Green Party of Canada

Elizabeth May was born in Hartford, Connecticut, United States. In 1972 her family moved to Margaree Harbour, Nova Scotia after vacation on Cape Brent Island.

            Following her family’s move to Margaree Harbour, Elizabeth joined in a fundamental effort to stop approved aerial insecticide from spraying over the forests of Cape Breton Island, which was called “Cape Breton Landowners Against Spray.” Eventually the provincial government decided to cancel the permits due to health concerns. Later the budworm outbreak collapsed of natural causes, which was the subject of Elizabeth’s first book, Budworm Battles. It was also a National Film Board documentary called “Budworks” and a CBC program called The Fifth Estate in the segment “Miss May’s War.”

Elizabeth enrolled at St. Francis Xavier University in 1974 but had to drop out when she couldn’t afford tuition. She took correspondence courses in restaurant management, when she returned back to Margaree Harbour. Elizabeth went to Dalhousie Law School in 1980, she graduated with an LLB (bachelor of laws degree) in 1983. Bill Clinton (Governor of Arkansas) wrote her a letter of reference.

            Elizabeth entered the Green Party of Canada’s leadership race on May 9th, 2006. She announced that her purpose was to make the party a “force”.  She gave the “climate crisis”, “crisis of democracy” and “major planetary catastrophe” as examples of primary issues. Elizabeth won the leadership election with 65.3% of the votes on August 26th, 2006 on the first ballot. She announced that one of the main platforms for the next election was to renegotiate NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement.)

 

 When Joe Fontana, London North Centre Member of Parliament, announced that he was resigning his seat in the fall of 2006. Steven Harper scheduled a by-election for the seat. Elizabeth May was the candidate for the Green Party. She finished second, ahead of the conservative and NDP candidates. The results of this by-election was the best percentage result ever achieved by the Green Party.

            Elizabeth ran as the candidate for the Green Party in the riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands, BC, and won.  The election became marred in controversy, after accusation of widespread voter fraud  involving robocalls (automated phone call)had been used to benefit the conservatives. Elizabeth’s home riding was said to be influenced by the calls.

            The broadcast consortium organizing the televised leaders’ debate for the 2011 federal election announced on March 29th, 2011, that Elizabeth May would not be invited. Elizabeth publically expressed her disapproval of the decision as “anti-democratic in the extreme.” She won her riding, although she was exluded from the major leader debates. Elizabeth May was the only candidate for the Green Party to be elected. She is the first Green Party Member of Parliament in Canadian History.