The Wynne Factor

"I believe that in the spirit of governing the whole province, it's very important we listen to Opposition members, that we take into account their concerns," she said.

Damned right I'm smiling.

Wynne is a facilitator and an empathetic person.  She is 100% authentic.  

This matters a lot.  In politics, the game is to score wins and take wins away from your opponents.  You expect the same thing from the other benches, so backs are always up, words are always parsed for hidden meaning or opportunity, etc. That's how it works.  

But there are precious few people who get into politics solely to add "Honourable" to their name. They do it because they really do believe they can make a positive difference.

Picture a Conservative MPP going in for a conversation with Premier Wynne - they've got their back up, ready for a fight or sensing the need to be tough to get their message across.

Suddenly, they're in an actual conversation with a woman who is actually listening, asking clarification questions and then, later on, referencing the very points that Opposition MPP raised in Question Period, or in legislation.

This is Wynne's difference.  She's a leader first, a winner second.  Having managed the latter in spectacular style, Wynne now has the luxury of focusing on the former.

It's not something we've seen before but I'm sure we could get used to.