The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould is set to speak at Westerner Park later this month as part of the Red Deer Polytechnic Perspectives: Canada in the World speaker series.
Wilson-Raybould served as a Member of Parliment for six years and was also Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. At the event on Oct. 23, she will discuss being an agent of change and the nature of integrity, sharing valuable insights about creating meaningful change and fostering ethical environments.
Wilson-Raybould will share her experiences and transformative journey in Canadian politics. She will explore the fundamental changes needed in our political culture and inspire audience members to advocate for change.
“This is a marquee event in the Red Deer Polytechnic calendar and for the region,” said Dr. Jonathon Penny, Dean, School of Arts and Education. “We are excited that on the heels of a very successful event in January, the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould will come to Red Deer to share her perspective, wisdom and advice on how we can broker positive change with integrity.”
Wilson-Raybould was an MP from 2015-2019 and in addition to serving as Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, she also briefly worked as veterans minister and associate national defence minister in 2019.
She resigne from those positions in 2019, as a result of the SNC-Lavlin affair, where it was reported that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attempted to influence Wilson-Raybould's ruling related to the prosecution of the company. In April 2019, Wilson-Raybould was expelled from the liberal cabinet for allegedly secretly recording a conversation between her and the Privy Council Clerk related to the SNC-Lavlin affair.
An ethics commissioner's report in August of 2019 vindicated the former MP, saying the Prime Minister contravened section 9 of the Conflict of Interest Act by improperly pressuring Wilson-Raybould.
In October of 2019, she was elected as an independent MP. She did not run in 2021.
Wilson-Raybould joins a long-standing tradition of impactful speakers over the past 20 years. The series has included speakers like Margaret Atwood, Amanda Lindhout and most recently, Chris Hadfield, in January.
“Since 2002, Perspectives has brought important Canadian cultural and political figures and thought leaders to Red Deer who are timely, often inspiring, sometimes controversial and always provocative,” said Dr. Penny.
“Perspectives is the initiative of dedicated faculty in RDP’s School of Arts and Education. The speaker series is an important adjunct to our degrees in Multidisciplinary Studies and Psychology, as well as our University Arts Diploma. These programs prepare students not only with intellectual development, but they have deep social, cultural and economic impact.”
Wilson-Raybould has published three books: From Where I Stand: Rebuilding Indigenous Nations for a Stronger Canada, ‘Indian’ in the Cabinet and True Reconciliation. Her fourth book Reconciling History: A Story of Canada is expected to be released near the end of October 2024.
The speaker series is a component of the Polytechnic’s Homecoming (October 21-26), which also includes Palate: A Taste of Local, Philosopher’s Café and RDP Basketball, Hockey and Volleyball games at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre.
Proceeds from Perspectives: Canada in the World will support future Perspectives events, as well as scholarship funds for RDP students.
