Elizabeth May says her party is gaining traction because they're&nbsp;offering something different, not because they're&nbsp;stealing voters who are unhappy with the other parties.

"We also get a lot of votes from people who otherwise wouldn't vote at all," she told host Chris Hall on&nbsp;

"I'm kind of uncomfortable the idea that we take votes from one party or another. We represent something different that attracts voters to us from across the political spectrum."

Trudeau, Singh both have reason to worry about Green byelection breakthrough

Paul Manly's byelection win for the Green Party in British Columbia was a shot across the bow of both the New Democrats and Liberals, two parties that took significant hits in support as the Greens leapfrogged from fourth to first.

Green Party's Paul Manly celebrates with his family from (left to right), his mother Eva and father Jim, wife Samantha and daughter Aven after results come in for the Nanaimo-Ladysmith byelection at the Cavallotti Lodge in Nanaimo, B.C., on Monday, May 6, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

Nanaimo Byelection 20190506

Paul Manly's byelection win for the Green Party could be a telling sign for the NDP and Liberals ahead of October's federal election.

'A Green vote does count': MP-elect Paul Manly on what the party's Nanaimo victory means

Paul Manly was voted in as the new MP for the riding, a seat he’ll hold in the lead-up to the federal general election in October. He is the second Green candidate elected to a federal seat.

Paul Manly will be the second federal MP for the Green Party after his win in a B.C. byelection.

The Greens won their second federal seat this week after Paul Manly came out on top in the byelection in the B.C. riding of Nanaimo-Ladymith.&nbsp;

In 2015, the party took&nbsp;20 per cent of the vote and was defeated by the NDP, who won with&nbsp;about 33 per cent.&nbsp;

The Greens have long attributed a lack of federal success to their support waffling&nbsp;in the face of strategic voting or vote splitting, but May says those days are over.&nbsp;

"You know what we're looking at I think really is there's less reason for Fear Factor voting as long as we are actually voting for what we want."

Recent wins provincially in Ontario, New Brunswick and P.E.I. have put the wind back in May's sails.&nbsp;

After wins on both coasts, Greens eye federal breakthrough on P.E.I.

The Green Party on P.E.I. is setting its sights on a federal breakthrough this fall, following a federal byelection win for the party Monday in B.C. and the provincial election two weeks ago which set up the party to form the Official Opposition on the Island.

Green party candidate Paul Manly is pictured campaigning in the Nanaimo-Ladysmith byelection in Nanaimo, B.C., on May 6, 2019. Manly says he's confident he'll be re-elected this fall.

Nanaimo Byelection paul manly greens

Paul Manly pulled off what's being described as an upset victory in a byelection in the federal B.C. riding of Nanaimo-Ladysmith. After vaulting into second place in a provincial election two weeks ago, Greens on P.E.I. are looking for a breakthrough in some of the Island's four federal ridings.

"We're no longer geographically limited. We're also no longer limited by people saying 'oh well, Greens will never get elected.' Clearly Greens can get elected across Canada."

May also says the presence of more viable options — other than the three main parties&nbsp;—&nbsp;is pointing to a potential minority government result in Ottawa, and she's ready for that.&nbsp;

"We're prepared to work really hard and work across party lines to make a minority Parliament work."

Midweek podcast: A breakthrough for the Greens

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