Quotes from Annamie Paul

I was definitely one of those kids who, for whatever reason, followed politics and public policy.

We believe that we can win seats with integrity, with good public policy, with evidence-based public policy and that's what it's about for me.

I just don't have the heart for it. I just will not spend any more time focused on political games as opposed to public policy, which is what I entered politics for in the first place, particularly at a time when it is so needed.

How many times will we allow Justin Trudeau to get away with pushing strong, competent capable women out of politics when they are seeking to serve?

It is extremely hard to have your integrity questioned when you value it so much.

What people need to realize is that when I was elected and put in this role, I was breaking a glass ceiling. What I didn't realize at the time was that I was breaking a glass ceiling that was going to fall on my head and leave a lot of shards of glass that I was going to have to crawl over throughout my time as a leader.

It should not be this difficult for people of good will, people with experience, to offer it in service to their country. There are too many good people that have found it impossible and I simply didn't want to be one of them.

I'm not taking anything for granted at all.

The difference between the Liberals and the Conservatives is that the Conservatives are being honest that what they're planning to do is not going to get us past 30 per cent greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

I want to make sure if I do something, I want to make sure it will help and not harm.

Collaboration and collegiality does not mean bowing down. It doesn't mean being brought to heel.

My grandmother worked as a front-line service worker in the hospitals of Toronto Centre and broke her back doing it in the process.

People who don't see themselves reflected in an institution tend not to associate themselves with those institutions.

Canada's only becoming more diverse. And that still isn't sufficiently reflected in our in our political culture.

The Green Party has the most progressive platform and policies related to issues of social and racial justice.

If you got the hips, you gotta work 'em.

I have not had any opportunity to develop any hobbies, habits, anything like that.

But I would not have been the leader that I hoped to be if I hadn't put my name forward to represent this community. You have to be daring.

My children are grown... my husband is an international human rights lawyer and all of his work is outside of Canada. So, I have bags, will travel.

But certainly, I think that it's important to have humility and to acknowledge that you're learning every day as a leader.

I was born in Toronto Centre.

My mother taught in the schools in Toronto Centre.

Politics still remains a very hostile, unwelcoming place for diverse peoples. It's the reason that we have so few of them in politics.

What I bring is hope to all the people who have not seen themselves represented in politics to this point, hope it's possible we can have a more inclusive style of politics.