Bagman: A Life in Nova Scotia Politics

Richard Wilbur is supervisor of the Legislative Research Service, New
Brunswick Legislature, and author of The Rise of French New Brunswick.

When I first read this book in manuscript form for a publisher
considering it, my overall reaction was it was too local to interest the
general reader. A second reading has changed my assessment. It is almost
microscopic in its detailed examination of the inner workings of Nova
Scotia’s two old political parties over the past two decades, but I
strongly suspect that a similar tale could be told about every other
provincial political scene, provided that each writer could depend on
such detailed notes and diaries as those that obviously were available
to Donald Ripley.

This Nova Scotia account only confirms the views held by the public at
large that politics is a dirty game. Of course, it is easy to condemn
from the sidelines. Granted that politics lures an endless and sometimes
slimy trail of patronage seekers, Canadians should admit that political
parties must be financed somehow—and that goes for politicians like
former premier John Buchanan, the real tragic figure in this involved
saga of wheeling and dealings.

As a principal party fundraiser, Ripley seems to have survived intact
both psychologically and physically, even though he was wiped out
financially. The same cannot be said for Buchanan, who comes across as a
lovable buffoon, unable to say no to either friend or foe, and quite
incapable of handling his own financial affairs, let alone of keeping
even a light grip on those affecting the Nova Scotia Tories.

Ripley’s account is both entertaining and overwhelming, with its
torrent of names and events. It should serve as a valuable source for
avid political scientists wishing to examine the murky depths of Nova
Scotia politics.

One wonders how Ripley has escaped multiple lawsuits for his candid
comments and assessments of former political associates. Perhaps he has
come so close to the truth that no one has wanted to take him on.