About Jonathan

35 years old

Hometown: Longueuil, Québec

Jonathan Pedneault was born in Greenfield Park, Québec. After learning about the Rwandan genocide, he became inspired to take action and speak out against violence and injustice around the world. At 15, he co-founded a student group to raise awareness of past and present genocides in schools. By the time he was 17, he traveled to Darfur, Sudan, to co-produce a CBC documentary on the ethnic cleansing happening there. As a journalist, he reported on conflicts and uprisings in Somalia, Yemen, Ethiopia, Israel, and Egypt. He also worked with human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. In 2022, at 32, Jonathan became co-leader of the Green Party of Canada alongside Elizabeth May.

A Green Party government would make sure that rent or mortgage payments on government-funded housing stay affordable. They would do this by making sure families living in government-funded housing don’t pay more than 30% of their income on housing. The Green Party would also introduce rules to keep affordable housing affordable, stop large companies from buying single family homes just to make money, and build more public housing for those who need it.^[10][11]

A Green Party government would stop charging income tax on money earned under $40,000. This would help people who earn less keep more of their money. They would also introduce a Guaranteed Livable Income, which would aim to make sure that every Canadian has enough money to meet their basic needs —like food, shelter and clothing —so no Canadian has to live in poverty. This program would be designed to support people fairly, no matter where they live.^{[12][13][14][15]}

A Green Party government would make consistent, long-term investments to improve healthcare in each province/territory. They would hire more doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers, and give more support to people who need care at home. They want to focus on strengthening public healthcare instead of expanding private services. They also support making prescription drugs, dental care, and mental health free under Canada’s Medicare program.^[1][2]

The Green Party would invest in clean energy projects to create jobs and help Canada become a leader in clean technology. One of their ideas is to build a national electrical grid to connect the entire country. They would also create a large fund with billions of dollars to support Canadian business owners and help them grow their clean energy ideas.^[3][4][5]

In response to President Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods, the Green Party wants Canada to rely less on trade with the U.S. and build stronger connections with other parts of the world, like Europe and Oceania. They also want to invest more in Canadian industries such as renewable energy and manufacturing. To make Canada more self-reliant, they would support making essential products in Canada and make sure government contracts go to Canadian companies.^[6][7][8][9]

The Green Party wants to rely less on the United States for energy. To do this, they would build a national clean energy grid to connect all parts of the country, invest a lot in renewable energy sources like wind and solar power, and remove trade barriers between provinces so energy can be shared more easily across Canada.^[16][17]

A Green Party government would stop approving new oil and gas projects and focus on using clean energy to meet Canada’s needs. They would stop giving money to oil and gas companies and instead use that money to support clean energy initiatives, like wind and solar power. They also want to set limits on pollution and make sure companies have plans to deal with the risks caused by climate change.^[18][19]

The Green Party believes that immigration levels should be based on Canada’s ability to welcome, house, and support newcomers.^[23]

A Green Party government would suspend the Safe Third Party Agreement between Canada and the United States.This agreement currently requires asylum seekers to make their claim in the first safe country they arrive in, which is often the U.S. The Green Party believes that this agreement can prevent people from getting the protection they need, especially if the U.S. is not safe for them. The Green Party would work with the provinces to address the arrival of asylum seekers in Canada.^[4][8]

To protect Canada from growing threats, the Green Party would update the country’s military plan in response to President Trump's comments about taking control of Canadian land. They would build up a reserve of weapons and ammunition, cancel contracts for purchasing military aircraft from American companies, and work more closely with allies like the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand to keep Canada safe.^{[4][6][8][30]}

A Green Party government would make laws stronger to help stop hate speech and hate groups. Their goal is to protect people from growing hate, especially Muslims, Jews, Black people, Asian people, 2SLGBTQA+ people, women, and other groups who may face unfair treatment.^[24][8]

The Green Party also wants Canada to be better prepared for emergencies like fires, floods, and pandemics. They would improve buildings and systems to make them stronger and make sure Canada can produce important emergency supplies like vaccines and safety gear. They would also create a National Civil Defence Corps with 120,000 people trained to help respond to threats, including natural disasters and cyberattacks.^[25][26][8]

The Green Party of Canada has two main goals for foreign relations: promoting peace and defending Canada from new threats.^[7][9]

To help create peace around the world, the Green Party would grow Canada’s role in peacekeeping and share knowledge on how to deal with climate disasters. They would also support efforts to fight climate change and get rid of nuclear weapons, and stand up against countries that threaten democracy.^[7][9]

A Green Party government would work on every recommendation from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry. Their goal is to support Indigenous communities, make meaningful changes, and help build a stronger relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada.^[28][29]

A Green Party government would follow the United Nations Declaration on Indigenous Rights, which means getting clear consent from Indigenous communities before using their land. They would also work to end the Indian Act and make sure Indigenous peoples have a stronger voice in national decisions.^[28][29]

A Green Party government would change Canadian laws to make sure online platforms like Facebook and X are fully responsible for the content published on their sites. They would support programs to help Canadians identify and take action against false information online.^[24][26]

A Green Party government would make several changes to Canada’s voting system. First, they would replace the first-past-the-post system with proportional representation. This means the number of seats a party gets in the government would better match the number of votes they get from people across the country. Secondly, they would lower the voting age from 18 to 16.^[33][34]

The Green Party has also promised to bring back a system where political parties receive public funding based on the number of votes they receive. This would help smaller parties compete more fairly with larger ones.^[33][34]