Green Party president quits, tells members 'the dream is dead'

In a blunt and blistering resignation letter, Green Party President Lorraine Rekmans announced she has quit in frustration and says the party's dream "is dead." 

Laying it out over three pages, Rekmans called her tenure as party president "turbulent." 

Rekmans took the job a year ago; the Greens were in meltdown after an attempt to dump former leader Annamie Paul before a federal election.

Rekmans, the party's first Indigenous president, believed she could help the Greens "rise from the ashes" and transform into a vibrant, inclusive party, while meeting the challenge of protecting the planet. 

Those hopes weren't realized, she said.

"Now I see that, for me, the dream is dead," she states. "I am exhausted and my optimism has died ... To me, this signals an end to the (Green Party of Canada.)"

In an interview with CBC News on Sunday, she called on members to take back the party, comparing the current situation to 2021 when it was beset by infighting and divisive politics. 

Rekmans shared a copy of her resignation letter. Her reasons for resigning are wide-ranging, but she focused on the contestants in the leadership race that is currently underway and problems with her colleagues on the party's governing body, known as the federal council. 

"I have resigned for principle. I had no confidence in the leadership contestants, and they had no confidence in me, and I lost confidence in (the) federal council," Rekmans said.

Some of her concerns stem from the race's launch about a week ago. During the virtual event, organizers labelled interim leader Amita Kuttner with incorrect pronouns on screen. Kuttner uses the pronouns they/he/ille.

According to an earlier statement from Kuttner, Rekmans didn't misgender them but the then-president apologized as a party representative. Kuttner said the incident exposed a more significant problem within the party.

"In truth, this incident is reflective of a larger pattern of behaviours that a few in the party are perpetuating. Over the years, the party has documented reports which indicate a systemic issue disproportionately affecting Black, Indigenous, and racialized people and 2SLGBTQIA+ people," Kuttner said. 

Four candidates in the leadership race issued a joint statement acknowledging Rekmans was not to blame and called for the party's leadership to address "similar behaviour patterns that Dr. Kuttner has faced through their tenure."

Sarah Gabrielle Baron, a candidate for party leader, called Rekmans "uninformed" during a news conference.