Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault announced his resignation on Wednesday, taking full responsibility for the party’s devastating performance in the 2025 federal election. Pedneault, who failed to secure a seat in Parliament and led the Greens through one of their weakest national showings in recent memory, submitted his resignation effective immediately.
“I recognize that we were not able to break through in a way that could shift the course of our country — and that is a responsibility I must carry,” he wrote in a statement shared online. “I therefore hereby submit my resignation.”
Pedneault, a seasoned human rights investigator and documentary filmmaker, joined longtime MP Elizabeth May as co-leader of the Greens in February. Despite his credentials and global advocacy background, he placed a distant fifth in the riding of Outremont on Montreal Island, gathering just over 4,500 votes while Liberal candidate Rachel Bandayan secured more than 26,000.
This was Pedneault’s second unsuccessful attempt at entering federal politics. He had previously run in the 2023 byelection for the neighbouring Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount riding and was similarly defeated. In his resignation letter, he reflected on both losses, writing, “Twice now, I have failed to convince my fellow citizens to send me to Ottawa.”
Election night delivered a stark outcome for the Greens. The party secured just 1.2 percent of the national vote, according to Elections Canada. Elizabeth May was the only Green MP elected, retaining her Saanich-Gulf Islands seat in British Columbia with 39 percent of the vote. Green incumbent Mike Morrice lost Kitchener Centre to the Conservatives, and former MP Paul Manly was also defeated in Nanaimo-Ladysmith.
Pedneault’s resignation follows weeks of growing pressure. The Greens were excluded from the official federal leaders’ debates due to failure to meet participation criteria, including polling thresholds and national candidate presence. Pedneault was left to represent the party outside the national spotlight, a setback many saw as a fatal blow to their visibility.
On election night, Pedneault had already hinted at stepping down, saying on social media that he would meet with May to discuss his future and “eventual transitions.” He also acknowledged the need for new leadership and direction. “Accountability is needed and I failed to bring forth the results we hoped for. New progressive voices must emerge.”
Despite the dismal outcome, Pedneault offered words of encouragement in his farewell note. “Never forget that the work you do, even when it doesn’t show up in seats, matters profoundly to the people watching, to the people listening, and to the people who will come after us.”
With Pedneault gone and the Greens back to a single seat in Parliament, the party now faces an uncertain future and a challenging road to rebuilding its national profile.
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