The Greens’ Election Night Humiliation Was Avoidable — If They Had Backed Alex Tyrrell”

Last night’s federal election pulled back the curtain on an uncomfortable truth: Canada’s environmental movement is not growing — it’s shrinking. Only Elizabeth May, the enduring co-chair, secured her seat. Jonathan Pedneault, her counterpart, failed to break through. It’s an old story wrapped in new disappointment, and at some point, someone inside the party must have the courage to admit that leadership — or lack thereof — is the root cause.

Elizabeth May is respected in Saanich–Gulf Islands, where voters seem to trust her local advocacy. But nationally, her leadership has failed to inspire anything resembling momentum. She is a good representative for her constituents; she is not the leader who will transform a movement into a viable national force. Her tenure has allowed the organization’s brand to calcify into the tired stereotype of being just a haven for tree-huggers — a profound disservice to the broader, smarter platform the Greens actually possess but seem incapable of communicating.

If Canadians still think of the Greens only in environmental terms, the blame lies squarely at the feet of those who have controlled the party message for the better part of two decades. A revolving door of ineffective leaders has followed May’s original resignation, yet somehow, the solution always seems to be reaching back for the same people who failed to grow the party the first time. That is not leadership. That is inertia dressed up as nostalgia.

Jonathan Pedneault’s defeat is harder to explain away. His sudden rise to co-leader — despite having minimal public recognition and a background that raises more questions than answers — was emblematic of the dysfunction. His career, dotted with appearances in countries facing political upheaval, reads more like the CV of an intelligence asset than a grassroots organizer. Fair or not, optics matter in politics. Canadians didn’t buy what Pedneault was selling — and given the circumstances, it’s hard to blame them.

Where does the party go from here? The truth is brutal but simple: there is no path forward without sweeping change. And that means more than just politely asking May to retire (again). It means a full-on purge of the old guard who cling to positions of influence while delivering perpetual mediocrity.

A real alternative already exists. His name is Alex Tyrrell.

Tyrrell, leader of the Quebec Greens, has been demonstrating for almost a decade what fearless, progressive leadership can look like. He’s young, bilingual, bold, and unapologetically willing to tackle tough issues — the very qualities Canada’s Greens desperately need if they ever hope to move out of the margins.

When Tyrrell tried to run federally, his honesty about global conflicts — particularly the war in Ukraine — was distorted beyond recognition by media narratives and thin-skinned operatives who preferred to peddle outrage instead of engaging in adult conversation. Rather than defending space for nuanced political discourse, the party establishment folded like cheap lawn chairs at the first sign of controversy. They smeared one of their own as disloyal and dangerous simply because he refused to parrot easy slogans.

This is the leadership culture that must end.

Tyrrell’s ideas stretch far beyond environmentalism. His proposals on economic justice, Indigenous reconciliation, housing, and healthcare are bold, comprehensive, and desperately needed in a political landscape increasingly dominated by fear, stagnation, and corporate interests. He is not another well-meaning figurehead; he is a builder, a strategist, a force.

The brutal truth is that Canadians want a political alternative that stands for something real — not a party that clings to symbolism while running in place. Until the Greens are willing to clean house, replace stale leadership, and embrace leaders who can actually connect with a new generation of voters, they will continue to lose relevance.

They have a choice right now: evolve or dissolve.

Alex Tyrrell represents evolution.
If they reject him again, they may as well start writing their own obituary.

“A party that fears new ideas will never lead a new generation — it will only be a footnote in someone else’s history book.”