Dion's Record on Women in Politics

August 15, 2007

Today, Liberals like Stéphane Dion and Martha Hall Findlay are attacking the Conservative government over the number of women in cabinet. Dion, who has repeatedly promised that he would increase the representation of women in politics, should look at his own actions, which speak louder than words. Prominent female candidates have been pushed aside in favour of Dion’s “dream team” candidates like Bob Rae and Gerard Kennedy. :

The facts:

Dion’s first act as leader in unveiling his “Dream Team” was to drop Lucienne Robillard as Deputy Leader to replace her with a man – Michael Ignatieff. Robillard was demoted to Deputy House Leader and has now announced that she is leaving politics
Belinda Stronach, who according to Liberal sources was “not a favorite” of Stephane Dion ( Toronto Star, April 12, 2007), has announced that she is leaving politics.
Meredith Cartwright, who had been working in the riding in her efforts to seek the nomination, raised concerns for weeks that she would be pushed aside in favour of Bob Rae, even setting up a website urging Dion not to parachute Rae into the riding. Rae won the nomination
Gerard Kennedy is bumping aside two women who had hoped to carry the Grit banner in Parkdale - former MP Sarmite Bulte, who had hoped to run again, and Elaine Flis, daughter of another former Parkdale Liberal MP, who had also expressed interest in seeking the nomination. Both women were reportedly convinced to step aside to give Kennedy a clear field ( CP, February 5, 2007)
Flis had been organizing for the nomination, believing Mr. Dion's vow that he wanted 33 per cent female candidates. Insiders say she has written to senior Liberals asking what the commitment really is for female candidates ( Globe and Mail, February 10, 2007)
Dion demoted Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla from the Health file
Dion did not name a single female as either the chair or vice-chair of any of his new five new committees. All five are chaired by men
Only four of the 20 members of the priorities and planning committee are women; Toronto-area MP Susan Kadis is the only woman on the 11-member economic prosperity committee; Ontario MP Brenda Chamberlain is the only woman on the eight-member social justice committee; and there is only one woman on the environmental sustainability committee and on the Canada and the World committees, which have 11 and 10 members respectively. ( Globe and Mail, January 19, 2007)
(Dion) fell short when naming Liberal female MPs to a host of caucus committees, with only 10 per cent ( CP, Hamilton Spectator, January 19, 2007)
In the much larger Liberal cabinets, women comprised only a maximum of 9 of 39 ministers – 23%. Almost the same percentage as in the current, smaller Conservative cabinet