The King and I

For the first time, King Danny and I seem to have something in common: we share the same feelings about Steven Harper. Mr. Williams has been loudly admonishing the PM in the past few weeks about his slick maneuvers over equalization. “Promises made are not promises kept” is the media mantra.

It doesn’t have quite the same ring to my ears as the “Promises Made, Promises Broken” campaign that the Feminist Coalition of NL launched in January 2007. On the anniversary of another of Harper’s promises, FemCo reminded the federal Conservatives of their promise to women:

"If elected I will take concrete and immediate measures as recommended by the UN to ensure that Canada fully upholds its commitment to women in Canada" -Stephen Harper, January 18, 2006”

By now, everyone knows the outcome of this promise: major cuts to women’s programs, the closure of 12 Status of Women Canada offices, the elimination of Court Challenges and perhaps most abhorrent, the removal of the word “equality” from the women’s program and the outright abolishing of any advocacy work. In other words, not one step in the right direction….actually, more like 10 steps in the direction of the conservative right!

Normally, I would be quite unnerved about being in agreement with the Premier. After all, his leadership has not been especially friendly to the advancement of women. Remember Elizabeth Marshall’s quick demotion after a run-in with his highness? How about his cocky dismissal of “The Joyce Hancocks of the world”?

The heavy-handed, my-way-or-the-highway approach (that seems to win him points with so many) goes against every fibre of my being.

But in this instance, I don’t mind sharing an opinion of our federal leader, mainly because I feel a little smug.

On the front page of the April 4 edition of The Western Star, Williams is quoted as saying he will continue his struggle with Harper by using “Truth. Honesty. Integrity. Justice. Fairness. That’s pretty powerful and I’ll use those right to the end of the election.”

Oh, Danny boy.

If you had been paying the least bit of attention to the women in the province and our struggles with the federal government around equality, you would know that truth, honesty and integrity just don’t swing it with Harper.

But then, if you happen to know another way to communicate with men in power who seem determined to dictate rather than discuss, please let me know. Then again, you wouldn’t want to give away that secret, would you?



LINK:Corner Brook - The Western Star
LINK: Heather Davis