Elizabeth May is feeling good about 2019 so far.

With nine provincial colleagues representing the Green Party in four different provinces, the grass is certainly looking green from her side of the fence.

And in her opinion, the party's provincial successes can be duplicated federally in this year's election.

"We've had very strong support in the past, but voter intention to vote Green, particularly in 2015, really evaporated in the last week," she admitted in an interview airing Saturday on CBC's The House.

"What it was, was panic and fear-based voting, with people told by other parties that if you vote Green, you're going to get Stephen Harper elected."

May said this time around is different for one main reason — a shake-up in party leadership.

"Andrew Scheer doesn't provoke the kind of deep emotions that are polarizing, like Stephen Harper did," she said. "And we have an, as yet, unquantifiable split in Conservative voters with Maxime Bernier starting the People's Party, and the generally accepted reduction of support in the New Democrats."

"It really creates a scenario where voters who want to vote Green don't have anything to be afraid of."

'We're talking about a fundamental security threat'

As for challenging the stereotype that the Greens are a one-issue party focused on climate change, May expressed frustration.

"We've never been a one-issue party, but if your one issue is survival, that's kind of a good issue," she said. "The climate issue is no longer an environmental issue, we're talking about a fundamental security threat."

May said climate change is going to be a major focus of her party's campaign, and predicted it will be a key ballot box issue for voters in October.

"The Conservatives and Liberals, for their own reasons, have decided that a slug fest over carbon taxing is what they want," she said.

May also discussed the Greens' strategy for gaining new supporters in ridings that could see a crowded field between the Liberals, Conservatives, NDP and People's Party.

"The thing that distinguishes a Green victory isn't this notion so much of taking votes from other people," she said. "It's inspiring people to vote who otherwise wouldn't have done."