Christine Robinson’s political aspirations began in her youth. Naturally curious about politics and how things worked, she had many discussions with her mother and grandmother about how political decisions shape and influence society and how political decisions can help or hinder people’ lives. The idea that she could improve society really appealed to her, so she pursued an undergraduate program in political science and became an intern for a local municipal government. After graduating, she was hired on full time within their clerk’s department [see audio clip 1 below text]. Robinson ran in the 2014 municipal election for Mayor of West Grey, and in 2018 she succeeded in winning the seat. For Robinson’s full biography please follow this link: Council - Municipality of West Grey
She sites Agnes McPhail as a role model from whom she draws strength and inspiration, recognizing that McPhail’s determination to always do her best in the political arena allowed her to attain achievements and make an impact at a time when there were very few women in politics.
Robinson is a big believer in the power of mentorship when a young person shows an interest in politics. Early in her career, she herself learned from mentors in order to gain opportunities and experience in the field. She says her mentors assisted her in developing a framework for good governance and decision-making and taught her that developing relationships based on respect is of utmost importance.
Recognizing the other women she serves with on County Council she says, “It's bold steps to enter that political arena, articulate how you're going to make a difference to the community, then get elected.”
She feels it is important to encourage more young women to enter politics, citing that “Women approach leadership from a different lens [that bring] a new perspective to the role. And certainly one that reflects society right now in 2022 when the future is really important.”
On the benefit of more women at the local government level she states, “I look forward to a day where the discussion does not need to be on gender balance or diversity [when] people around the political table are fully representative of the community they are representing.”*
Robinson believes that the number one challenge for women entering politics today is lack of awareness of where to look for information and how to network. [see audio clip 2 below text] She says the best way for established politicians to help young women entering politics is by stressing how important local government is and recognizing their interest and qualities and mentoring them, the way she was when she started out. She encourages young women thinking of entering politics to join at the committee level to observe the decision-making process and understand the commitment involved – “Easy steps, but steps that have major impact.”
As for goals, Robinson believes that being Mayor of West Grey and a County Councillor has allowed her to reach her current goal of being part of a larger group of people that want to make a positive difference in people’s lives [see audio clip 3 below text]. She says that her future goal is to continue to serve the people of West Grey and Grey County residents, and that it would be her honour to serve as Warden of Grey County, if the chance arose.
She is most proud of being part of the decision-making process of the work that Council has accomplished in the last three years along with the professional County staff, and seeing the positive impact and the progression of what those decisions mean to the communities of Grey that improve residents’ lives. She is also thrilled that people find her approachable, to such an extent that (before the Covid-19 pandemic) if she was seen in her yard, people felt comfortable enough to drive up and chat about their concerns.
On the subject of youth encouragement, she often recognizes young people for their accomplishments and tells them that “You can affect a change or be that change for your community… younger people have an opportunity… and it's a really rewarding position to have [in order to] to help one another.”
* At the time of this interview, five of Grey County’s 18 councilors are female and four of the nine member municipalities are represented by females that hold a mayor or deputy mayor position.
Find more in our Pearls and Politics online exhibit.
