The new leader of the federal Green party is adopting a more conciliatory stance toward the Canadian seal hunt.

Delegates to a Green convention last year called for the abolition of the hunt, which triggered the resignation of one Newfoundland and Labrador candidate in this winter's election campaign, as well as that of a key party organizer.

Green party leader Elizabeth May said she will appeal to Green party members to endorse a different policy on sealing.
(Tom Hanson/Canadian Press)

Elizabeth May, who was elected party leader in August, said she supports a limited hunt.

"I'm probably the only leader of the Green Party of Canada that has friends who are sealers, [so] I'm going to take a very different view on this," said May, a native of Cape Breton.

"The party needs to do some work internally, to ensure that our policy is understood, is respectful, and we may have to change our policy a bit through that dialogue as well."

The party's stand on the seal hunt caused an uproar in Newfoundland and Labrador, including within the party ranks.

Jane McGillivray, who had won the party's nomination in the riding of Labrador, resigned her candidacy over the party's policy on sealing.

Lori-Ann Martino, who had been an organizer for the Green party in Newfoundland and Labrador, said the policy prompted her to abandon a plan to run in a St. John's riding in January's federal election.

Martino said the Greens have to do more to restore their credibility to win the favour of voters in Newfoundland and Labrador.

"People were given a message that the Green party is not interested in hearing the voices of Newfoundland, and in fact they were willing to go so far as to label Newfoundlanders as barbarians on national news," Martino said.

May said the seal hunt can be as emotionally divisive as abortion.

"The position and the policy of the party [are] fairly well-rooted. My position is that we need to be in a more respectful dialogue," she said.

"The seal hunt is an enormously complicated issue and you can't start discussing it from the point of view of arguing about the seal hunt. You need to start at a higher level of principle, as [in] what is required to ensure sustainability for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador."

May said the Green party needs to focus on other issues, such as banning draggers and helping to restore cod stocks.

May, who did not outline what exactly she would like the party to adopt, will still need to bring a new policy to the party for debate.