Jonathan Pedneault resigns as Green Party co-leader

Jonathan Pedneault announced Wednesday he is resigning as the co-leader of the Green Party of Canada following his defeat in his riding in the federal election.

In a letter he shared on social media, Pedneault said while the election results were “deeply disappointing,” he takes “full responsibility for this failure to translate our ideas, our passion, and our vision into the electoral gains.”

He cited his personal defeat, as well as that of former Ontario MP Mike Morrice, who was not re-elected in Kitchener Centre.

“Twice now, I have failed to convince my fellow citizens to send me to Ottawa … I failed to secure the re-election of my colleague Mike Morrice, along with many other competent and good-hearted individuals who place their trust in us.”

The Green Party had eyes on three seats in Monday’s election and hoped to hold onto two, but ended up with only one.

Fellow Green Party co-leader Elizabeth May held onto her Saanich–Gulf Islands seat in British Columbia, but Pedneault came in last place in the Quebec riding of Outremont.

Morrice, the party’s only other MP for the riding of Kitchener Centre in Ontario, lost to his Conservative challenger.

The party garnered only 1.2 per cent of the total vote, its worst showing since the 2004 federal election.

With files from The Canadian Press