Posted on 03/04/2005 9:15:30 PM PST by Lorianne
"I am sad. I'll be frank with you. I think the Liberal party claims to be open . . . and respectful of our differences, of who we are. You know, I think they missed a great opportunity (to prove it) and it's often on the back of women, sadly.''
The resolution, proposed jointly by the party's women's commission and the women's caucus, sparked the only real fireworks of the convention so far with delegates lining up at the microphones to argue for and against it.
Several delegates objected to setting quotas for female representation and referred repeatedly to women as a minority. That prompted a furious outburst from New Brunswick delegate Bethany Thorne Dykstra.
"I will tell you I'm insulted, absolutely insulted, to be called a minority. We are in the majority as women . . . We have a problem because we don't have something between our legs,'' Dykstra shouted to a mixture of gasps, jeers and applause.
Despite attempts by the women's commission to reassure delegates that the resolution was intended to set a goal for equal female representation, the wording was such that a majority feared it would amount to setting quotas.
Surprisingly, a good number of objections were leveled by female members of the party's youth wing, which usually prides itself on advancing equality rights as enshrined in the Charter of Rights. The youth wing is, for instance, leading the charge in favour of legalizing same-sex marriage, using the slogan, It's the Charter, Stupid.
However, one young female Grit took to the microphone to oppose equal representation for women, saying "I don't want to be filling a quota. It's okay to encourage women but to set a number is wrong.''
Toronto MP Maria Minna pointed out the hypocrisy of that position, noting that the party already has quotas to ensure 50 per cent of convention delegates are female and that one-third of delegates are youth.
As debate raged, Alvah Hanrahan, president of the women's commission, conferred with members of her executive. She finally offered to amend the wording of the resolution to make it clear quotas were not intended. But the amendment was not allowed and the resolution ultimately defeated.
"I'm very disappointed but we never give up," Hanrahan said later. Dykstra was positively seething.
"I think it's a sad day, in the year 2005, when we're still debating so passionately that women have a right to be at the table and I do wonder why that would be debated so much more than such big issues as ballistic missiles,'' she told reporters.
"Where are we today? Have we not moved?''
Dykstra said the defeat "definitely counteracts what the Liberals have been claiming'' in portraying themselves as the progressive party of equality.
Oakville MP Bonnie Brown said the resolution was defeated "not because of the ideas in it but because of the practical'' impact of the resolution on local riding executives, most of which are dominated by men.
She said executive members, many of whom are delegates, are likely wondering where they would find women volunteers to fill executive positions and "which of our males is going to have to step down'' to make room for them
well so much for elections, now we need to have proportional representation for every single group... please
if Congress could apply the same idea of insult at affirmative action and the like.
The most freedom in the known world and they're rebelling against what??? I really think some people should grow up, and I'm sick of hearing their whining.
I think the problem is more that this particular woman has nothing between her ears...
. . . and referred repeatedly to women as "chicks, babes, frails and dames."
The sounds you are hearing is the slow but inexorable disintegration of Kanukistani Liberalism.
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