People I have talked to have mentioned this so I am opening this up for discussion.
For some background, currently the Constitution allows for the leader to appoint two deputy leaders. It used to be that one had to be of another gender than the leader but I can't see that in the Constitution or By-laws any more so that stipulation must have been removed.
The problem is that there is no clear definition of what the Deputy Leader is supposed to do. If we had a caucus of
30 or 40, then the role would be fairly clear. When the Leader is away from Parliament, the Deputy would speak to the press about Green reaction to a particular bill or other happening on the hill and otherwise represent the Leader when the Leader can't be somewhere.
When the next leader is elected, they will not even be in Parliament, and they might not be for years into the future.
Elizabeth May has been declared Parliamentary Leader by Federal Council, a role not defined either but for now, it seems to me that this is OK as it acknowledges Elizabeth high respect in Parliament and as the senior member - as in most long serving, she is clearly the Parliamentary Leader for now.
Also of interest is whether or not this is a paid position. Traditionally it has been paid and according to some sources that I have, Elizabeth has also received payment over and above her salary as MP to perform Leader functions over the years.
Where and how should Deputy Leaders fit into the party's Constitution and what should compensation and expectations be, let alone should they be elected directly by members. What are your thoughts?