In a stunning display of political musical chairs, Jenica Atwin found herself unceremoniously ousted from her parliamentary secretary position to the Minister of Indigenous Services during outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's last-minute cabinet reshuffle – a move that's about as surprising as finding a hockey stick in a Canadian garage.
You'd think after jumping ship from the Greens to the Liberals – a political pivot worthy of an Olympic gymnast – Atwin might've secured her footing. But alas, in the grand tradition of Canadian politics, where loyalty is as changeable as Maritime weather, her stint as parliamentary secretary lasted about as long as a snowman in July.
The timing couldn't have been more deliciously awkward – just 16 days before Trudeau's swan song, mind you – following Atwin's rather pointed suggestion that perhaps the PM might consider showing himself the door. Oh, the irony! It's like telling your boss their leadership style reminds you of a confused moose, then acting shocked when your corner office suddenly becomes a cubicle.
Let's not forget the spicy subplot of harassment and gender-based threats that peppered Atwin's political journey like unwanted toppings on a poutine. She's been candid about the need to develop rhino-thick skin in the face of online vitriol, though she insists these weren't the main ingredients in her political exit stew. She later expressed that feeling guilt over misinterpreted statements about Trudeau weighed heavily on her mind.
The whole affair unfolded against the backdrop of a Liberal Party leadership race that's about as orderly as a beaver colony during mating season. With Mark Carney and Chrystia Freeland circling each other like hungry bears around a salmon stream, Atwin's departure feels less like a conscious uncoupling and more like abandoning ship before it hits the proverbial iceberg.
As Atwin prepares to bid farewell to federal politics, citing family commitments and burnout (code for "I've had enough of this circus"), she joins a growing exodus of Liberal MPs who've decided that perhaps life outside the political fishbowl might be more appealing.
Can't say we blame them.
References
- https://tj.news/fredericton-west/outgoing-atwin-says-she-still-supports-trudeaus-policies
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/fredericton-mp-jenica-atwin-1.7438496
- https://tj.news/new-brunswick/jenica-atwin-loses-parliamentary-secretary-role
- https://ground.news/article/jenica-atwin-loses-parliamentary-secretary-role
- https://www.ladysmithchronicle.com/national-news/mp-atwin-says-online-hate-helped-push-her-out-of-federal-politics-7793268
