Principal Secretary to Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty (2003 to 2008)

Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty with his former principal secretary Gerald Butts.
Courtesy Gerald Butts

What surprised you the most about your time in government?

We inherited a much more difficult financial situation than we had anticipated. It made everything more difficult in the first term.

What are you most proud of in terms of your contributions there?

I was able to contribute to a series of landmark education reforms and environmental initiatives.

What issue/situation do you wish you could have had another crack at?

You can drive yourself crazy looking backward. The universe is unfolding as it should.

Who is your political hero?

Abraham Lincoln.

What do you admire the most about the Premier you worked with?

He is the one of the most authentic people I have ever met. In the five years I spent working in the Premier's Office, he put the public interest first, even when those decisions did not serve his obvious political interest.

What do you say to people who are cynical about politicians?

Cynicism is easy and cowardly. Hope is difficult and brave. Politicians, of all political stripes, are just people. They make mistakes. But public service is a noble calling and most politicians I know are in it for the right reasons.

What is your favourite movie/TV show about politics?

The first few seasons of The West Wing. It did an excellent job of capturing the pace and emotion of politics.

What current issue do you think politicians should spend more time focusing on?

The environment. It’s the most important issue on the face of the Earth.

Did your time at McGill prepare you in any way for life in government?

Absolutely. McGill exposed me to a dizzyingly diverse array of highly intelligent people, who thought through their viewpoints carefully and made their cases forcefully. There's no better training for politics than that.

Gerald Butts recently left the Ontario government to take up a new role as the president and CEO of World Wildlife Fund Canada.