THUNDER BAY - The Green Party will have a veteran politician running in October’s federal election.
On Friday, it was announced that Bruce Hyer won the nomination for Thunder Bay-Superior North, beating out Kim Krause in a two-person race, earning 73 per cent of total votes.
A Friday morning press release said 75 per cent of the Green Party’s membership entered a ballot in the nomination vote.
Hyer was first elected to the House of Commons in 2008 as a member of the NDP.
In 2012, Hyer left the NDP to sit as an independent member in the wake of party leader Tom Mulcair's pledge to restore the long-gun registry. The next year, Hyer joined the Green Party, serving as the deputy leader until he stepped down from the position in 2018.
“I’ve been very, very disappointed in the Liberals as many Canadians have,” Hyer said in an interview on Friday.
Hyer served seven years as MP for Thunder Bay Superior North, and attempted to earn a seat with the Green Party in 2015, but finished fourth. Patty Hajdu of the Liberal Party won the riding with 45 per cent of the vote.
Hyer said he’ll run on a platform that emphasizes regional economic development, electoral reform, and of course, climate change.
“I want a world that’s cleaner, greener, and safer, but I also want a world that’s more prosperous and sustainable,” he said.
“I know the job, I know how to be an MP and get things done. Unlike most people I work across party lines.My constituents will 100 per cent always come ahead of the Green Party.”
According to the political polling website 338canada.com, the Green Party is projected to finish second in the riding behind the Liberals.
During his time as MP, Hyer introduced 23 bills, including the Climate Change Accountability Act, which remains the only bill in Canada's parliamentary history to be passed in the House of Commons, only to be defeated in the Senate.
An earlier version of this story initally stated the Green Party was projected to finish fourth. It has since been corrected to reflect the federal projections.
