Green party leader moved to Ontario legislature back bench

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner no longer has a front row seat to the theatrics of the Ontario Legislature.

Schreiner, a three-time MPP who made history in 2018 when he won the Green party’s first seat at Queen’s Park, has been relegated to one of the back rows in the legislative chamber – a decision that’s left the party leader puzzled.

“That was a decision made by the speaker,” Schreiner told reporters shortly after the first Question Period of the fall session ended.

“The speaker told me in the federal parliament the Green Party sits in the back row, so she felt that we should sit in the back row in the provincial parliament as well,” Schreiner added.

The decision, Schreiner said, has been opposed by all other party house leaders – including the Government House Leader – who have expressed a desire to “go back to the old seating chart.”

“I think the speaker has united all the parties in saying we should go back to the old seating chart, show respect, not be partisan and have the leader of the Ontario Green Party be on the front row,” he said.

While a majority government has a lot of sway sway at Queen’s Park, the Speaker acts as the ultimate authority over the day-to-day running of the legislature. The speaker position is a non-partisan role and the MPP elected to the position does not caucus with the governing party.

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The Ontario Green leader was originally placed in the middle of a mix of Liberal and independent MPPs in 2018 and was gradually moved to the front row of the independent section.

Ted Arnott, a PC MPP, was the speaker at the time.

While Schreiner returned to the same front-row seat after the snap February election, he was recently told he and fellow Green MPP Aislinn Clancy would be moved to the back row – now behind three rows of Progressive Conservative MPPs.

This time, the decision was made by Donna Skelly, also a PC MPP.

Skelly told Global News the government’s ejection of MPP Chris Scott over criminal charges, afforded her the “first opportunity” to rearrange the legislature.

“I think it’s unusual to have independents sitting on the front bench,” Skelly said. “It didn’t make sense … it’s unheard of.”

Skelly said officially recognized parties in the Ontario Legislature, with a minimum of 12 seats, have “priviledges that go with party status” including legislative funding for research and staff along with proxility to the speaker.

“The privilege of, the closer you are to the speaker usually is indicative of the government, opposition and then third parties,” Skelly said. “So that’s also consistent with the placement.”

Skelly confirmed that other parties, including the Progressive Conservatives, prefer the previous seating chart.

When asked whether she was “okay with disregarding the opinions of other house leaders,” Skelly confirmed she was.

“I have to. It’s completely non-partisan. It’s my decision.”

“As the and as the speaker, I felt it was proper that independents would not be holding a front seat on the front benches, that they should be in the back benches,” Skelly said.

She added that if the Ontario Liberals lost party status again – as they did in 2018 and 2022 – “they would have been in the back as well.”

For his part, Schreiner isn’t putting up a fuss and said while all house leaders “disagree” with her decision it’s upto Skelly to decide.

“The speaker has made her decision, but I’ll just say there is no bad seat in the Ontario Legislature,” Schreiner said.