Get off the fence, Mike

VICTORIA — I can see the headline now:
NDP studies women-plumber quota.

The New Democratic Party has always been
obsessed with the outward trappings of equality.
_ Having equal representation by women in politics
is just the latest example.

At its recent national convention in Halifax, the
federal arm of the NDP voted in favor of achieving
equal representation between men and women
among candidates running for public office. The
question is: will the provincial NDP follow suit?

Tt will, if Darlene Marzari, MLA for Van-
couver-Point Grey, can help it. Asked whether she
endorsed the affirmative-action policy adopted by
her party's federal arm, she said she did,
whole-heartedly.

“The whole exercise is a bit of a female
backlash against the idea that politics is a man’s
game,” the NDP’s status-of-women’s critic said.

As proof of man’s dominance over women in
politics, Marzari cited the fact that some of the
women’s washrooms in the Parliament Buildings
stil have urinals in them.

NDP leader Mike Harcourt, however, doesn’t
appear. to be too shocked by the urinal expose or,
for that matter, by his federal party’s affirmative-
action policy. Side-stepping reporters’ questions,
he dismissed the matter as just one way of
boosting women’s representation..

But while Harcourt is sitting on the fence, his
party is flirting with the idea of following the
federal NDP’s example. A task force has already
been set up.

I'd like to offer Harcourt some unsolicited
advice: get off the fence and tell your party that,
as far as youre concerned, this scheme of
bringing about equal representation by women is
wrong.

Tell them, and us, that you don’t favor achieving
equality at the risk of having mediocrity thrown
into the deal, because that is often precisely the
ptice affirmative action extracts.

The problem with affirmative action is that a
minority. is favored over the majority, regardless of
qualification. Forcing a 50-per-cent women-
candidate ratio will mean that some men, who
may be far more qualified, will not get nominated,
not to mention charges of election-rigging the
patty might have to answer.

I suspect though that Harcourt might be a tad
reluctant to climb down from his comfortable
fence and proclaim that he won’t have any part of
the scheme. Some of the women in his caucus
could make life very miserable for him.

He has probably not yet recovered from a
previous confrontation with his women’s caucus.
Yes, Virginia, there is an NDP women’s caucus
with its own meetings and agenda.

At a general caucus meeting, the NDP MILAs
agreed that the day’s question period would be
given over to the women MLAs. Some of the male
caucus members don’t like this sort of segregation
any more than I do, but to keep the peace, they go
along with it.

All seemed well, when an unforeseen event
occurred: Brian Smith resigned from his position
as attorney general. It was a bombshell that called
for immediate response from the opposition.

The proper and logical thing would have been
to scrap all previously discussed questions and
use the question period in the House to get some
answers from then-premier Bill Vander Zalm
regarding Smith’s resignation.

It was a golden opportunity to grill the premier.
Why had his attorney general, the top law man in
the province, lost confidence in the premier? Was
the premier prepared to accept the blame?

That, as I said, would have been the proper and
logical line of questioning, but it didn’t happen.
During discussion of the Smith resignation, and
how to best attack the government over it, some of
the women caucus members tearfully reminded
their male colleagues that the women were to lead
question period that day.

Harcourt and his merry men caved in to the
women’s plea, and not one question was asked
that day about Smith’s resignation. It was one of
the more inane manifestations of affirmative
action I have come across.

My remarks are no way to be taken as a slight
against women. There are a lot of women who are
far better qualified to sit in our legislature than a
lot of the men who now occupy the seats of power.
But if implemented, the NDP scheme would, at
best, result in equal mediocrity.

Far better to let women compete in what they .

call a man’s world and achieve equality rather
than have it forced on them.

TheReview Wednesday, June 19,1991 — A7

NEW DEMOCRAT
Saanich North & The Islands

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__ THE JULY 6 COUNTRY MARKET planned
for the Saanichton fairgrounds has met with an
enthusiastic response from local growers, bakers
and crafts people, organizer Andrew Yeoman
said. By Monday, 40 of the 49 available stalls
were teserved by nine produce growers, 18 crafts
people, four flower growers, and nine mixed
baked goods, preserves and food producers.
Entertainment will include clowns, Morris dan-
cers and buskers, he said. Note, the date is July 6,
contrary to what was published in the mayor’s
address of the June issue of the Central Saanich
community newsletter, recently distributed.
* * * Z
A DINNER AND RECOGNITION for the
“shadowing’” youth program was hosted by the
Sidney and Peninsula Kiwanis Club Thursday
with 12 North Saanich Middle School students.
The program introduces students to the “real
world’’ by pairing them with members of the
business, federal and municipal governments,
public sector and professionals, a Town press
release said. Mayor Marie Rosko, the first
woman member accepted into the Kiwanis Club,
attended with Sidney Centennial Youth Ambas-
sadors Karma Miller and Jason Morrow.
* OK
AN APPLICATION FORM from the Sidney
Volunteer Fire Department tured out to be the
big winner of the John Charles Wilson Scholar-
ship awarded annually by the International
Association of Arson Investigators . University
of Victoria student Tara Dunning received the
$1,000 award to continue her studies in pre-law.
The scholarship is available to students in the
U:S., New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Norway,
Sweden and other countries, department spokes-
man Larry Buchanan said. Dunning applied

through Sidney’s fire prevention office.
x * x

kK

BEFORE THE MONTH of June is gone, we
should tell you about the SPCA’s Adopt-a-cat
month. In an effort to promote cat adoptions a
special gift package is being offered to all
adopters. It includes a cat ID collar, cat food and a
cat care guide. During 1990, 3,500 cats were
tured into the SPCA. Unfortunately, only 1,314
of them were either reunited with their owners or
placed in new homes. Drop into 3150-Napier
Lane or call 388-7722 for information.

* kK x

A REMINDER TO VOLUNTEERS who help
the Saanich Peninsula unit of the Canadian
Cancer Society. A no-host-buffet dinner to mark
the end of the spring campaign and to thank all
community volunteers is being held at
Columbo’s, June 27 starting at 6 p.m. Prizes and a
guest speaker are featured but tickets must be
purchased before June 21. Call the office at
655-1311 (Mon.-Fri. 1-3) or Columbo’s at 652-
3936. All present and past canvassers, special
event workers and other volunteers are invited to

attend.
* OK *

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