The Hon. Bob Rae

This interview provides comprehensive insights into the relationship between Premier Bob Rae and the Attorney General’s Ministry during his NDP government from 1990-1995. Rae discusses the challenges of implementing Ian Scott’s court reform legislation, managing the Askov decision crisis, and overseeing significant judicial appointments that broadened diversity on the bench. He details his decision to appoint Marion Boyd as the first non-lawyer and first woman Attorney General, defending this choice as emphasizing administrative competence over legal credentials.

Rae addresses major policy initiatives including same-sex benefits legislation (which ultimately failed in a free vote), victim’s rights reforms, alternative dispute resolution implementation, and comprehensive conflict of interest guidelines. He describes the Ministry as professional and businesslike under his leadership, while noting tensions between regional Crown attorneys and central Crown law officers. The interview reveals his approach to maintaining prosecutorial independence while ensuring policy coherence across government.

The discussion covers significant legislative achievements in family law, including support payment enforcement and the introduction of ADR processes. Rae reflects on his government’s consultative approach to policy-making and the challenges of managing the Attorney General’s Ministry’s traditional “imperial reach” within government operations.

This description was written by AI and may contain some inaccuracies.