Green Party of Canada leadership election, 2006
| Winner | Elizabeth May |
|---|---|
| Resigning leader | Jim Harris |
| Convention | Ottawa, Ontario |
| Date | August 24–27, 2006 |
| Candidates | 3 |
| Entrance Fee | C$2,000 total ($1,000 refundable) |
| Spending limit | C$50,000 |
On March 29, 2006 it was announced, in accordance with the Green Party of Canada constitution that there would be a leadership election held August 24–27, 2006 in Ottawa.
Leadership contests in the party were automatically held every two years (every four years under the new constitution, beginning 2006), and every member of the party is entitled to vote, whether or not they attend the convention. The party mails out ballots to all members to be returned for counting. This voting system also applies to council members and policy changes as well.
On April 24, 2006, incumbent party leader Jim Harris announced he would not be running for re-election. The race was won by Elizabeth May on August 26, 2006.
Among other rules:
Each candidate must file a nomination form signed by 100 candidate nominators residing in 3 or more provinces or territories. Only 50 nominators are required if the candidate lives in a rural Electoral District as defined by Elections Canada.
Each candidate must pay a fully refundable $1000 prospective contestant's deposit. Their campaign must also pay a non-refundable $1,000 contestant fee to cover party administration costs.
Each candidate may spend a maximum of $50,000 on their campaign.
Every registered member of the party can vote for the leader either at the convention, or by mail-in ballot.
Three candidates officially entered the leadership race before the close of nominations on May 31, 2006.
David Chernushenko was the party's Deputy Leader. He owns and operates Green & Gold Inc., a consulting firm specializing in suggesting ways to increase efficiency and reduce the negative environmental and social impacts of athletic events and facilities. He started Clean Air Champions, an advocacy group consisting primarily of athletes working to improve air quality in Canada.
Chernushenko was the Green Party candidate for Ottawa Centre in both the 2004 and 2006 general federal elections. In the 2006 election, he received 6,766 votes (10.2% of valid ballots cast) - the highest vote count of any Green Party candidate (though not the highest percentage of votes). By surpassing the 10% threshold, Chernushenko's campaign became eligible for a partial government reimbursement of campaign expenditures.
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