She’s a fearless ‘uniter’ say watchers of her rise and the Liberals’ crisis.
By Zoë Ducklow and Katie Hyslop
She was called a rookie MP when she was appointed justice minister and attorney general of Canada in 2015. Yes, it was her first time as a Member of Parliament, but Jody Wilson-Raybould was no rookie to political leadership or the law.
“She is a uniter in a world that is incredibly fractured. First Nations politics is incredibly fractured, and Jody is one of the only people who has been able to get unanimous support on work that the Assemblies of First Nations has undertaken. So she’s pretty fucking awesome in her ability to get certain things done,” The Tyee was told by a former colleague who asked not to be identified.
This refrain is echoed by people who’ve worked with her throughout her career as a Crown prosecutor, BC Treaty Commissioner, Regional Chief of the BC Assembly of First Nations, and as a politician. People who know her weren’t surprised when she reached, so far, the highest office by an Indigenous Canadian.
In light of the bombshell of activity in the Liberal caucus over the last few weeks, the former colleague said, “The Liberals knew that they were getting a person who worked in certain ways, who would help them in many ways — and she did.
“Forget about the bills she worked on and all of that, she’s enormously benefitted the prime minister in creating credibility around his reconciliation narrative and First Nations relations. He’s piggybacked on her relationships across the country.”
Read the whole article here. Published February 13, 2019 by The Tyee.
