The Last Word
There's a lamentable paucity of women in Canadian politics. Politics is, admittedly, a rough-and-tumble game of one-upsmanship, of agitating and finagling, demonstrating and cajoling, advantage-seeking and provocations. It has always been a man's game, evoking a spirit of competitive action, akin to participatory team sport and intellectual warfare. Women have got to be tough to compete, to be treated like 'one of the boys'.
And tough women don't weep and wail and defend themselves by invoking pity and compassion as a wronged and helpless woman, one who has in her arms a gurgling new baby, isn't he cute? So none of this is fair, this characterization as politics as primarily a man's occupation and not a woman's. Too much hinges on participation by both genders to truly represent the interests of an entire society.
Just as men have to tough it out when the game gets rough, so too do women. It is hugely unfortunate that the Prime Minister chose not to courteously set time aside in his busy schedule to permit a brief interview with Helena Guergis either before or after he decided to remove her from her portfolio and from the Conservative caucus. One might suppose decency and civility required at least that on behalf of a former colleague.
On the other hand, it could also be assumed that Ms. Guergis, when she was still being defended for her many gaffes by Stephen Harper, had enjoyed previous little chats where it may have been established that her deportment and attention to her job might be improved, be less exasperatingly irritating to her political coevals and Cabinet colleagues.
Patience is not extended forever, not on anyone's behalf. When questionable new irregularities arose, compounded by unsubstantiated allegations, it may have become evident to the Prime Minister and his Cabinet that patience sometimes runs thin when the rewards are not forthcoming, and there comes a time to pull the plug. Ms. Guergis went down with the bathwater.
Tales told out of class may be rumours, but the rumours that attached themselves to her through her husband's finagling and misuse of his former position with the Conservatives and her current insider position of trust and entitlement within that same party simply ran afoul of expectations and adherence to rules and regulations.
She had her opportunity to exact a bit of revenge, but the simple facts of inattentiveness to party discipline and expectations due from a Cabinet minister however modest in nature, and her unfortunate pairing with an unprincipled, entitled former politician led the way to her dismissal. She still had her elected position, and she is now re-contesting it.
Her constituents will have the last word.
And tough women don't weep and wail and defend themselves by invoking pity and compassion as a wronged and helpless woman, one who has in her arms a gurgling new baby, isn't he cute? So none of this is fair, this characterization as politics as primarily a man's occupation and not a woman's. Too much hinges on participation by both genders to truly represent the interests of an entire society.
Just as men have to tough it out when the game gets rough, so too do women. It is hugely unfortunate that the Prime Minister chose not to courteously set time aside in his busy schedule to permit a brief interview with Helena Guergis either before or after he decided to remove her from her portfolio and from the Conservative caucus. One might suppose decency and civility required at least that on behalf of a former colleague.
On the other hand, it could also be assumed that Ms. Guergis, when she was still being defended for her many gaffes by Stephen Harper, had enjoyed previous little chats where it may have been established that her deportment and attention to her job might be improved, be less exasperatingly irritating to her political coevals and Cabinet colleagues.
Patience is not extended forever, not on anyone's behalf. When questionable new irregularities arose, compounded by unsubstantiated allegations, it may have become evident to the Prime Minister and his Cabinet that patience sometimes runs thin when the rewards are not forthcoming, and there comes a time to pull the plug. Ms. Guergis went down with the bathwater.
Tales told out of class may be rumours, but the rumours that attached themselves to her through her husband's finagling and misuse of his former position with the Conservatives and her current insider position of trust and entitlement within that same party simply ran afoul of expectations and adherence to rules and regulations.
She had her opportunity to exact a bit of revenge, but the simple facts of inattentiveness to party discipline and expectations due from a Cabinet minister however modest in nature, and her unfortunate pairing with an unprincipled, entitled former politician led the way to her dismissal. She still had her elected position, and she is now re-contesting it.
Her constituents will have the last word.
Labels: Government of Canada, Human Relations, Inconvenient Politics
posted by Pieface | 1:18 PM
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