a community activist, small businessperson, and advocate for sustainable food systems is impressive, as is his work with the GPO. I’ve no doubt the party will fare well under his leadership.

But I must admit that, for a number of reasons, I’m pretty disappointed that the GPO leadership contest won’t be a contest at all. The excitement generated by a leadership race is ideal for bringing in new blood, boosting membership numbers and promoting party renewal, and it’s a shame the GPO will miss our on reaping these benefits. As we head into autumn, and as Ontarians begin paying attention to politics again, the GPO could have profited from the buzz that a contested race would have offered.

Apart from general elections, few events boost membership numbers for political parties like leadership campaigns. In fact, the provincial NDP and PCs in Ontario both saw huge increases in party membership during their recent leadership contests. I’ve heard both parties may have nearly doubled their ranks. The GPC’s high-profile leadership race in 2006  brought in oodles of new members. The Ontario NDP and PCs also received considerable media coverage for their leadership debates, contestants’ policy stances, leadership conventions, and so on. It’s unfortunate the GPO will miss these opportunities, and that an uncontested race may give Ontarians the perception that no one else wants the job — not a good thing in the eyes of the electorate.

It was initially rumored that long-time Green activist Mark MacKenzie was considering a leadership bid, but apparently he has chosen not to proceed down this path — too bad, as Mark is a great activist and his contribution would have been valuable. And it’s particularly regretful that the archaic GPO by-law G.2 actually prevented another willing leadership contestant from throwing his hat into the ring. Because of the requirement that leadership candidates be members for six months prior to being nominated, former Liberal candidate Steven Fishman was unable to enter the race, despite his strong interest. I sincerely hope this pointless by-law is altered at the next general meeting, as I don’t believe length of membership in a party has any bearing on commitment to party goals, or suitability for leadership. The GPO membership is more than capable of making these judgments as a race unfolds.

At any rate, despite the lost opportunities, I feel that Mike Shcreiner has a bright future as GPO leader and I’m confident he and the rest of the GPO team will be working hard to prepare the party for the next Ontario election. Congratulations, Mike, and good luck!