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A compelling political memoir of leadership and speaking truth to power by one of the most inspiring women of her generation Jody Wilson-Raybould was raised to be a leader. Inspired by the example of her grandmother, who persevered throughout her life to keep alive the governing traditions of her people, and raised as the daughter of a hereditary chief and Indigenous leader, Wilson-Raybould always knew she would take on leadership roles and responsibilities. She never anticipated, however, that those roles would lead to a journey from her home community of We Wai Kai in British Columbia to Ottawa as Canada's first Indigenous Minister of Justice and Attorney General in the Cabinet of then newly elected prime minister, Justin Trudeau. Wilson-Raybould's experience in Trudeau's Cabinet reveals important lessons about how we must continue to strengthen our political institutions and culture, and the changes we must make to meet challenges such as racial justice and climate change. As her initial optimism about the possibilities of enacting change while in Cabinet shifted to struggles over inclusivity, deficiencies of political will, and concerns about adherence to core principles of our democracy, Wilson-Raybould stood on principle and, ultimately, resigned. In standing her personal and professional ground and telling the truth in front of the nation, Wilson-Raybould demonstrated the need for greater independence and less partisanship in how we govern. "Indian" in the Cabinet: Speaking Truth to Power is the story of why Wilson-Raybould got into federal politics, her experience as an Indigenous leader sitting around the Cabinet table, her proudest achievements, the very public SNC-Lavalin affair, and how she got out and moved forward. Now sitting as an Independent Member in Parliament, Wilson-Raybould believes there is a better way to govern and a better way for politics--one that will make a better country for all.… (more)
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It was an
"The problem with partisanship is that it constructs division and conflict around groups of people labelled in certain ways, rather than focusing on varying approaches to policy and ideas. A different approach would allow all
"'Indian' in the Cabinet" is a political memoir of Jody Wilson-Raybould's experiences as Canada's first Aboriginal Minister of Justice and Attorney General. But it is also a personal memoir of her experiences in leadership roles including being chair of the First Nations Finance Authority and twice-elected Regional Chief of the BC Assembly of First Nations. And that is what makes the book a must-read.
She reflects on what "leadership" really means; the true role of a leader in any political system; and the problems of partisanship, racism and sexism that still plague our political system. Her various experiences in a number of different political roles allows to see solutions that might not be obvious to a leader who has only held office in kind of political system. It is this fresh perspective that is so badly needed to prevent us from falling into the pitfalls of partisanship. It's these ideas that can help us build a political system achieves more and gets distracted less.
Regardless of your political beliefs, what you think about the SNC-Lavalin Affair, or Jody Wilson-Raybould, I recommend this book to everyone who is troubled by the toxic partisanship that has become common in so many democracies throughout the world.
I have no doubt in her honesty. I believe she has a good sense of how Canadian politics could be improved. I also believe that, had she grown up with politics as typically played in Ottawa, she may well have been able to maintain her professional opinion without suffering all the consequences she had. This book, to me, shows that diversity...truly valuing and seeking to understand diverse opinions and cultures....has a long way to go in Canada. Diversity is about more than having an "Indian in the Cabinet"; it is about creating an environment where such a person can thrive and use their personal strengths to strengthen the collective.
I liked that she described the Lavalin affair in detail and I believe her.
She compared this to the US situation, however while there were similarities it is not the same.
Also, while I think Trudeau was wrong and he lied, it is nowhere near what Trump did
Kind of like saying all politicians are like Trump because they lie.
There is a lot of pontificating in this book.
Some of her criticisms could also be that she seems more by the book for the topics she believes in.
She seems like an employee that is hard working and views their work as the most important to the point of sucking up superiors time, thus annoying them.
That said it is too bad that she is no longer in cabinet for many reason.