Jody Wilson-Raybould facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould PC OBC KC
Puglaas
Minister of Veterans Affairs Associate Minister of National Defence
In office January 14 – February 12, 2019
Prime Minister	Justin Trudeau
Preceded by	Seamus O'Regan
Succeeded by	Lawrence MacAulay
Minister of Justice Attorney General of Canada
In office November 4, 2015 – January 14, 2019
Prime Minister	Justin Trudeau
Preceded by	Peter MacKay
Succeeded by	David Lametti
Member of Parliament for Vancouver Granville
In office October 19, 2015 – September 20, 2021
Preceded by	Riding established
Succeeded by	Taleeb Noormohamed
Personal details
Born	Jody Wilson (1971-03-23) March 23, 1971 (age 54) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Political party	Independent
Other political affiliations	Liberal (until April 2019)
Spouse	Tim Raybould ​ (m. 2008)​
Residence	Vancouver
Education	University of Victoria (BA) University of British Columbia (JD)

Jody Wilson-Raybould (born March 23, 1971) is a Canadian lawyer, author, and former politician. She is also known by her initials JWR and her Kwak’wala name Puglaas. This name means "woman born to noble people."

She was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Vancouver Granville in British Columbia from 2015 to 2021. She started as a member of the Liberal Party. She served as Justice Minister and Attorney General from 2015 to 2019. She was also briefly Veterans Affairs Minister in 2019. She later became an independent MP. Before politics, she was a lawyer and a leader for First Nations communities.

Early Life and Education

Jody Wilson-Raybould's mother is of European descent. Her father comes from the Musgamagw Tsawataineuk and Laich-kwil-tach peoples. These groups are part of the Kwakwakaʼwakw (Kwak’wala-speaking peoples). She is a member of the We Wai Kai Nation.

Her father, Bill Wilson, was a First Nations hereditary chief, politician, and lawyer. Her mother, Sandra Wilson, was a teacher. Jody was born in Vancouver. In 1983, her father told then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau that his daughters hoped to become lawyers and prime minister one day.

Jody was raised by her mother on Vancouver Island. She went to Robert Scott Elementary School and later graduated from Highland Secondary School.

She studied political science and history at the University of Victoria. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1996. Then, she studied law at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law. In 2008, she married Tim Raybould, a First Nations consultant.

Career Highlights

Working as a Lawyer

Jody Wilson-Raybould became a lawyer in 2000. She worked as a provincial Crown attorney in Vancouver from 2000 to 2003. A Crown attorney is a lawyer who represents the government in court cases. She found this experience eye-opening. She saw how many Indigenous and vulnerable people were involved in the justice system. This made her even more committed to public service.

Helping with Treaties

In 2003, she joined the BC Treaty Commission. This group helps negotiate modern treaties between First Nations and the government. She was elected as a commissioner in 2004. She worked for almost seven years, helping different groups come together. She was known for bringing opposing sides closer in complex treaty talks. She helped the Tsawwassen First Nation achieve the first treaty under this process.

Leading Her Community

In 2009, Wilson-Raybould was elected to the council for the We Wai Kai Nation. This role helped her understand the needs of First Nations communities. She helped her community create its own land laws. This allowed them to move away from parts of the Indian Act. She also helped her nation manage its finances better. She later became the chair of the First Nations Finance Authority (FNFA). This group helps First Nations borrow money for important projects.

Regional Chief for First Nations

Wilson-Raybould was first elected regional chief of the BC Assembly of First Nations in 2009. She was re-elected in 2012 with strong support. As regional chief, she focused on helping First Nations build strong governments. She also worked to ensure they had fair access to land and resources. She aimed to improve education and health for Indigenous peoples.

She co-authored the BCAFN Governance Toolkit. This guide helps First Nations move towards self-governance. She also worked to support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. She pushed for the recognition of Indigenous rights in Canada's Constitution. She felt that the government was not making enough progress on these issues. This motivated her to run for federal politics in 2015.

Community Involvement

Jody Wilson-Raybould has volunteered for many organizations. She was a director for Capilano University. She also helped develop the "Combining Our Strength Initiative" for Indigenous and non-Indigenous women. She has spoken publicly about Indigenous law, treaties, and good governance. She has also made presentations to parliamentary committees.

As an Author

Wilson-Raybould has written several books. These include From Where I Stand: Rebuilding Indigenous Nations for a Stronger Canada (2019). She also wrote 'Indian' in the Cabinet (2021) and True Reconciliation (2022). Her latest book is Reconciling History: A Story of Canada (2024).

Federal Politics

Becoming an MP

Jody Wilson-Raybould was a co-chair for the Liberal Convention in 2014. She was chosen to run for the Vancouver Granville riding in 2014. She was seen as close to Liberal leader Justin Trudeau. Her main interests included democratic reform and Indigenous affairs.

She was elected in the October 2015 federal election. She won with 43.9% of the votes.

Minister of Justice and Attorney General

On November 4, 2015, Wilson-Raybould became the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. She was the first Indigenous person and third woman to hold this important role. As Minister of Justice, she worked on many key issues.

She introduced new laws on medical assistance in dying. She also brought in Bill C-16. This law added gender identity and gender expression to the list of protected grounds against discrimination. This means it is against the law to treat someone unfairly because of their gender identity.

She also worked to review the government's legal approach to Indigenous peoples. She released a directive to guide how the government handles legal cases involving Indigenous rights. She also made changes to how judges are appointed across Canada. The goal was to make the process more transparent and fair.

Minister of Veterans Affairs

On January 14, 2019, Prime Minister Trudeau changed his cabinet. Wilson-Raybould was assigned the role of Minister of Veterans Affairs. This role involves supporting Canada's veterans. She resigned from this position on February 12, 2019.

The SNC-Lavalin Affair

In early 2019, there were reports that the Prime Minister's Office tried to influence Wilson-Raybould. This was about a legal case involving a company called SNC-Lavalin. She was the Attorney General at the time. The Attorney General's role is to make legal decisions independently.

Wilson-Raybould resigned from the cabinet. She later testified about the situation. She said she believed there were attempts to pressure her.

On August 14, 2019, the Ethics Commissioner released a report. It stated that Prime Minister Trudeau had improperly pressured Wilson-Raybould. The report said this went against the Conflict of Interest Act. Wilson-Raybould said the report showed she acted correctly.

Running as an Independent

After these events, Wilson-Raybould was removed from the Liberal Party. She decided to run for re-election as an Independent candidate.

In the October 2019 federal election, she won her seat. She became the first woman to be elected as an independent MP in Canadian Parliament. In July 2021, she announced she would not run in the 2021 federal election.

Awards and Recognition

Jody Wilson-Raybould has received many awards for her work.

• In 2011, she received an award from the Minerva Foundation for BC Women.
• In 2012, she received a distinguished alumni award from the University of Victoria.
• In 2017, she received the first Indigenous Women in Leadership Award from the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business.
• She was named Policy-Maker of the Year by the Macdonald–Laurier Institute in 2017.
• In 2018, she was recognized by Harvard Women's Law Association.
• MADD Canada honored her in 2018 for her efforts to strengthen impaired driving laws.

Personal Life

Jody Wilson-Raybould married Tim Raybould in 2008. He is a First Nations consultant.

Electoral Record

Images for kids

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  Meeting with US Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson in Ottawa on October 26, 2016