We recently had the honour of meeting virtually with MPP Kathleen Wynne, Ontario’s 25th Premier. Throughout the meeting, MPP Wynne reflected on her time in politics as well as offered lessons that she learned during her career.
One of the topics that was discussed with MPP Wynne was her experience navigating politics as a gay woman. She mentioned that even though she was Premier, she dealt with sexism. Hearing this as members of an OLIP cohort where women far outnumber men, MPP Wynne’s experiences reminded us of the importance of taking up space in a room and being unapologetically you. While being humble is also important, having confidence and holding your own is an vital skill to have when navigating your career.
MPP Wynne spoke to us about the decision-making processes that have guided her in her political career. One of the difficult decisions that MPP Wynne said she had to make was staying in the Legislature as the MPP for Don Valley West after the 2018 election. But she knew it was the right thing to stay and represent her community. The biggest takeaway from her experience is the importance of seeing commitments through and persistence. Her experience shows that there will be difficult moments in everyone’s career, but how you deal with and react to them is what matters.
MPP Wynne, thank you for taking the time to meet with us and sharing your experiences. It was an honour and a pleasure.