Elizabeth May | |
|---|---|
 May in 2014 | |
| Leader of the Green Party of Canada | |
| Assumed office November 19, 2022 | |
| Deputy | Jonathan Pedneault (2022—2024) Rainbow Eyes (2024—present) |
| Preceded by | Amita Kuttner (interim) |
| In office August 26, 2006 – November 4, 2019 | |
| Deputy | |
| Preceded by | Jim Harris |
| Succeeded by | Jo-Ann Roberts (interim) |
| Parliamentary Leader of the Green Party of Canada | |
| In office November 4, 2019 – November 19, 2022 | |
| Leader |
|
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Member of Parliament for Saanich—Gulf Islands | |
| Assumed office May 2, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Gary Lunn |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Elizabeth Evans May June 9, 1954 Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Political party | Green |
| Spouse |
John Kidder (m. 2019) |
| Children | 1 |
| Residence(s) | Sidney, British Columbia, Canada |
| Alma mater | Dalhousie University |
| Occupation |
|
Elizabeth Evans May OC MP (born June 9, 1954) is a Canadian politician, environmentalist, author, activist, and lawyer who is serving as the leader of the Green Party of Canada since 2022, and previously served as the leader from 2006 to 2019. She has been the member of Parliament (MP) for Saanich—Gulf Islands since 2011. May is the longest serving female leader of a Canadian federal party.
Born in Hartford, Connecticut, May immigrated to Canada with her family as a teenager. She attended St. Francis Xavier University in rural Nova Scotia, graduated from Dalhousie University in Halifax with a law degree in 1983, and later studied theology at Saint Paul University[1] in Ottawa for which she told the Anglican Journal in a 2013 interview that she had to withdraw from the program due to conflicting schedule demands.[1] Following her graduation from Dalhousie University, May worked as an environmental lawyer in Halifax before moving to Ottawa in 1985, joining the Public Interest Advocacy Centre as the associate general counsel. In 1986, she was named Senior Policy Advisor to Thomas McMillan, then-Environment Minister in the Progressive Conservative Mulroney government. As senior policy advisor, May was deeply involved in the negotiation of the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer. She resigned on principle from the position in 1988 over permits for construction of a dam granted without environmental assessments, which were later determined to be illegal by a federal court. May served as the executive director of the Sierra Club Canada from 1989 to 2006.
In 2006, after building the Sierra Club in rural Nova Scotia into a nationally effective organization in Halifax, May resigned to run for leadership of the Green Party of Canada, winning on the first ballot with 66% of the vote. On May 2, 2011, May became the first member of the Green Party of Canada to be elected as a Member of Parliament, defeating Conservative cabinet minister Gary Lunn with 46% of the vote in the Saanich–Gulf Islands riding.[a] In the 2019 federal election, she was re-elected with 54% of the vote. May resigned as Green Party leader on November 4, 2019, but remained as parliamentary leader in the house.[2] She was once again a candidate in the 2022 Green Party of Canada leadership election, after the party had gone through a couple of rough years since May's departure.[3] Running on a joint ticket with Jonathan Pedneault,[4] she won the election on November 19, 2022.[5]
May has been an officer of the Order of Canada since 2005, and has been named by the United Nations as one of the leading women environmentalists worldwide.[6] She was named by fellow MPs as Parliamentarian of the Year 2012, Hardest Working MP 2013, Best Orator 2014, and Most Knowledgeable 2020. In 2010, Newsweek named her as one of the world's most influential women. May has written eight books; her memoir, Who We Are - Reflections of my Life and Canada was listed as a best-seller by The Globe and Mail.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
activist-anglican-political-ldr-anglican-journalwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Elizabeth May steps down as leader of federal Green party, names Jo-Ann Roberts as successor". National Post. The Canadian Press. November 4, 2019. Archived from the original on November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
- ^ https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/misgendering-incident-plunges-green-party-into-renewed-turmoil
- ^ "Green Party leadership candidates launch their campaigns". CBC News. August 31, 2022. Archived from the original on June 19, 2023.
- ^ "Elizabeth May elected Green Party leader again, plans to co-lead with Jonathan Pedneault". November 19, 2022.
- ^ "Elizabeth May". global500.org. Retrieved September 13, 2019. [permanent dead link]
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).