Green Party to investigate after members’ info mistakenly posted online, May says

Elizabeth May says the Green Party will investigate and conduct a “root to branch review” of all of its data-retention systems after member information was mistakenly posted online.

“We take this very seriously,” the Green Party leader said. “We will be ensuring it’s not possible to take place again.”

Speaking to reporters in Fredericton, May said she does not know how the security breach happened but added the information, including names and addresses of donors, had been available online through Elections Canada before it was mistakenly posted on the party’s website.

While the party stressed the information wasn’t anything that can’t be found on Elections Canada, May said the breach was unintentional and it wasn’t meant to be posted on the party’s website.

Elections Canada’s website shows how much individual donors give to a registered political party as well as their names and addresses.

May says the Green Party will seek to regain trust by taking responsibility for the breach and will be contacting those affected.

The party says its internal investigation into the information being posted will also explore whether any other mistakes were made, with the goal of them not recurring.

On a tour around Atlantic Canada ahead of Parliament returning next week, May is trying to rebuild a Green Party that has experienced internal struggles, poor fundraising and weak electoral results in recent years.

Her efforts come after she stepped away from the leadership role in 2019, only to return last year.

Jonathan Pedneault, the deputy party leader who ran alongside May pitching a co-leadership model, said it’s not a secret it has been a rough two years for Greens.

“We have a new executive director, we have a new president on our federal council, which is our top management governance body. So we are now very steady at sea,” he said.

— With files from Hina Alam