From Protest to Power: Personal Reflections on A Life in Politics

by Bob Rae

In January of 1996, when Bob Rae declared he was stepping down as the leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party, the media was full of praise for the former premier of Ontario. In From Protest to Power , Rae provides a surprising, frank look back at his time in politics. Shedding light on his rise to power from radical student politics to becoming the leader of the first NDP government to hold power in Ontario. He takes a look at his incredible life from Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and studying with philosopher Isaiah Berlin to his life as a family man.In the fall of 2006, with Bob Rae running for the federal leadership of the Liberal Party, it is time for us to examine his remarkable life once more. A life that has been motivated by the belief that politics and public service matter.As he says in the new introduction, ?I am running because I care deeply about my country. I want it to stay strong. I want it to stay together. And I want to play whatever part I can to help make those things happen.?Learn more about what makes Bob run.

Genres: Politics

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1996

About the author

Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician.

Rae was elected as a New Democratic Party Member of Parliament in 1978, serving as finance critic. He won the leadership of the Ontario New Democratic Party in 1982, signed the Liberal-NDP Accord to support David Peterson's minority Liberal government between 1985 and 1990, and served as Premier of Ontario between 1990 and 1995. Rae publicly severed ties with the NDP in 2002, returning to political life in 2006 with an unsuccessful bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. Rae was elected MP for Toronto Centre in 2008 and contested the Liberal leadership in 2009 before withdrawing his candidacy. He was selected interim leader in 2011 following the resignation of Michael Ignatieff.

Rae was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2000, and in 2004 he was awarded the Order of Ontario. He was appointed the sixth chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University on July 2, 2003, and was installed at that school's fall convocation in October. Rae also became a partner at Goodmans LLP, a Toronto-based corporate law firm, an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto, and a Senior Fellow of Massey College. He has written four books: From Protest to Power: Personal Reflections on a Life in Politics (1996), Three Questions: Prosperity and the Public Good (1998), Canada in the Balance (2006), and Exporting Democracy: The Risks and Rewards of Pursuing a Good Idea (2010).

Reviews

[Derrick Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very insightful book. I wasn’t born yet so don’t know what truly happened but seems to me like Rae is reasonably honest and self critical of himself.

I most enjoyed reading about how Rae came to be opposed by many leftist and union types during his time as premier. Was something I never would’ve expected but was fascinating to hear him explain how it happened.

[Wendell Hennan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published almost 20 years ago, 1996, Bob Rae shares his early life as the son of a civil servant with assignments and life outside Canada, his education and political life starting in Federal politics and then Provincial. I lived in Ontario in September 1990 and in fact voted for Bob Rae, as an anti Liberal David Peterson vote and was as surprised as Bob Rae himself when the NDP swept to power. He details the challenges of the next 5 years and takes pride, justifiably, in the many accomplishments, however big business and Bay Street never were comfortable or agreeable to an NDP government.

He remain a well respected man of integrity and wisdom, and his ideas of "Rae Days" working 1 day in 10 without pay has merit and is less painful than entire companies failing and tens of thousands flung into unemployment.

[H Wesselius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting account but as in any political memoir too much self-justification.