The interns had the pleasure of meeting David Peterson, who served as the 20th Premier of Ontario from 1985 to 1990. He worked as a salesman in his early career, established a wholesale electronics business, was elected to London City Council, and eventually joined the Ontario Liberal Party.
In this meeting, Mr. Peterson shared his valuable experiences during his career, including his involvement in the Meech Lake Accord, the importance of cross-party collaboration, and his life after politics. He shared that he played a critical role in the creation of the Meech Lake constitutional accord, which was a series of proposed amendments to the Canadian Constitution to strengthen provincial powers and declare Quebec a distinct society. Although the accord was never implemented, Mr. Peterson reflected on the historic moment and gave us insights into his role, decision-making, and thought process. Additionally, Mr. Peterson emphasized the importance of cross-party collaboration in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as political polarization grows in Ontario and across the world.
We are grateful to have had the chance to meet with Mr. Peterson, and we learned a lot from hearing him speak about his extensive career.