The interns have had the absolute pleasure of meeting with former Premier of Ontario, The Honourable Dalton Mcguinty. The first Liberal leader to win two majority governments in 70 years, Premier McGuinty served as the 24th premier of Ontario from 2003 to 2013. Born and raised in Ottawa, Premier McGuinty’s began his academic pursuits in science, earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology from McMaster University, later transitioning to attending law school at the University of Ottawa.
Premier McGuinty’s first experiences as a Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament began 1990 when he was elected as the MPP for Ottawa South, representing the Liberal Party as they acted as the Official Opposition. Serving as the Liberal Party’s critic for energy, environment, and colleges and universities, he was re-elected in 1995 and from 1996 onwards would act as the Leader of the Opposition until being elected as the Premier of Ontario in 2003.
As Premier, Dalton McGuinty made the health of Ontarians a priority, passing legislation in his first term that enshrined publicly funded healthcare into provincial law and providing a healthcare-focused budget. Premier McGuinty focused on improving the state of healthcare in Ontario by directing funding to shorten wait times for many key procedures and treatments, such as cancer treatment, cardiac treatment, as well as MRI and CT scans.
During the meeting, Premier McGuinty was gracious enough to share not only his experiences as Premier, but also the wisdom he gained from his time in office. Beyond even his political success, Premier McGuinty is a deeply philosophical individual; a man who spends a great deal of time practicing reflective introspection, and who prioritizes his family, core values, and fundamental moral principles above all else. Premier McGuinty shared with us his steadfast optimism, explaining the necessity of always seeing the good in others even when circumstances make it difficult to do so. He highlighted the importance of compromise, especially as a political leader, as a mechanism to foster greater social and unity. Through all of this, Premier McGuinty emphasized the role that his team, and most importantly, his wife, played in supporting his successful tenure in office.
The OLIP interns are incredibly thankful to Mr. McGuinty for graciously giving us his time. It was an invaluable experience, and we promise to implement the lessons we learned and guidance we received from our meeting as we continue to develop as young professionals.
