P.E.I. Green Party moves ahead date to choose new leader by about a year

Members of the Green Party of Prince Edward Island will have the opportunity to cast their vote for a new leader at a leadership convention to be held on June 7, 2025, the party announced in a news release Wednesday.

The party previously announced it would choose a new leader in May 2026, saying at the time it would begin its leadership race after the next federal election. But with changes to the political landscape and a trend of early elections, the Green Party of P.E.I. wants to be prepared, said Kathy Low, the party's president.

"We thought it was important to have a leader in place — someone that Islanders could see and get to know for a period of time before we go back into a general election," Low said.

"It's certainly better to be ready than to be surprised."

No one has come forward publicly to declare their intention to seek the leadership position. When asked Wednesday, MLA Matt MacFarlane said, "I expect I will have more to say on that very, very soon."

Applications for the leadership contest will open Feb. 1 and close March 1, Low said.

The party will vet the candidates before publicly announcing them on March 12, Low said.

While the Greens would like to have a traditional convention-style contest with in-person voting, they also want to make accommodations for members who aren't there to vote and will consider advance voting, said Low.

The new party leader will take over for Karla Bernard, who has been the Green Party's interim leader since Peter Bevan-Baker stepped down in 2023. 

Bevan-Baker resigned as leader following the 2023 provincial election, though he remains the MLA for District 17, New Haven-Rocky Point.

Bernard and Bevan-Baker were the only two Green MLAs in the P.E.I. Legislature until MacFarlane won a February 2024 byelection in District 19, Borden-Kinkora. That seat was previously held by Jamie Fox of the governing Progressive Conservatives, who stepped down to run as a federal Conservative candidate.

The party's win in District 19 put it into a tie with the Liberal Party with three seats each, though Speaker Darlene Compton ruled at the beginning of last year's spring sitting that the Liberals would maintain their Official Opposition status.

The Opposition Liberals are also without a permanent leader. Shortly after the Greens announced they would hold a convention in May 2026, the Liberals said they were aiming for the same month.

Hal Perry, the MLA for District 27, Tignish-Palmer Road, has served as interim Liberal leader since April 2023.