No joiner, he has an independent’s view of Wynne

She called me out of the blue in 1994 or 1995 and said, very timidly, that she would like to do some kind of community organizing about Toronto issues.

We met, I found her shy, and we worked together to form a group which tried to establish some common issues among people.

She hadn’t played any kind of public role before and it took some public meetings for her to build up her confidence. But to my mind her skills and her interest never were in any doubt.

Then Mike Harris proposed the megacity in late 1996. I immediately called a public meeting to which more than 200 people came, followed by weekly public meetings at which attendance quickly grew to 2000 or more. I asked her to be part of the steering committee of the group Citizens for Local Democracy and we spent an enormous amount of time sorting out how to rally the troops, to hold such large public meetings, and to maintain good political strategies.
She chaired the large meetings and was absolutely terrific: she had real presence and an ability to get the trust of the audience as well as the speakers and performers.

Her role on the steering committee was equally impressive, cooling tempers (we were all exhausted), keeping us on track, and making good suggestions.

Mike Harris played it tough. More than 500 of the 550 speakers who appeared before the Queens Park Committee spoke against the megacity, and 76.8% of the record turnout of voters opposed it in the referendum. But Harris pushed it through.

She moved on and became a school trustee. Not just any old school trustee, but a leader on the Toronto board, sorting out how to respond to a crazy education agenda that Harris had imposed.

Then, when the Harris/Eves government was on the way out in 2003, she ran for Dalton McGuinty and the Liberal party in Don Valley West, and won.

Now Kathleen Wynne has been elected leader of the Ontario Liberal Party and is about to be sworn in as Premier of Ontario.

I think the reason Dalton McGuinty gained a strong reputation as the education premier was because of Kathleen: she brought focus and determination as Minister of Education, and excellent relations with teachers and school administrators (since wrecked, courtesy of Bill 115), and Ontario really did become one of the best jurisdictions in the world to get a public education.

I think we’re extremely fortunate to have someone of Kathleen’s calibre in public life.

Unlike many public figures, she listens closely to what people say so she can respond appropriately.
She has an enviable ability to find common ground among different interests. She’s open to new and innovative approaches and solutions.

She treats others with respect. She is progressive in her instincts and her actions.
However, not for a moment do I believe she will solve Toronto’s problems—that’s something for city council itself to do.

If council comes up with some good ideas I believe she will respond positively, but it’s not clear council would do that.

Council will have to agree on a financially sound transit plan, or a reasonable way to manage the police service, or a good plan to generate more revenue. With those ideas on the table, I’ll bet she does the right thing.

When she was Minister of Education she told the Toronto Board of Education that she’d be willing to consider a restructuring to get out of the megacity mess.

That board foolishly said it liked the way things were, and there was no way she would act over its head.
The challenges are immense, but I can’t think of anyone who would do a better job leading Ontario than Kathleen Wynne.

Former Toronto Mayor John Sewell has never been a member of any political party.