David Coon, leader of the New Brunswick Green Party, speaks in Moncton on Sept. 3, 2019. (Staff photo)
On Monday, Elizabeth May resigned as Canada’s Green party leader to spend more time with her family.
But leader of the provincial Green party, David Coon says the party’s future is bright despite May’s resignation.
“It will continue to grow at an accelerated pace as the momentum increases in terms of interest and support across the country,”
Coon credits her for the Green’s increase in popularity and says the party only really entered people’s consciousness when May was elected as leader.
“Her hard work and tenacity really blazed the trail for now 17 Green parliamentarians to be holding seats in the legislative assembly across the country and in the House of Commons,” he says.
He notes how in the Maritimes, the Greens in PEI form the official opposition and New Brunswick elected their first Green MP.
Coon says although May made it clear publicly that she would be stepping down ahead of the next election, he admits he didn’t expect it to be so soon.
“I thought she might make the decision in the early part of the new year, but she decided to do it this month,” says Coon
As for whether he plans on running federally, “No, my commitment is entirely to New Brunswick as the leader of the New Brunswick Green party and the MLA for Fredericton South and hopefully someday for the Premier of this province,” says Coon.
Jo-Ann Roberts of Halifax will serve as leader until the party holds a vote in 2020.
