Elizabeth May, long-time leader of Canada's federal Green Party, is stepping down.
She made the announcement today (Nov. 4), on Parliament Hill. Deputy leader Jo-Ann Roberts will be appointed as her successor.
May has led the Greens since 2006, becoming the first Green MP elected to the House of Commons in 2011.
In a Facebook post, the party thanked the 65-year-old for her years of service.
"We want to take this time to express our love and gratitude for Elizabeth, the fearless leader who inspired millions and grew our grassroots movement into a powerful political contender," the party writes.
May says she promised her daughter three years ago that the 2019 election would be her last as the party leader — though not necessarily her last as an MP.
Roberts is a former New Brunswick CBC journalist who ran unsuccessfully for the Greens in Halifax in the recent federal election. Previously she worked for CBC on Vancouver Island, where she ran in the 2015 federal election with the Green as well.
Neither of the other two Green MPs elected last month — Jenica Atwin in Fredericton and Vancouver Island's Paul Manly — were tapped for the interim job. That means they're eligible to seek the permanent job at a leadership convention in October 2020.
Both were elected as Green MPs alongside May last month. Atwin is the first from outside of B.C. to be elected under the Green banner.
— with files from Canadian Press
