Another Conservative Plot!

"In what universe is it acceptable to tell a young woman that she's going to make someone a great wife one day?
Shame on Conservative Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield, and shame on this entire government. I sure hope he, and his boss, get asked about this tomorrow."
Lisa Kirbie, political analyst

The nerve! We are duly indignant. This is an assault against female sensibilities; a step too far. This will not be tolerated, and should not be forgiven, let alone forgotten. Posing an underhanded attempt at social misconfiguration yet again, as an admiring comment. If it was meant to flatter, it obviously missed its mark, though the young lady to whom it was directed doesn't appear - yet - to have realized that she was insulted, not commended.

Oops! Sharp eyes and a vigilantly enterprising seeker-after-truth has caught the Conservative-led government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper in yet another stealth opportunity to oppress the young women of the country and lead them into the covenant of marriage. Though the prime minister and his ideological henchmen attempt discretion, the Hidden Agenda manifests itself unmistakably as a result of complacency with their status as a majority government.

Taking up the cudgel on behalf of the outraged women and girls of Canada, the NDP's Megan Leslie of Halifax sent a loaded question in Parliament to Fisheries and Oceans Minister Keith Ashfield, asking him to verify that he had indeed made that insulting comment.

"I'm glad the member opposite is following the newscast and our talk about the federal budget. It was a great day to promote our budget on Friday and we had a significant interest in it", Minister Ashfield responded, clearly evading the question and the portent snuggling deep within it.

Member of Parliament Megan Leslie would have none of it: "Leave it to the Conservatives to encourage young women to get married as part of their economic action plan, but his comments were disrespectful ... In other words, "There, there, stop planning for your future", she responded heatedly. Marriage, clearly, is out of the picture for New Democratic MPs planning the future for Canadian women.

Who would not be affronted by a man, an elected official, a Cabinet Minister in a Conservative government lending credence to the institution of marriage as a fulfilling lifestyle choice to complement other choices relating possibly to career and other aspirational opportunities. The sheer arrogance of it is breathtaking.

But then, that's what happens when one veers off script and transits into natural and normal social pleasantries As Minister Ashfield clearly did in a chat with the oldest daughter of a New Brunswick family during a staged public relations opportunity meant to demonstrate how the budget would affect an ordinary Canadian family.

Evidently the minister felt so comfortable in his role and his conversation with Grace Moreno that his sense of self-preservation slipped, leading him to make that incriminating comment: "Grace, you're a great cook. You're going to make a wonderful wife for somebody." How utterly demeaning to the young woman's discretionary sense of her future.

"In regards to what [the] Honourable Keith Ashfield said, I feel that it was a compliment,” she wrote. “On the day that he visited, our family welcomed him as our guest and treated him with Filipino hospitality. I personally made him a Filipino bread called ‘Ensaymada’. He complimented me on the bread, and I appreciated the thanks. I was not offended whatsoever and it is unfair that the Minister’s comment was taken out of context.”

Oh dear!