Blackadder1916
Army.ca Veteran
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This, I think, is one of the best analyses of this latest wrinkle in the Wilson-Raybould story. From Power and Politics, some of the other commentary may be interesting, but this sums up the situation. https://youtu.be/YC_OQrMZsLc?t=686
The assignment of office space is only secondary to the political saga of Ms. Wilson-Raybould. She came into Parliament and Government as a star candidate. The circumstances of the controversy surrounding her dismissal from cabinet and the Liberal Party damaged the PM's (and party's) brand, and because of that she may have reached the mistaken belief that her relevancy would extend past the election. Most independent MPs end up in the farthermost seats from the Speaker's chair due to some personal deficiency (conduct or policy difference) that (often temporarily) results in their exclusion from a caucus; independents don't usually last long outside a party. She beat the odds and retained her seat (unlike her colleague Jane Philpott) but unless circumstances change significantly Ms. Wilson-Raybould will have little opportunity to demonstrate any national relevance. At one time, it was not beyond reason to envision her as a future major player in the Liberal Party; a leader definitely and maybe in time a contender to be PM. All that despite (or maybe assisted by) the label of her heritage. But with this latest episode, my impression is that she has chosen to showcase herself as a "First Nations MP" and to be the unofficial opposition for that segment of the electorate. It may keep her in the national public eye a bit longer, but it may (depending on the demographics of her riding) eventually be wearing on the voters who go to the polls in the next year or two. She may just end up being a minor footnote in parliamentary history.
The assignment of office space is only secondary to the political saga of Ms. Wilson-Raybould. She came into Parliament and Government as a star candidate. The circumstances of the controversy surrounding her dismissal from cabinet and the Liberal Party damaged the PM's (and party's) brand, and because of that she may have reached the mistaken belief that her relevancy would extend past the election. Most independent MPs end up in the farthermost seats from the Speaker's chair due to some personal deficiency (conduct or policy difference) that (often temporarily) results in their exclusion from a caucus; independents don't usually last long outside a party. She beat the odds and retained her seat (unlike her colleague Jane Philpott) but unless circumstances change significantly Ms. Wilson-Raybould will have little opportunity to demonstrate any national relevance. At one time, it was not beyond reason to envision her as a future major player in the Liberal Party; a leader definitely and maybe in time a contender to be PM. All that despite (or maybe assisted by) the label of her heritage. But with this latest episode, my impression is that she has chosen to showcase herself as a "First Nations MP" and to be the unofficial opposition for that segment of the electorate. It may keep her in the national public eye a bit longer, but it may (depending on the demographics of her riding) eventually be wearing on the voters who go to the polls in the next year or two. She may just end up being a minor footnote in parliamentary history.