“You can’t fire me, I quit.”
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That old saw has just been enacted, twice in rapid succession, in our political scene.
Last week, Justin Trudeau resigned before the guillotine descended. It reminded me of a wise teaching from my old friend and former vice-president of HR at Shaw, Bill MacDonald: “If you are being run out of town, make it look like you are leading the parade.”
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Trudeau’s announced exit quickly followed that of Chrystia Freeland. International media trumpeted her “resignation” as minister of finance — except that she did not resign but was fired, or at least demoted, by Trudeau, who told her she was being removed as finance minister and replaced, as he then believed, by Mark Carney.
Rather than accept the humiliating comedown from the most senior cabinet position to a lesser portfolio, Freeland “resigned” amidst great public clamour, and did her best to bring Trudeau down with her by releasing...
This article is part of The Poynter 50, a series reflecting on 50 moments and people that shaped journalism over the past half-century — and continue to influence its future. As Poynter celebrates...