A Great Canadian: Ralph Goodale

The Herle Burly

It’s really difficult for me to imagine my life absent Ralph Goodale. Ralph took me under his wing when I was 18 and he was the tender age of 30. He taught me how politics was practiced and why it was important. Ralph has spent his life in politics and has proved to be unusually good at both the practice and the purpose of politics. For 40 years Ralph has not only been the most popular Liberal in Saskatchewan, but the only popular Liberal in Saskatchewan. In the last 50 years, 210 riding contests have happened in Saskatchewan, Liberals have won 19 of those 210; half of those wins are Ralph. Ralph's federal record is nine wins and four losses, every other Liberal candidate combined in Saskatchewan over that period of time: 10 wins, 188 losses. And through a succession of responsibilities and portfolios, he served Canada with great distinction, while always representing Saskatchewan, especially his beloved farmers. Last month Ralph was finally defeated in a tsunami of rage in the prairies. On this episode, Ralph joins me in studio to reminisce about his career, as well as the current state of politics in Canada.