Friday, February 09, 2007
Stephane Dion: The Milk Cow That Keeps On Giving
After Stephane Dion won the Liberal party nomination, he declared that he wanted women to make up a third of the party's candidates come the next election.
Well, the pace is gearing up for said election, and Dion is prepared to go to great lengths to make sure that women are running for the Liberal party.
And if you're sitting there thinking this is a temporary Liberal policy, guess again.
And the final blow to democracy:
As Neo points out, theres really nothing stopping them from applying these kinds of affirmative action policies to basically any "minority".
Well, the pace is gearing up for said election, and Dion is prepared to go to great lengths to make sure that women are running for the Liberal party.
During last year's leadership race, Dion promised that under his watch at least a third of the party's candidates in the next election would be women.
But campaign organizers conclude that will be impossible without intervention to secure nominations for women.
So-called green-light committees, set up to run the party's nomination process in each province, have been empowered to ensure the 33 per cent target is met. Among other things, the committees can approve or reject nomination papers from would-be candidates.
Where necessary, the committees will be able to simply refuse to allow men to run for nominations in some ridings.
And if you're sitting there thinking this is a temporary Liberal policy, guess again.
Kennedy said any outcry over perceived favouritism toward women should be limited by the fact that all leadership contenders, including himself, echoed Dion in promising to substantially increase the number of women candidates, with the eventual aim of reaching 50 per cent.
And the final blow to democracy:
The Liberal leader retains the power to simply appoint women candidates, bypassing the nomination process altogether. Insiders say Dion wants to use that power sparingly, if at all.
As Neo points out, theres really nothing stopping them from applying these kinds of affirmative action policies to basically any "minority".
Labels: democracy, Liberal Party, Stephane Dion
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Is this really such a travesty? Isn't the greater problem the fact that Dion will need to INCREASE the amount of female candidates to a measly third? I thought half the country was female, shouldn't our political representation reflect that? Last election I had the "choice" of voting for any one of a a selection of nearly a dozen white males to represent my concerns in Ottawa. Women currently make up 20.8% of federal politicians, take a look:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/interactives/map-cda-womenpolitics/
The best way to get women in politics is for women to SEE women in politics. Do you think you might feel differently about politics if you rarely saw white males in that role? Look at the effect Michelle Wie has had on women's golf, or Haylie Wickenheiser on women's hockey. We need role models besides white males.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/interactives/map-cda-womenpolitics/
The best way to get women in politics is for women to SEE women in politics. Do you think you might feel differently about politics if you rarely saw white males in that role? Look at the effect Michelle Wie has had on women's golf, or Haylie Wickenheiser on women's hockey. We need role models besides white males.
Its only a travesty because of the way they're going about doing it. I've got no beef with the desired result, I've got a problem with them banning men from the process for years to come.
I think that women have proven over the years that they don't need an edge to win in politics, so why sell all women, and the system, short by giving them an edge?
Haley Wickenheister and Michelle Wie are perfect examples of that. Both have gotten to where they are based only on their own merits, not because they were women.
I think that women have proven over the years that they don't need an edge to win in politics, so why sell all women, and the system, short by giving them an edge?
Haley Wickenheister and Michelle Wie are perfect examples of that. Both have gotten to where they are based only on their own merits, not because they were women.
Minority that's funny. 59% of core Liberals are women. Even 50% female Mp's would be an affirmative action plan for men. Try again.
Hehe. SB points out the obvious, that quite frankly I didn't have the stones to say. But this idea is only going to result in more men being in parliament.
If a party doesn't take its strongest candidates, it decreases its chances of winning. Thats just common sense.
What the Liberal party is doing is putting its future in the hands of unknown female candidates. And thats not a good bet. Not because they're female, but because they're unknown.
Thanks for making me say it SB.
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If a party doesn't take its strongest candidates, it decreases its chances of winning. Thats just common sense.
What the Liberal party is doing is putting its future in the hands of unknown female candidates. And thats not a good bet. Not because they're female, but because they're unknown.
Thanks for making me say it SB.
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