The assault on Annamie Paul’s leadership is now taking place three fronts: confidence, cash and, unbelievably, membership in the party itself.
The federal Liberal party has a fine old tradition of trying to replace leaders through all kinds of skulduggery, but in my memory, no attempts were made to deny beleaguered leaders cash for their campaigns or actual membership in their parties.
Stockwell Day, during his stormy time as Canadian Alliance leader in the early 2000s, confronted a situation somewhat opposite to what Paul is facing today.
Then, as now with the Greens, political observers were shocked that a party would hurl itself into leadership turmoil with an election looming.
Imagine what’s happening around the table at those Green council meetings at the moment, with all participants eyeing each other, trying to figure out who is going to make the proceedings public when the session ends.
The Green party is unlike any other; its leaders notoriously have a looser rein over the membership than those of Canada’s more traditional parties.
Maybe that’s why Paul’s position is being challenged from top to bottom — from confidence in her leadership, to her viability as a candidate, to her ordinary membership in the party.