G21-B005 Establish Eligibility Guidelines to Avoid Federal Council Conflicts of Interest

Submitter Name

Robert Routledge

Ratification Vote Results: Adopted

Proposal

This amendment establishes rules for who is eligible to run for Federal Council, and serve or continue to serve as Councillors. It makes staff and their immediate family members ineligible to serve on Council. It also makes it explicit that no person can hold more than one Federal Council position simultaneously.

Append to Bylaw 2.1 Selection of members to Federal Council:

No member may run for more than one Federal Council position simultaneously, or serve or continue to serve in more than one Federal Council position simultaneously.

Append to Bylaw 2.1.4 Election to Federal Council and Term of Office:

The following people are ineligible to run for Federal Council, serve or continue serving as Federal Councillors:

• Employees of the Party, an MP or the Party Leader, except for the Leader, and the Executive Director as per Article 9.1.2 and 9.1.6 of the Constitution;

• Anyone applying for employment with the Party, an MP or the Party Leader;

• Former employees of the Party, an MP or the Party Leader whose employment with the Party, an MP or the Party Leader ended less than 90 days before the opening of Federal Council nominations;

• Any spouse, common-law partner, parent, parent-in-law, sibling, sibling-in-law, biological or adoptive child of:
  Employees of the Party, an MP or the Party Leader; Members of Federal Council.

Objective

To ensure the integrity of GPC governance bodies by establishing clear boundaries between Federal Council, Party staff and MPs, and to protect the independent judgement of Federal Councilors.

Benefit

This motion helps the party avoid concentrating power in too few Federal Council members and reduces real or perceived conflicts of interest among Federal Council members. It helps delineate between governance, operations and caucus roles within the party structure.

Supporting Comments from Submitter

The BC Greens’ constitution and bylaws disqualify family members of staff, MLAs and the Party Leader from serving on their Provincial Council (the BC Greens equivalent of Federal Council). The Green Party of Ontario constitution and bylaws disqualify spouses of staff of the Party from serving on their Provincial Executive (the Green Party of Ontario’s equivalent of Federal Council) and set rules for declaring conflicts and recusal for other family members. 

Green Value(s)

Participatory Democracy, Social Justice, Respect for Diversity

Relation to Existing Policy

Add to current GPC policy.