Writer believes Wilson-Raybould should have known better

Editor:

As much as I admire and agree with her very refreshing public rejection of unethical government interference, I’m still bewildered by Jody Wilson-Raybould’s apparent shock at the practice, including Justin Trudeau’s personal attempt at pressuring her to compromise her integrity as then justice minister.  

Sadly, we are governed by a system in which corporate lobbyists heavily manipulate even our top elected officials. (Albeit, some elected heads will be better at concealment via their habitual general practice of secrecy with the news-media.) Lobbyists will even write bills for our governing representatives to vote for and have implemented, supposedly to save the elected officials their own time. 

In the case of the Trudeau Liberals, they, like the Conservatives when in power, pander to corporate objectives, and the very wealthy, albeit the Liberals maintain their traditional liberal social policies (notably those involving race, gender and sexuality). Apparently, politically potent and focused big business interests get catered-to regardless of which of these two parties rules. It seems they can’t really lose, at least as long as the NDP stays out of high office. 

I’d have figured the very intelligent and well-educated Wilson-Raybould, and others like her, would have known this long before running for office. One wonders how many other governing politicians got elected without being aware? 

Perhaps anyone wanting to run for office should have to first pass a post-secondary political science course that teaches this in length and detail. Therefore they cannot claim innocent ignorance if ever, unlike Wilson-Raybould, getting caught making the ethically wrong decision.     

Frank Sterle Jr.  

White Rock, B.C.