2020- 2022 Policy Process | Green Party of Canada
Where GPC membership collaborates to develop our policies
G21-B001 Members to Elect Deputy Leaders and Shadow Cabinet
Submitter Name
Dianne Varga
This proposal was discussed in the workshop during Phase 2 of the VGM. However, there was not enough time for this proposal to be voted on in plenary by the members during Phase 2. Therefore, this proposal will not be included in the ratification vote.
Proposal
To replace Bylaws 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3 with the following text:
- Party Members shall elect members to Cabinet or Shadow Cabinet.
- Party Members shall elect two Deputy Leaders.
- Party Members may replace members of the Cabinet, Shadow Cabinet, or Deputy Leaders, subject to appeal.
Objective
To empower Party Members:
(i) to elect members to the Cabinet or Shadow Cabinet,
(ii) to elect Deputy Leaders, and
(iii) to remove members of the Cabinet, Shadow Cabinet, or Deputy Leaders.
Benefit
The changes will:
(i) strengthen participatory democracy by empowering Party Members to decide who will represent them,
(ii) underscore the role participatory democracy plays in providing the basis of unity for the Global Green Movement, and
(iii) reinforce the Party’s constitutional purpose of advancing its values and basis of unity.
Supporting Comments from Submitter
Participatory democracy is primarily concerned with citizens being afforded an opportunity to participate in decision-making on important matters that affect their lives. An example of a Green party that has democratic processes more fortified than ours in Canada is Die Grünen of Germany. Die Grünen’s Public Relations Department has said that the two co-chairs and two deputy chairs of the party executive are elected by the 800+ delegates of the party congress, while the two co-chairs and five deputy chairs of the parliamentary group are elected by the members of the parliamentary group itself. Almost all MPs (49 out of 67) have a role as spokesperson for a specific field of policy, and these positions are filled through negotiation and agreement among the MPs and the leadership of the parliamentary group.
The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand also has democratic processes stronger than our own. Their Correspondence Officer has said the executive structure includes two co-leaders and no deputies; the co-leaders are appointed at the annual general meeting by delegates of the representative branches across the country. Candidates for MP positions are themselves selected and ranked by the party membership, and voted upon in the country’s general election. Apart from this concrete evidence of the use of electoral processes and negotiation to determine executive and parliamentary representation, it is self-evident that if the Green Party of Canada empowered its grassroots Party Members to decide through electoral processes who will represent them as Deputy Leaders and Shadow Cabinet members, our participatory democracy would be stronger – stronger than it is now, stronger than the version seen in Germany, and as strong as the version seen in New Zealand.
Green Value(s)
Participatory Democracy
Relation to Existing Policy
Rescind and replace an existing policy. This proposal would rescind and replace Bylaws 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3.
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Conversation with Maria Rodriguez
I would be interested in knowing more about the examples given for Green parties with "stronger democratic processes," notably Germany and New Zealand. Although I agree that Green Parties in those countries may have stronger processes for empowering the grassroots than ours (honestly that isn't very hard), it would be interesting to know why you cited those examples specifically with respect to shadow cabinet and what Greens in those countries do different. German parties, as far as I'm aware, would not have the figure of Shadow Cabinet (as that is a figure of the Westminster system). They, however, form boards of expert advisors (are those similar to our current shadow cabinet? Not sure - If you have the information I would be very interested in knowing more). In New Zealand, what we call shadow critics they call them spokespersons, It's the same thing, as far as I'm aware. Those spokespersons would typically be elected representatives provided there are enough of them. Here in Canada we do not have enough Green MPs to cover the portfolios, so we have traditionally had shadow critics who aren't MPs. Once a party has enough MPs , they will likely become the shadow cabinet. A good example is the GPPEI - before, it had shadow critics who weren't elected members of the legislature but now, with 8 MLAs, the shadow critics are the MLAs. This is not because the PEI Greens have stronger democratic process, it is simply because they have enough elected people in the legislature. The leader still picks the SC, he just has enough elected people to fill the jobs. I would like to know how are those NZ spokespersons selected, whether it is different there. Many thanks in advance for answering this question, which is too long to address within the tight format of Motion Mondays, which is why I suggested to continue the discussion here
Hi Maria, thanks for your engagement with my policy proposal! Please see my comments below.
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