Jane Philpott delivers a keynote speech at an International Women's Day event at Ottawa City Hall on March 8, 2019.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
Days after Jody Wilson-Raybould testified about the political pressure she said she felt as attorney-general to intervene in the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, Jane Philpott received flowers from her sisters.
They knew it must have been a hard week for Ms. Philpott, a first-term Liberal MP who has served in three cabinet posts. They were certain Ms. Philpott, whom they speak with regularly, would believe Ms. Wilson-Raybould’s version of events.
“She knows Jody well enough to know that everything Jody said is 100-per-cent true and accurate,” said Judy Boivin, one of Ms. Philpott’s three younger sisters. “Trying to pretend nothing was wrong just isn’t something she could live with.”
In a text, Ms. Philpott thanked her sisters for the support. “I appreciate that you’re thinking of me,” Ms. Philpott wrote, “and it’s going to be a tough weekend making some decisions.”
The following Monday, she resigned from the Liberal cabinet.
Uncertainty now reigns in Ms. Philpott’s political future. Nominated last year as a federal Liberal candidate for the coming election, Ms. Philpott recently expressed her desire to run, according to her Toronto-area riding association. Last week, she joined Bill Blair, Minister for Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction, for a federal funding announcement.
Those close to her say she will be assessing her role in the federal Liberal Party over the next few months. (Ms. Philpott declined to be interviewed for this article.)
“I can picture it either way,” said another sister, Karen Congram. “She does still support the policies of the Liberal Party, but given what’s happened recently, it might be harder to run again.”
Ms. Boivin said she has also asked her sister about her political future. “She honestly doesn’t know," Ms. Boivin said. “She’ll land on her feet, she’s got too much to offer not to. But whether it’s in politics, I don’t know.”
Stuart Young, chair of the Markham-Stouffville Federal Liberal Association, said Ms. Philpott was back in her riding northeast of Toronto last week, scouting campaign offices.
“She’d be proud to serve Markham-Stouffville in whatever capacity she can,” he said.
After a two-week scheduled break from Parliament, Ms. Philpott is set to return to Ottawa this week for the first time since her resignation as Treasury Board President on March 4. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shuffled his cabinet on Monday, choosing Joyce Murray to replace Ms. Philpott in the post.
Ms. Philpott’s decision to step down from cabinet − expressing a lack of confidence in how the government handled the SNC-Lavalin matter − is “devastating for morale,” said Liberal MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes. Ms. Caesar-Chavannes recently told The Globe and Mail she was met with anger and hostility from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when she informed him that she was leaving politics.
While working in Niger in 1991, Philpott – seen here in 2005 – suffered through the death of her two-year-old daughter, Emily.Supplied
“I think a lot of women in our caucus are making themselves vocal on a number of different issues. This one just happened to boil over and spill out,” Ms. Caesar-Chavannes said.
“Jane has been able to say things that I think needed to be said, but people are afraid to say it."
The abrupt departure of Ms. Philpott, three weeks after Ms. Wilson-Raybould’s dramatic exit from cabinet, was another major blow to the Liberal government, which has prided itself on promoting new faces and especially, elevating women to senior positions.
Despite being a political neophyte, Ms. Philpott, 58, was widely regarded one of the most competent federal ministers, described by colleagues as thoughtful and collaborative. A former family doctor who worked for nearly a decade in Africa, she approached her files with determination and compassion. In 1991, while working in Niger, she suffered through the death of her two-year-old daughter, Emily.
Ms. Philpott, a married mother of four who grew up in Southwestern Ontario, is the daughter of a Presbyterian minister. Her father died last summer. Before entering public life, she worked for almost 20 years as a family doctor at Markham-Stouffville Hospital, where she undertook the ambitious task of starting a family practice teaching unit. A year before the 2015 election, she decided she wanted to run for politics.
“I couldn’t believe it. I said ‘Jane – you’re crazy,’ " said Patrick Whelan, the hospital’s chief of surgery. But he said she told him that in order to be effective in public policy, she had to be in government.
“It was very, very typical of her. Make up your mind about something, and do it.”
Ms. Philpott began her tenure in cabinet as health minister, where she worked closely with Ms. Wilson-Raybould on crafting a landmark medical-assistance-in-dying bill, and spearheaded a summit to address the opioid crisis. She later moved to Indigenous services, a file she cared deeply about, her sisters said. It was there that she worked on ending boil-water advisories and crafted an Indigenous child-welfare bill. Initially delayed to address concerns from First Nations communities, the bill was introduced in February by new minister Seamus O’Regan, and is currently making its way through Parliament.
Employment Minister Patty Hajdu said in a statement that Ms. Philpott’s focus on equity for Indigenous people was “unrelenting." She praised Ms. Philpott for including her in efforts to re-establish harm reduction as part of the Canada drug strategy.
“I am thankful to have worked so closely with Jane during this historic time and I know she will continue to serve her country in a manner that stays focused on equity,” Ms. Hajdu said.
In January, Ms. Philpott was named Treasury Board President to fill Scott Brison’s post after he stepped down from federal politics. At the same time, Ms. Wilson-Raybould was shuffled out of justice to veterans affairs.
In commenting publicly on Ms. Philpott’s resignation earlier this month, Mr. Trudeau said she “has felt this way for some time.”
“While I am disappointed, I understand her decision to step down,” he said. “In a democracy like ours, in a space where we value our diversity so strongly, we are allowed to have disagreements and debate. We even encourage it."
Ms. Congram said that until recently, Ms. Philpott was very supportive of the government. But she believes it was difficult for her sister to witness the SNC-Lavalin saga unfolding and particularly how Ms. Wilson-Raybould was treated.
“I don’t know if she would have resigned if that part was handled differently. She didn’t want to resign.”