Scan barcode
A review by joshuamterry
"Indian" in the Cabinet: Speaking Truth to Power by Jody Wilson-Raybould
5.0
Canadian politics needs less Justin and more Jody.
It's been interesting to watch some of the narratives about this book - that it is a revenge piece against the Prime Minister. It's far from that. Does it expose his hypocrisy? Yes. Is it critical of how he runs a government? Yes. But it's much more than that. It's an indictment of the failures of our political system, which centralizes power and leans less on policy, and more on talking points. Wilson-Raybould lays out how this approach to politics is foreign to her, having spent her time as an Indigenous leader in a system where consensus is critical, and what would be viewed as political jockeying to “beat” the opposition isn’t the first thought of leaders. She also lays out solutions to the problems in our political system, and her voice will be missed in the House of Commons (though I am hopeful she will continue to speak out and push for the changes our system desperately need).
This book and JWR's experience left me feeling both more cynical and more hopeful about the future of Canadian politics. Cynical because her experience in the government and the institutions of government were largely terrible - and she exposed how our system has become a partisan mess - but hopeful because with more people thinking like JWR, the system can change. It won't be easy, but I share her optimism. I highly recommend giving it a read if you have any interest in current affairs and politics.
It's been interesting to watch some of the narratives about this book - that it is a revenge piece against the Prime Minister. It's far from that. Does it expose his hypocrisy? Yes. Is it critical of how he runs a government? Yes. But it's much more than that. It's an indictment of the failures of our political system, which centralizes power and leans less on policy, and more on talking points. Wilson-Raybould lays out how this approach to politics is foreign to her, having spent her time as an Indigenous leader in a system where consensus is critical, and what would be viewed as political jockeying to “beat” the opposition isn’t the first thought of leaders. She also lays out solutions to the problems in our political system, and her voice will be missed in the House of Commons (though I am hopeful she will continue to speak out and push for the changes our system desperately need).
This book and JWR's experience left me feeling both more cynical and more hopeful about the future of Canadian politics. Cynical because her experience in the government and the institutions of government were largely terrible - and she exposed how our system has become a partisan mess - but hopeful because with more people thinking like JWR, the system can change. It won't be easy, but I share her optimism. I highly recommend giving it a read if you have any interest in current affairs and politics.