Kathleen Wynne represents the leftish wing of the Liberal Party of Ontario and that's the view I support. Wynne becomes the first women Premier of Ontario and she joins five other women who lead provincial/territorial governments in Canada. As of today, almost 90% of Canadians live in provinces headed by a woman!
Kathleen Wynne is also the first openly gay person to head a provincial government. She is married to Jane Rounthwaite.² Her sexual orientation wasn't really much of an issue during the campaign. Here she is, thanking her partner Jane during the acceptance speech last night.
1. Subject to approval by the Lieutenant Governor.
2. Same-sex marriage has been legal in Ontario since 2002.
...and what are the chances she can overcome the legacy of McGuinty, and win an election? Otherwise we're looking at a takeover by the Paleolithic Party.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, it is impressive to have a married lesbian as a provincial premier. The world has changed a lot since the days when a certain mayor of Ottawa kept very quiet about her girlfriend.
One day, a person will be elected to public office without mention of gender, sexual orientation, or religion but not in my lifetime.
ReplyDeleteWhy in the world would you want that to happen? I'll always be interested in a candidate's religion. It will influence how I vote.
DeleteFurthermore, I'll always be interested in their views on sexual orientation.
Come to think of it, gender is important too, especially a candidate's views on gender.
I am particularly unhappy with the stress you and the press put Wynne's gender and sexual orientation.
DeleteYou say you were hoping she would be chosen, but you don't say why. You don't discuss her qualifications except to say she "represents the leftish wing of the Liberal Party of Ontario."
As for her religion and views on sexual orientation, those are important only if she allows them to influence how she decides what is best for the province.
You say knowing the candidates' religion will influence how you vote, but wouldn't you be unhappy if the premiers religion influenced how she voted in the legislature and influenced how she made policy decisions?
I am particularly unhappy with the stress you and the press put Wynne's gender and sexual orientation.
DeleteThe reason I celebrate Kathleen Wynne's gender and sexual orientation is that it moves us one step closer to the time when neither will matter.
Surely, that's worth celebrating?
As for her religion and views on sexual orientation, those are important only if she allows them to influence how she decides what is best for the province.
That's correct, but in order to decide that you first have to know the candidate's religion and sexual orientation.
You say knowing the candidates' religion will influence how you vote, but wouldn't you be unhappy if the premiers religion influenced how she voted in the legislature and influenced how she made policy decisions?
Yes, exactly, I would be unhappy. It's difficult for me to envisage how strong religious beliefs could NOT influence policy decisions. Similarly, the influence of non-belief (atheism) is more likely to influence policy decisions in the way that I prefer. Hence, I look more favorably on atheist candidates than on Christian fundamentalists.
Hopefully she and Andrea Horwarth will be able to work together and avoid an early election. The best provincial government we have had here in the twenty five years I have lived here was when Peterson was dependant on NDP support.
ReplyDeleteI hope this will help keep the right wing extremist Tim Hudak permanently out of office.
Until the Canadian electoral system at the federal and provincial levels is reformed from the current first past the post/winner take all system that disenfranchises over half the population, I think that minority governments are the best approximation of proportional representation that we can hope for.
DeleteI'm in agreement with what you say about Hudak but you can't have a democratic system if you silence that proportion of the electorate that agrees with his platform (as much as he has been able to coherently articulate it).
You can see the failure of our current system in declining rates of the number of eligible voters who actually turn out to vote.
First time I heard of this.
ReplyDeleteIf its important to mention its a woman and gay then its important for all citizens to decide for themselves if its moral right or wrong.
I do think they select women because of a long agenda to raise women up. I don't think its fair and square by merit. Its affirmitive action.
Therefore its a discrimination against men.
Therefore never would i vote for a women who was given something because men don't deserve.
Anyways i don't think women are as able as men and its all the worst selecting them.
Its not including people but excluding people to bring about the right answer to who gets what.
As for the gay issue.
They are very few and again its a agenda to make homosexuality noram and acceptable upon a society that always said otherwise. Still does.
Even though I disagree with all things in the homosexual agenda i still do not oppose them getting any job that they can get fair and square.
Yet it being irrelevant is really itself a agenda of relevance.
Its not neutral but a agenda to say its not important.
Its used to say being gay is okay.
It is very unacceptable for her to mention a female partner.
It should be quiet. otherwise its demanding that homosexuality is morally right.
Its a aggressive act in the guise of a neutral act.
I do suspect it would mean gat issues are to be pushed forward by those in power.
It puts the public in a moral and intellectual position of being demanded to accept a gay premier as right and fine when all the public accepts is neutrality.
If its demanded to be accepted then we can demand its not to be accepted.
For this reason then citizens should vote against her just because of her being gay.
No way around it. Feminism and the gay agenda is what this choice is all about or would be about in a election.
Its a sad time for Ontario folks.
Its not the way we want it.
It should be a election issue.
Its its truly irrelevant then its okay because of common citizenship.
Anyways good riddance to McQuinty.!!
I was a Flower of the mountain yes when I put the rose in my hair like the Andalusian girls used or shall I wear a red yes and how he kissed me under the Moorish wall and I thought well as well him as another and then I asked him with my eyes to ask again yes and then he asked me would I yes to say yes my mountain flower and first I put my arms around him yes and drew him down to me so he could feel my breasts all perfume yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes
DeleteFinnegan's Wake would be closer to Robert's style.
DeleteActually, I had a hard time deciding between that and "The Jabberwocky"
DeleteWhat did poor Lewis Carroll ever do to deserve that invidious comparison ?
DeletePiotr,
DeleteDo not ever again compare Byers to Joyce.
Joyce is 100% coherent and clear compared to Byers.
AB is closer with Jabberwocky.
I would go with Huck Finn's father, particularly the monologue in which Dad scolds Huck to stop book larnin.
It's all very true, but such comparisons fail for one simple reason. Great writers can only imitate what comes naturally and effortlessly to some minds(?). And Mr. Byers is a natural. He doesn't even know how to chose the correct form of the indefinite article, but his word salad is Le Cordon Bleu master chef quality. All madness and no method in't.
DeleteI thought about my post.
ReplyDeleteI would change something.
While iys a agreement in society to not interfere with people because of sexual orientation the premier is a unique position.
It truly is a leadership for all Ontario.So the moral status of what that person represents is a right thing to affect voting.
So i do believe it is right and a duty to vote against anyone who is gay who is running for premier. Other political offices can be ignored and so being gay should not be a factor.
The big boss however is different.
It represents what should be at a higher level what is right in how the male/female relationship should be.
Leadership trumps otherwise live and let live.
So it is right and a must to vote against a gay leader.
This especially in these days when its a active movement and a agenda to make homosexuality a moral positive and reject the historic moral opposition.
In short even if it was vague or secret or very quiet it still demands voting against a gay premier.
Such position is unlike other jobs in society.
Oh, Jesus, Bob... the next time Doctor Who's in town, hitch a ride on the TARDIS back to 1850 and breathe a sigh of relief. It must be such a strain on you, flopping around on the shores of the 21st century, gasping for Levitican oxygen.
Deletegasping for Levitican oxygen.
DeleteShe has a defect in her sight, and may well have eaten lasagna. She better not be wearing a cotton/wool blend, or there really will be trouble.