Former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne was the guest speaker at last night`s edition of the Allan J. MacEachen Lecture Series. The event, presented by the STFX Brian Mulroney Institute of Government, took place in the Barrick Auditorium in Mulroney Hall.
Wynne`s talk was entitled The Answer to Toxicity in Politics: Rational, Honest Policy Debate. As a country, people are facing tough challenges at the provincial, national, and international level. If people step back because of the toxicity of social media or income inequities are too hard to deal with, said Wynne, then we abdicate the responsibility to actually solve those problems. She said people need to be engaged for a healthy democracy.
Former Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne (St. FX University photo)
One message Wynne tried to hammer home was one of having an opportunity to listen to people with whom you don`t agree is as important as listening to people with whom you happen to agree.
Wynne was elected to the Ontario legislature in 2003 as the MPP for Don Valley West, and she became the leader of the Ontario Liberal Party in January 2013, serving as Ontario`s 25th premier. Wynne served as Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Minister of Transportation, Minister of Education and Minister of Agriculture and Food.