Separating family from politics is the Doer way

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/10/2009 (5835 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mr. Doer has gone to Washington.

His wife has not.

Gary Doer started his new job as Canada’s ambassador to the United States Monday. Ginny Devine, his spouse, is remaining in Winnipeg.

The couple’s decision will surprise no one who knows them well and understands the intricacies of any marriage, let alone one begun and steeped in politics.

Jaws would have dropped had Devine uprooted the couple’s two daughters and given up her own highly successful career to spend time as a Georgetown hostess.

Devine is a partner in Viewpoints Research, a public opinion polling company.

She has cherished her independence and privacy throughout her husband’s lengthy political career. Devine showed up only to the most crucial events. Then, she dutifully smiled and applauded as required.

She was never a stand-by-your-man-but-two-steps-back spouse.

The Doer children, now 15 and 19, rarely appeared on a stage. There was a separation between family and politics, an achievement when dad was the gregarious premier of a province.

There were few NDP insiders who could see Devine making a happy transition to professional hostess, organizing black-tie dinners and sipping cocktails with visiting dignitaries.

I first spoke to Devine almost 10 years ago. She was getting ready to host the spousal program for the annual premiers’ conference. Back then she was clear her family and work came first.

She was ill-suited for the role of premier’s wife, she said.

"I haven’t done any hat things," she laughed. "I’m not a pill-box person. I didn’t even wear pantyhose to meet the Governor General."

Basic, funny and down-to-earth. That’s Ginny Devine.

If Canadians think of ambassadors and their mates at all, they are likely to remember former ambassador (and Winnipeg native) Allan Gotlieb and his wife, Sondra. They bunked at the Canadian embassy during the Reagan years. The Gotliebs made a name for themselves as the host of scores of glamorous parties.

In 1986, Gotlieb gained infamy for slapping her social secretary at an official dinner. That just added to the allure of an invite to the Canadian embassy, apparently.

Gotlieb went on to publish books and an insiders newspaper column. She famously wrote about her facelift, complete with before-and-after photos.

That’s not Ginny Devine’s style.

"She’s always been extremely strong and extremely independent," says one NDP insider. "I’m a big fan of Ginny’s. A lot of people thought she was Gary’s rock."

The transition to Washington would have been very difficult for the family, she said.

"The girls are still in school. I could see them not wanting to be uprooted. I don’t know if they’d see any more of him if they moved. He’s going to be extremely busy, travelling a lot."

Leslie Turnbull is Devine’s partner at Viewpoints. She says the decision to remain in Winnipeg was made for a combination of family and business reasons.

"From Gary’s perspective, it’s unfair to disrupt everyone’s life," says Turnbull.

"It’s not like they won’t see each other. If you own your own business there’s some flexibility. If you have a laptop you can work anywhere."

Turnbull expresses a common view of Devine, one that leads to the firmly held belief she could have been a witty and dedicated community activist in her own right.

"I think she has a personality that’s outgoing and that people immediately like and respect," she says.

"She’s funny. She’s smart."

Turnbull says the Doer’s is an extremely modern marriage.

"Gary’s career is Gary’s career. Ginny’s career is her’s too."

And if that upsets anyone from Washington to Winnipeg, too bad. This is a family where the needs of the whole and the needs of the individual are given equal weight.

 

lindor.reynolds@freepress.mb.ca