The strange ins and outs of cabinet ministers

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/10/2024 (351 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The strangest day in any politician’s career is when they get appointed to cabinet and sworn in as a minister of the crown. The second strangest day is when they leave.

Transitioning into ordinary citizenship and getting your personal life back can be exhilarating at first, and becoming unencumbered by talking points, government policy, and party positions while formulating and communicating your own thoughts, opinions and ideas is downright joyful. Yet once the initial release wears off, there’s a period of transition that I believe many of us politicians are ill equipped to handle.

Perhaps that’s why so few, especially those at the top, make a graceful exit on their own terms before being shown the door.

Put another way, achieving success in politics is like climbing Mount Everest: it’s one thing to reach the summit, but an entirely other thing to get back down alive.

Rare is the leader who leaves before wearing out the welcome mat. And I don’t mean for this to sound disparaging; it is almost impossible to maintain support from an increasingly disenfranchised and disparate electorate these days. Making it five years on the job is admirable; ten a stellar success.

Nonetheless, the exit strategy often remains the hardest part.

Here in Manitoba, I can think of only one premier in contemporary times to exit before having either a caucus revolt, widespread consternation from party stalwarts, or being shown the door by voters in a general election.

Same in Ottawa, and many other jurisdictions across the country.

One can only imagine the herculean effort it took south of the border to get President Joe Biden to step aside in the name of political preservation. Undoubtedly, he became convinced to see the writing on the wall and knew that staying in the race would have amounted to defeat, not just for him but everyone around him. Now, according to the polls, his political party has a fighting chance.

Closer to home, many federal Liberals are wishing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would do the same. Petitions are being signed, letters written, and resignations from cabinet ministers are being announced with increasing frequency.

One has to wonder what motivation is keeping Trudeau from stepping aside amongst such widespread consternation and dissent. This week saw four more cabinet ministers announce they are not running again, including St. Boniface-St. Vital MP and cabinet minister Dan Vandal. Notwithstanding the sagging popularity of the Liberal government and whether that had any influence over his decision, Vandal has had a long and successful career in public service and has served his community well. I wish him all the best as he makes his exit from political life.

Now with another cabinet shuffle in the mix, I wouldn’t be surprised to see longstanding MP Terry Duguid (Winnipeg South) get appointed. He’s been an effective parliamentary secretary and part of Trudeau’s caucus since 2015. He also holds what is likely viewed as the most vulnerable seat for the Liberals in Winnipeg. An appointment makes sense.

Yet despite that, becoming a minister at this point could possibly hurt Duguid’s chance at re-election more than it could help. He’s a hard-working, well liked and respected politician who has shown steadfast commitment to his constituents for nearly a decade. He’s probably more popular than his political party and going into cabinet could hinder more than help his bid to hold the seat.

Either way, his seat will be the one to watch on election night.

Finally, a word about an often-overlooked aspect of government during times of transition: the bureaucracy.

As strange as it is for the elected officials and ministers in a government as it rounds toward the end of a mandate, civil servants also have a difficult task of managing uncertainty. Especially the ones working closest to the politicians. They have to continue fulfilling the policy wishes of one government while preparing transition binders for another.

As we speak, deputy ministers and treasury officials in Ottawa are carrying out the directives of one political leader while undoubtedly wondering what another would have to say about it. It’s a strange time for all participants of this democratic process. Yet the possibility for change remains the driving force — the lifeblood of our entire political system.

As someone who has had the immense privilege of experiencing both the highs and lows of political participation, I wouldn’t want it any other way. And now I can honestly say to any politician on the cusp of experiencing the second strangest day of their political career, it’s so much easier once you get to the other side.

Rochelle Squires is a recovering politician after 7 1/2 years in the Manitoba legislature. She is a political and social commentator whose column appears Tuesdays. rochelle@rochellesquires.ca