Matt MacFarlane chosen as leader of P.E.I. Green Party

Matt MacFarlane has been elected leader of the P.E.I. Green Party.

The Borden-Kinkora MLA received 507 votes. He was running against former Green Party MLA Hannah Bell, who received 147 votes.  

"That really was a moment that I never thought I would experience in my lifetime, coming up with so much support," MacFarlane told his supporters after the results were announced. 

"I don't take lightly the support that I've received here from you all today. I understand the gravity of the position we're in right now and I'm not speaking so much as a party, I'm speaking as a province that requires desperate change soon."

"I assure everyone in this room as high as your expectations are of me, they are nowhere's close as the expectations that I have in me to bring this party forward to success."

'Could be the next premier'

The leadership convention took place at Bluefield High School in North Wiltshire Saturday. It was originally scheduled for a smaller venue, but was relocated after the party's membership quadrupled to 800 in the lead-up to the vote.

The Greens have been without a leader since Peter Bevan-Baker left the position after the 2023 provincial general election. 

That vote saw the party tumble from Official Opposition status. Their eight seats were cut to two — Bevan-Baker and Karla Bernard, who stepped up as interim leader. 

The Greens added a third seat in the legislature after MacFarlane won a February 2024 byelection in Borden-Kinkora. That was triggered by the resignation of former Progressive Conservative MLA Jamie Fox, who stepped down to run for the federal Conservatives.

Bevan-Baker said he believes MacFarlane has the chance to bring the party over the finish line, to win the next election. 

"We need to build on the comfort and confidence Islanders already have with the Island Green party," Bevan-Baker said in an interview after the results were announced. 

"I think [MacFarlane] will have a chance now to introduce himself to Islanders and for them to get to know the person who could be the next premier of this province." 

'We've got wind in our sails'

Bernard said the work starts now to build for the next election, which could still be a couple of years away.  

"It kinda feels like we've got wind in our sails right now and it feels really good," said Bernard.

"I think that we need to ensure that we've got volunteers at the ready in every district to support a candidate. We need to ensure that we have a candidate in every district." 

With MacFarlane as leader, Bernard expects those conversations will begin soon. 

Byelections are set to be called before the end of the summer in Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park and Brackley-Hunter River.

Those seats were left vacant when former PC cabinet minister Natalie Jameson stepped down to run in the federal election for the Conservatives, and Dennis King stepped down as premier and MLA.

'Islanders are unhappy'

The Greens and the P.E.I. Liberal Party each have three seats in the legislature, so the upcoming byelections could decide which party becomes the Official Opposition. 

MacFarlane said the byelections are important, but he's setting an even bigger goal for his party— to win the next provincial election.

"I think Islanders are tuned in now...Islanders are unhappy with the status quo and they're ready for change," MacFarlane said in an interview with CBC News following his win.

"Having that new support, that new base of membership, is crucial as we go forward to build the party and continue to show Islanders that the Green party is a viable, credible political party."