Canada’s House of Commons chooses a new speaker today, and Green Party leader Elizabeth May has thrown her name into the hat. She won’t win.

She may be the best qualified of the candidates, but qualifications don’t always mean much in an election. My question is more, why is she running?

Party leaders aren’t normally eligible to become Speaker, but May is allowed to run because it is only the leaders of recognized parties that are excluded. The Greens have never elected enough MPs to be considered a recognized party.

You have to wonder though about her commitment to her job as leader. She led the Greens for years, never with much success. Canadians, though concerned about climate change, aren’t buying the Green policies. After several unsuccessful elections and the party stagnant in the national polls, May stepped down.

Her successor did not better, and when the job opened up, May ran for it again and won. The Greens though are still in the low single digits in national polls.

Green Party supporters must be wondering why the party leader is putting her name forward to become Speaker. Does she no longer believe electoral success, or even electoral improvement, is possible?

She won’t win election as Speaker, but the optics are bad. I wonder if she considered that before announcing her candidacy.

Building the party requires commitment, and by running for Speaker she looks like she isn’t committed to the party whose leadership she just won. That certainly won’t build party unity.

I think she would make a good Speaker – but I don’t get a vote. When teh next election is held, the one in which I do have a vote, I doubt I would vote Green if I think the leader’s heart isn’t in the job.