VANCOUVER—It’s not often an Independent candidate gets a boost from a federal party leader during an election campaign.

But by this point, nothing should be surprising when it comes to the political odyssey of Jody Wilson-Raybould.

The former Liberal justice minister held a joint campaign event Wednesday night with fellow Liberal outcast Jane Philpott, called A Night for Independent Voices.

Joining the two former cabinet ministers? Green Party Leader Elizabeth May.

“I’m here to honour the highest level of ethical conduct," May told the boisterous crowd at the Hellenic Community of Vancouver Centre, which was hooting, hollering and clapping throughout the evening.

“We must rescue democracy from politics.”

It was a message well received by supporters of Wilson-Raybould, who is running to keep her seat in the riding of Vancouver Granville, even as her former party deals with the fallout of multiple controversies — from the SNC-Lavalin affair to Wednesday’s bombshell report about a photo from 2001 showing Justin Trudeau in brownface makeup.

Supporters have lauded Wilson-Raybould as the hero of the SNC-Lavalin saga, a view that was lent credence by Canada’s ethics watchdog, who found Prime Minister Trudeau violated the Conflict of Interest Act by improperly pressuring former attorney general to halt the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.

The Greens’ May has spoken highly of Wilson-Raybould, even suggesting months before the election campaign that she might step aside as leader if the Vancouver-area MP were interested in taking the Green Party reins. However, Wilson-Raybould and Philpott both decided to run as Independents.

On Wednesday night, the crowd, diverse in age — from babies to silver-haired seniors — was loud with anticipation and chatter before the program began, despite falling quiet for the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam land acknowledgement and welcoming.

Kasey Reese, a retired internal auditor, was there with his husband, despite not even living in Wilson-Raybould’s riding. The pair are staunch supporters of Wilson-Raybould, he said. Reese says he’ll still be voting for the Liberal party’s Joyce Murray in the couple's home riding of Vancouver Quadra, but said politics needs more people like Wilson-Raybould.

“We want more progressive women in politics,” he said. “As a retired auditor, I have a ton of empathy for someone who has the courage and integrity to tell a leader not what they wanted to hear, but what they needed to hear.”

James Wilson, Wilson-Raybould’s cousin, was also in the crowd, having driven in from Campbell River on Vancouver Island for the event.

“I’m very proud of her, and for what she did throughout her political career is fabulous” he said.

“For her to stand up for her values and principles shows her integrity and character.”

Philpott also took to the stage. Admitting that, a year ago, she would never have imagined running as an independent alongside Wilson-Raybould, she nonetheless said the pair had acted according to the conscience throughout the SNC-Lavalin affair. Philpott resigned from cabinet over the controversy before being kicked out of caucus along with Wilson-Raybould.

“We will stand up to bullies ... for Indigenous rights ... human rights,” she said. "We want people who will be honest even if it costs them their job.”

Then, finally, it was time for the undeniable star of the evening, who made her entrance after a darkened hall watched a campaign video.

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Marvelling at the size of the crowd, Wilson-Raybould told those in attendance Canada needs more women in politics. Unfortunately, when a woman pushes back in politics, she said, “She is ... reflexively labelled as difficult.”

If "being difficult" is what someone is called when they're pushing back and standing up for integrity, then she has no problem with the label, she said to cheers.

She called climate change Canadians’ biggest challenge, and, in keeping with the theme May exemplified by her presence, emphasized importance of co-operative politics — as well as Indigenous reconciliation, universal pharmacare and housing affordability.

The love-in for Wilson-Raybould was happening just hours after Trudeau apologized in the wake of a report and photo showing him wearing brownface makeup at a 2001 event while he was a high school teacher. It’s a scandal that threatens to derail his campaign.

“When I first saw it, I didn’t think it was real,” Wilson-Raybould told reporters at the Vancouver event, before adding: "I am incredibly proud to be an Indigenous person in this country, one that has experienced racism and discrimination and it's really unacceptable for anybody in a position of authority.”

Wilson-Raybould is hoping to hold the seat against Liberal party challenger, Taleeb Noormohamed, a 42-year-old tech entrepreneur. Also running in the riding is climate activist Yvonne Hanson for the NDP, former Ottawa political staffer Zach Segal for the Conservatives, and Naomi Chocyk, a one-time constituency staffer for Wilson-Raybould, for the People's Party of Canada.

A group of three UBC students who are volunteering for the campaign, but who hail from France, were also at the event.

Matisse De Rivieras said she had heard about “the SNC-Lavalin scandal when I was in France.”

De Rivieras, who isn’t eligible to vote in the federal election, said she’s working on the campaign because she sees it as a good way to get involved with community, and is inspired by Wilson-Raybould.

“Jody has a new vision of politics,” and is “leading in a new era,” she said.

With files from the Canadian Press

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