A rchive Date
[ 03-02-2002 ]
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[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ Canada ]
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[http://www.canoe.ca/Columnists/dfisher.html
The real Chretien record on women
By DOUGLAS FISHER -- Sun Ottawa Bureau
February 3, 2002
This is a commentary about the current criticism of our prime minister for too little advancement for women in his caucus. Two of these women, Carolyn Bennett and Carolyn Parrish, think too few of them have been promoted and at least three female columnists have agreed.
One columnist, Chantal Hebert of the Toronto Star summed it this way:
"... it is ultimately the dead-end trail that Chretien has traced for women within his own government that demeans his self-promoted legacy of putting gender equality on the fast track. During his tenure, women have been a diminishing force within the political upper layers of the government."
A quick scan of the data on female ministers suggests this is unfair to Jean Chretien - see below!
There have been 35 female ministers, from the first, Ellen Fairclough, appointed in 1957 and the 35th, Susan Whelan, appointed last month. In the 45 years since Fairclough's selection, some 250 males have been appointed to the federal ministry. (It's been my luck to have watched them all, male and female, since 1957.)
Here's the female headcount, broken down by prime minister:
- John Diefenbaker: 1 appointment, Ellen Fairclough, in seven years.
- Lester Pearson: 1 appointment, Judy LaMarsh, in five years.
- Pierre Trudeau: 5 appointed in 14 years: Jeanne Sauve, Monique Begin, Iona Campagnolo, Judy Erola, and Celine Hervieux-Payette.
Joe Clark: 1 appointment in 1 year: Flora MacDonald
- Brian Mulroney: 11 appointed in nine years: Flora MacDonald (again), Pat Carney, Suzanne Blais-Grenier, Andree Champagne, Barbara McDougall, Monique Vezina, Shirley Martin, Monique Landry, Mary Collins, Kim Campbell, and Pauline Browes.
Kim Campbell: 1 appointed in 4 months: Barbara Sparrow.
- Jean Chretien: 15 appointed in eight years: Sheila Copps, Joyce Fairbairn, Diane Marleau, Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Anne McLellan, Sheila Finestone, Christine Stewart, Lucienne Robillard, Jane Stewart, Hedy Fry, Elinor Caplan, Claudette Bradshaw, Sharon Carstairs, Maria Minna, and Susan Whelan.
So ... on numbers, Jean Chretien seems to cherish women in his ministry, even more than Brian Mulroney and much more than Pierre Trudeau, probably more idolized by the female citizens of his time than any other prime minister.
Several matters need to be factored into any comparative judgments of prime ministers. There weren't many women MPs during the regimes of Diefenbaker and Pearson, and none, or very few, Liberal women MPs in Trudeau's early mandates. After the royal commission on the status of women (1967-70) reported, the clamour grew for more women MPs and yet only ten were elected for the mandate from 1974 to 1979. The response by a prime minister to a growing public pressure for more women in the cabinet came with the Mulroney sweep of 1984 which brought 27 women into the House.
A paradox
In my judgment I see this paradox: The female ministers, when women MPs were very few, were seen in their times as more influential in cabinet and their departments than the more recent, more numerous female ministers have been. Examples of this would be Ellen Fairclough, Judy LaMarsh, Jeanne Sauve, Monique Begin, Iona Campagnolo, and Flora MacDonald. Really, only Pat Carney, Barbara McDougall, and Kim Campbell among Tory ministers - and for the Liberals, Sheila Copps, Anne McLellan and Lucienne Robillard were, or have been, taken as above the mediocrity of most ministers.
It is this latter point that columnist Hebert has emphasized. That is, so many poor choices.
Jean Chretien has felt it necessary to turf five of his 15 choices - Maria Minna, Christine Stewart, Diane Marleau, Hedy Fry, and Sheila Finestone - and to downgrade one, Elinor Caplan. Such winnowing indicates thoughtless choices, and this despite an array behind the PM of interesting prospects like the aforementioned Carolyns, Bennett and Parrish, Albina Guarnieri, Marlene Catterall, Karen Redman, Eleni Bakopanos, Karen Kraft Sloan, Bonnie Brown, or Sarmite Bulte.
The prime minister has done little to make use of his engaging, talented Indian minister, Ethel Blondin-Andrew, an MP for 14 years and a minister for five. It's also my impression Chretien's close-in staff under the ubiquitous Eddie Goldenberg keeps a check-reining watch on all the female ministers except Copps, McLellan and Robillard.
Women senators
The PM has always gone out of his way to brag about the many women senators he's appointed. It is so - more than any previous PM - and most of them have become diligent, able parliamentarians. But the far more significant roles are in the ministry, notably in major portfolios, and not in either the senate or the government backbench.
The current House of Commons has more than a score of females among the four opposition parties - even a party leader. These MPs do their share of questioning and speaking in the House and taking part in its committees.
Of course, it is unfair to the run of male MPs to say the female MPs consistently edge the males but I am still where I was after an upbringing in a bush town where the women in it had made the community a good one. This was followed by a stint of teaching where I found no notable distinctions between male and female students in character, intelligence and capability. I see it as a fifty-fifty matter, just like the split in gender numbers.
When one considers that the tide now running in education and occupations means females will soon be the majority gender in most professions and in many managerial roles of businesses and services, it is apparent this tide has not yet registered enough to get the electors of Canada to give female candidates more consideration. And, regarding the present parliament, it has not yet made Chretien or his handlers like Goldenberg and David Smith excited enough to choose the ablest MPs at hand for the ministry ... which should mean more women ministers.
Letters to the editor should be sent to editor@sunpub.com
 World Fact Book (CIA)]
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