35. Jody Wilson-Raybould

Liberal MP, Vancouver Granville

Age: 44 | 2014: #36She’s not a natural politician. She doesn’t network easily or promote herself. In fact, in one debate during the election campaign, it was her NDP opponent, Mira Oreck, who stepped in to say that Jody Wilson-Raybould was hiding her light under a bushel and should get credit for her work on treaty negotiations. But if the new MP for Vancouver-Granville is quiet and unassuming, it’s not because she lacks a power resume.The daughter of Chief Bill Wilson, Wilson-Raybould is a former Crown prosecutor who worked in Vancouver’s gritty provincial court on Main Street, worked with the B.C. Treaty Commission, and until recently served as a regional chief with the Assembly of First Nations. Colleagues describe her as more policy wonk than campaigner, more comfortable revising a report in detail than participating in a rapid-fire debate.  As a negotiator, she’s known as someone who knows how to get everybody to a win. She’ll be a key voice in Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government, bringing an aboriginal and western voice to the table, as well as a determination to empower women. It’s an important first for the province.

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