Amita Kuttner says party must stop infighting, focus on environmental issues

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Astrophysicist Amita Kuttner

Amita Kuttner, the newly named interim leader of the Green Party of Canada, says their job is to heal the party after months of infighting and strife.

Kuttner, 30, who identifies as nonbinary and transgender, says they want to bring an end to internal squabbles and get the party "back on track" during their time in the role before the Greens choose their next leader.

The astrophysicist from Vancouver says that with flooding and climate change devastating the country, this is the "exact moment" when the Green Party's policies are most needed.

Public support for the Greens plummeted in the Sept. 20 election and then Annamie Paul quit as leader, describing her time in the job as the worst period in her life.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Kuttner says they have been the target of transphobia within the party and finds some internal party politics to have been "very nasty."

They said the solution is not to kick people out of the party, but to teach them to appreciate other people's experiences and points of view.