She is the highest-profile politician in Canada who is not the leader of a party or a government.
The first aboriginal attorney general in Canada, who stood up to the prime minister when it came to the SNC-Lavalin scandal. Jody Wilson-Raybould opted to let the independent prosecution proceed against the company on corruption charges in Quebec.
Jody Wilson-Raybould in Vancouver-Granville on Sept. 18 (Mackin)
The disagreement cost Wilson-Raybould her seat in cabinet and then her spot in caucus. Justin Trudeau remains unapologetic, even after being caught violating the conflict of interest law.
The eyes of Canada will be watching the Vancouver-Granville riding on election night Oct. 21, to see whether Wilson-Raybould can keep her seat as an independent. It could be an every-seat-counts, nailbiter of an election night.
Wilson-Raybould has drawn a coalition of supporters from across party lines and across demographics. She even has donors from as far away as Iqaluit and Halifax. On Sept. 18, she hosted the Night of Independent Voices rally and fundraiser with fellow ex-Liberal Jane Philpott and Elizabeth May, the leader of the Green Party, at Vancouver’s Hellenic Community Centre.
“Over the last eight months we have heard a lot about truth to power, truth to power is of course important, but so too is the power of truth,” Wilson-Raybould said in the speech, that you can hear on this week’s edition of theBreaker.news Podcast. “One of the problems with our partisan politics is we do not get enough truth, we get packaged truths, we get spun truths, we get partisan truths. But here’s the thing: no political party has the monopoly on truth. And where truths are bent and shaped to meet a partisan agenda or create spin, that is no longer truthful.”
Wilson-Raybould said the global trend toward the erosion of democracy, trafficking in fear and promotion of division can be reversed by fostering independence, integrity and cooperation.
“We need to have the courage and wisdom to support a good idea and good works no matter who says it or what political party they may be part of,” she said. “We need to stop with empty pandering and put down that make up partisan politics and actually do what Canadians want us to do. A more honourable politics.”
Kevin Falcon (left) and Andrew Scheer in Burnaby on Oct. 12 (Mackin)
Also on this edition, Conservative leader Andrew Scheer taps former BC Liberal cabinet minister Kevin Falcon. Should the Conservatives form government in the Oct. 21 election, Falcon will be the volunteer co-chair of a committee aimed at finding savings for taxpayers, by ending corporate welfare.
In an interview, Falcon dismissed speculation that he is looking for a political comeback, seven years after quitting the BC Liberal government.
Host Bob Mackin asked Scheer, should he become Prime Minister, if he would fight organized crime by bringing back the Chretien Liberal-closed Ports Police. Scheer, a former speaker of the House of Commons, was also asked whether a Conservative government would take a cue from B.C.’s corruption-fighting Speaker Darryl Plecas to reform the House of Commons.
Plus commentaries, headlines and a blast from the past: Justin Trudeau’s most-expensive broken promise.
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