2023 Federal and Young Greens Council Elections
Electing the representatives of the Green Party of Canada's members
Ian Soutar
"Speaking with folks in recent months, it has been heartening to discover a sense of stability from members about the Party. Tumultuous times still echo behind us, but I am pleased that Council matters have left the media headlines under my presidency.
We are still in a period of rebuilding, trying to do more with less, and now more than ever we need to redouble our focus on election preparedness to send more Greens to Parliament with Elizabeth and Mike. A wise Young Green once said that if we have too many priorities, we have no priorities- so let’s make sure ours is crystal clear.
Although the president primarily chairs council meetings, they also work closely with the Leader and Deputy, Executive Director and Political Director. I am proud to boast an extremely cordial and candid relationship with all of them, and the results have been deeply rewarding for the Party - being fully bilingual has helped a lot! With your support, I would continue working to stabilize our organization.
I served as Youth Representative on Council in years past, but when I became a staffer with the Mobilizing department in 2018, it became frighteningly obvious that Council doesn’t fully understand how staff operates. Now, more than ever, we need a Council that understands its role in governance and the distinction from operations: no one is more qualified for this than me.
The next election is coming: choose to elect a proven, political organizer to help lead us to victory."
- Candidate message, August 26
Candidate Introduction
More than anything, I believe that our Party needs stability. Although I was just elected last year in a by-election, these past ten months have proven that we desperately need consistent leadership. It has not been easy work mitigating the leftover chaos from the previous years, but I believe my clear understanding of the role of Federal Council has helped stabilize this movement.
Working closely with Elizabeth May, Jonathan Pedneault and our Executive Director has been deeply rewarding. For the first time in a very long time, maybe ever, the Leader, President and ED are not only on the same page, but we get along famously. We are still working out the kinks in the rest of the organization, but there is something truly magical about the degree of collaboration, respect and care that we have for each other. This is the kind of stability I offer with my candidacy.
Beyond my most recent experience as president, I served on FC from 2016-2018 as co-chair of the Young Greens of Canada where I was mentored by the president of the time. This period was critical, as it taught me how the Party could operate successfully. After my term, I was hired to work in the Mobilizing department at head office where I worked with campaigns and candidates from coast to coast. I got to implement the Youth Engagement Strategy that I had helped author, and as a past candidate for the BC Greens, I employed my intersectional experience to the roaring success of the GPC. I worked in person on Paul Manly and Jenica Atwin’s campaigns, so I have a strong understanding of what electoral success looks and feels like.
We have everything we need for success in the next General Elections - let me help take us there.
The candidate messages represent the views of the candidates only.
Experience & Skills
Incumbent president of Federal Council, past co-chair of Young Greens of Canada, past staffer in the GPC Mobilizing department
Contact Information
- Email: [email protected]
Nominators
Rainbow Eyes (Angela Davidson)
Janice Harvey
Simon Gnocchini-Messier
Chad Walcott
Alison Lam
Stuart Hunter
Clement Badra
Dirk Hoepper
Rafael Sartin
Vincent Carbonneau
Helene Pedneault
Nic Baird
Nira Dookeran
Amanda Rosenstock
Nicholas Loughton
Carrie McLaren
Pearson Singbeil
Eric Gilmour
Debora Soutar
Arnold Downey
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