Hannah Bell wants to get back into politics as the P.E.I. Green Party leader

Former Green Party MLA Hannah Bell hopes to re-enter politics by seeking the nomination for the leader of the Green Party of P.E.I.

The new leader will take over for Karla Bernard, who has been the Green Party's interim leader since Peter Bevan-Baker stepped down in 2023. 

"I believe that my life experience, proven leadership skills, and community connections can provide the guidance and vision to make the changes we need for the Island we love," said Bell in a news release.

"Islanders are not alone in facing some of the biggest challenges of our time, from an overburdened healthcare system and an affordability crisis in housing and groceries, to environmental degradation that includes the real and present danger of a climate crisis," she said. "We're also in a time of global political instability and risk, with a rise in dangerous disinformation, and increasing polarization of opinion and action."

Bell was first elected in 2017 in a byelection for Charlottetown-Parkdale (now Charlottetown-Belvedere), becoming the second Green Party MLA to be sworn into the P.E.I. legislature.

Six years later, she announced she would not be re-offering in the 2023 election. 

Green MLA for Borden-Kinkora Matt MacFarlane is also seeking the leadership. 

Applications for the leadership contest will open Feb. 1 and close March 1. The party will vet the candidates before publicly announcing them on March 12. 

The Greens will hold their leadership convention June 7. 

Bevan-Baker resigned as leader following the 2023 provincial election, though he remains the MLA for District 17, New Haven-Rocky Point.

Applications for the leadership contest close March 1. The party will vet the candidates before publicly announcing them March 12.