By Steve Scherer

OTTAWA (Reuters) – Annamie Paul announced her resignation as head of Canada’s Green Party on Monday after losing in her own district in last week’s parliamentary election, stepping aside just under a year after becoming the nation’s first Black leader of a mainstream national party.

Paul (48) said that she didn’t feel she had been allowed to be the leader of this fractious, environmentally-focused party, and she wasn’t interested in fighting to keep her job. Her time as the party’s leader was “the most difficult period of my life.”

Paul stated that “when I was elected, and placed in this position,” he said to Toronto reporters. It was something I hadn’t realized at the time that I was breaking down a glass ceiling which was going to come crashing on top of me.

Paul was fourth in her Toronto constituent, which she won with the Liberals. Nationally, the Greens fell 4 percentage point in the September 20 election by comparison to 2019, and Paul came in fourth. The Greens won two seats in their 338-seat House of Commons constituency, compared to three the previous year.

Justin Trudeau was the Liberal Prime Minister and won a third term. But, with only a small number of seats in parliament.

Paul, who is a Toronto lawyer beat seven other potential candidates to be the party’s next leader in October. She has been fighting the federal party council for several months, trying to get rid of her prior to the election. Paul did not receive funding from the party to pay for campaign staff and a national campaign manager.

Paul stated, “I don’t just have the heart for that,” referring to the fact she had to undergo a leadership review imposed by the party right after the election.

Paul stated that she was not given an opportunity to be a leader in the party because of the divisions.

Jenica Atwin was one of three Green legislators who left the party to join the Liberals. Atwin was elected last week as a Liberal.

Atwin claims that her resignation was due in part to disagreements over the party’s position on Israel. Paul is Jewish. Atwin (NYSE:) criticised Israel’s treatment Palestinians. Noah Zatzman (an advisor to Paul) posted on Facebook (NASDAQ 🙂 that certain Green lawmakers were anti-Semitic.

Going into the election this year, it appeared that the Greens were well-positioned. Most Canadians said they prioritized fighting climate change. Liberals and left-leaning New Democrats pushed their climate plans, capitalizing on chaos in the party.

Paul indicated that although she considered quitting several times during campaign, she wanted to continue fighting for important causes. Paul, a person of color was second to be head of a federal party after Jagmeet Sing took control in 2017 from the New Democrats.