Who will be the next leader of P.E.I.'s Green Party?

The P.E.I. Green Party will decide on an interim leader for the party later this month, and has six months to establish the process and timeline for a convention to elect a new permanent leader, according to party president Matt MacFarlane.

While no timeline for that convention has been laid out, MacFarlane said he doesn't expect to see that convention "being held anytime soon."

After more than 10 years in the position, Peter Bevan-Baker announced at the party's annual general meeting last month that he would step aside as leader while retaining his MLA seat for the rest of the current term.

That would leave both opposition parties in the province without permanent leaders.

Former Liberal Leader Sharon Cameron stepped down shortly after losing the district of New Haven-Rocky Point to Bevan-Baker.

Several weeks later, Bevan-Baker too said he was leaving his party's top job after a disappointing election that saw the Greens reduced from eight seats in the provincial legislature to just two.

Led party to historic firsts

Bevan-Baker was acclaimed in the last leadership convention the party held, in 2012. That's when he took over the reins from Sharon Labchuk.

He was elected to the legislature three years later, becoming the province's first Green MLA. Four years later, he became the first leader of a Green Official Opposition anywhere in Canada.

The only other current MLA for the party, Karla Bernard, is expected to take on the role of interim leader.

"But as for anything beyond that at this point, I couldn't say because I have no idea," Bernard told CBC News this week.

"A lot of people have been encouraging me to put my name forward" for the permanent leadership, Bernard said. She hasn't ruled it out, but said: "It's not ever anything I had even thought about or even considered."

Bernard is not alone in the hasn't-committed-but-hasn't-ruled-it-out category.

Her former caucusmate Michele Beaton, who narrowly lost her seat in the April 4 election, said she's "evaluating how I can best serve Islanders and contribute to the party's goals and objectives.

"I am committed to supporting whoever becomes the interim leader and I will wait for council to determine the leadership process before making any decisions," Beaton said.

There are many highly capable potential next leaders in the party who I could easily support in the race.— Anna Keenan

Anna Keenan, who came in second as part of a joint bid to lead the federal Green Party last year, told CBC News that running for the provincial leadership "isn't currently in my plans, and I think there are many highly capable potential next leaders in the party who I could easily support in the race."

However, she said she has received "many encouraging notes from members that I should run, so it's in a corner of my mind, but I will see who else steps forward."

'No intention of running,' says Bell

There was a time not long ago when former MLA Hannah Bell would have been placed at or near the top of any list of potential leadership candidates. But Bell did not re-offer in the spring election and has been critical over her party's lack of preparedness for the 2023 campaign.

Bell said she has "no intention of running in any position at this point with the party," and cautioned the party against "putting too much expectation and weight on individuals to address challenges that can be and should be addressed by a larger group of voices."

The former MLA said the search for a new leader will give the Greens a chance to refocus on "core" political needs that the party has thus far failed to look after.

"The core need of a political organization is not just to stand for the values that it stands for, but also to do the less sexy but very critical work of operational and organizational development," she said.

The party had neither a lot of the time to do that, or the resources to do that, or it seems, the motivation to do that.— Hannah Bell

"Building membership, raising money, identifying candidates, building infrastructure... the party had neither a lot of the time to do that, or the resources to do that, or it seems, the motivation to do that."

Bell and others have been pushing the Greens to delve into a critical internal report prepared by the party's own ombuds office.

That report said the party failed to invest in building up electoral district associations, and criticized its governance council for taking on faith that the premier would wait until the province's fixed date in the fall to call an election.

Party members will meet in September to discuss the report.

Liberals also search for new leader

The Liberals are also — again — searching for a new permanent leader, with Tignish-Palmer Road MLA Hal Perry serving as interim leader.

It took the party the better part of four years to choose a new leader when former premier Wade MacLauchlan stepped down after losing his seat in 2019, with multiple delays in the planned date for a convention, at least some of them COVID-related.

"The party emerged from the [2023] election quite energized and focused on renewal," party president Katie Morello wrote in a statement to CBC News.

"We are already seeing increased interest in people looking to get involved with our party due to the absence of the premier and the government in solving the key issues of today, including health-care crises, and the skyrocketing cost of living and housing.

"Our focus, party-wide, remains on renewal and grassroots organization, and future leadership announcements will be a result and culmination of that process."