The Green Party has been disqualified from participating in the upcoming federal leaders’ debates after failing to meet the required number of candidates across ridings.
According to the Leaders’ Debates Commission, the party made a strategic decision to withdraw several candidates from certain constituencies, leading to a sharp drop in its total candidate count. As a result, the party no longer qualifies under the debate participation rules.
Federal parties must meet two out of three conditions to be included in the debates:
Have at least one sitting MP elected under the party banner,
Maintain at least four per cent national support in polls,
Run candidates in 90% of all federal ridings.
The Green Party initially met the criteria and was invited to participate. However, a week before the final candidate deadline, it withdrew dozens of candidates, falling to around 68% coverage, well below the required threshold.
Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault admitted they pulled about 15 candidates strategically to avoid splitting the vote in Conservative-leaning ridings. However, updated filings show the Greens are missing candidates in over 100 ridings.
The Commission stated that deliberately reducing candidate presence undermines the integrity of the debate and misleads the public.
The Green Party also blamed local level issues with Elections Canada, including returning officers not having up-to-date elector lists, which they say hampered nominations. Elections Canada acknowledged the concerns but noted that the final candidate list is now locked in.