The multi-careered Glen Murray announced today he is running to succeed Elizabeth May as leader of Canada’s Green Party.
Murray, who held several cabinet posts in the McGuinty-Wynne governments of Ontario was the former Mayor of Winnipeg. Outside of politics he served as head of the Canadian Urban Institute and as President of the Alberta – based Pembina Institute—a post he held for one year. As Ontario Minister of Transportation he was an active advocate for LRT in Hamilton.
“In the background of this pandemic are the worsening impacts of climate change underlining the need for us to act more boldly and rapidly. I realized it was time for me to take up this challenge and bring everything I have to offer to get us a path to a restored and safer planet,” he said in a prepared statement.
Elizabeth May stepped down as leader of the Green Party shortly after the 2019 federal election. She had served as the party’s leader since 2006. While still remaining as parliamentary leader, May named Jo-Ann Roberts (who doesn’t have a seat) as interim leader.The 2019 election was the federal Greens’ best-ever result, with the party winning three seats, including its first ever seat outside of B.C. The leadership race is scheduled for Oct. 4. The approved candidates so far include astrophysicist Amita Kuttner, lawyer and former Liberal candidate David Merner and Toronto lawyer Annamie Paul.
Murray also said that during his time as Ontario’s environment minister, he led the development of “world-leading circular economy legislation to eliminate waste” in the province and proudly supported the Ontario Liberal government’s basic income pilot, which was cancelled by the subsequent Ford administration. The basic income scheme, he said, was working and would have” been a great asset to Ontario today during this pandemic, if only it had been continued under the current government.”
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