Amita Kuttner, an astrophysicist, has been elected as the interim head of Green Party, thus being the first transgender leader of a national party in Canada. Dr Kuttner, who is trans and non-binary, will also be the youngest leader of a national party in Canada, and also the first leader of Asian descent in federal politics.
‘I am honoured to have been selected to lead our party during this time of transition and renewal’, Dr Kuttner said while announcing the appointment.
Dr Amita Kuttner has also unsuccessfully contested in the 2019 elections from the riding (constituencies in Canada) of Burnaby North-Seymour in the province of British Columbia. Kuttner also contested for the leadership of Green Party last year before it elected Annamie Paul, the first black person to head a national party. Paul, who led the party into the 2021 national elections held in September, resigned after the elections when it could only capture two seats (down one from 2019) and 2.33% of the vote (from 6.55% previously).
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The 30-year-old Kuttner is a trained astrophysicist by profession, who has researched black holes, wormholes and the early universe. Dr Kuttner, who was born in North Vancouver, is of Hong Kong origin, and has always been a critic of Beijing’s actions in suppressing democracy in the region. Dr Kuttner is also the founder of the non-profit Moonlight Institute, which explores frameworks to adapt to the climate crisis.
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