The title of the piece--Lesbian teacher barred from running for Ontario NDP--implies otherwise, but the source is Xtra, so really the slant in the hedder shouldn't be too surprising. In any case, from the article and comments that follow, the reason Diana got the heave-ho seems quite different:
It is a serious concern here that the NDP seems to be proactively judging Andrews on the basis of her complaint against the NDP friendly Elementary School Teachers of Toronto. NDP candidates are not allowed to sue unions? Is that the point? I bet things would be different if she were suing Rob Ford. It might be somewhat different, had the suit gone forward, and it was discovered in court that complaint was spurious. But as it is, it seems like the NDP is taking a side directly in a legal complaint for purely political reasons.
Sacked for biting the hand that feeds (the NDP)?
By the way, Andrea Horwath seems intent on squandering whatever momentum the federal "orange wave" gave her party. I mean, all the leaders thus far have reeled out some loopy policy--Dalton's 15 minutes late and your Go Train is Free proposal, for example. What inspired that? Pizza Pizza? But the NDP's one meter exclusion zone around bikes takes the prize. Unenforceable, and won't play outside of downtown T.O., if there.
Well, I hardly expect you to say positive things about the NDP, but I agree that Andrews' sexual orientation is irrelevant to whatever happened. To suggest otherwise, as Xtra does, is dishonest.
ReplyDeleteBut. What we need out of the ONDP brass is a clear explanation, not just a decision made in the backrooms. Whatever that explanation, and it might be a good one, it can't be worse than the optics of what happened at the nomination meeting. Way to turn off the grass roots.
A bit like Chretien vetoing riding association choices without explanation, not to mention the unending comic-opera farce of the Conservatives' Rob Anders selection process.
A bit like Chretien vetoing riding association choices without explanation....
ReplyDeleteThere are two ways to win a nomination. You win a riding Association election or you're parachuted in -- which the paray allows someone to by-pass the riding association race. For example, Ruth Ellen Brosseau is a parachuted candidate. Now, Chretien was guilty of parachuting candidates in ridings.
As for having no explanation for this.... there are actually four reasons why Chretien did this. Back in 1990, Chretien said he wanted to make it a goal to nominate more women and minorities. Every election, he appointed enough women to reach his goal of having women make up 25% of the Liberal candidates. There was also an uptick in visible minorities becoming candidates -- 16% of appointed vs. 9% of riding association nominees. Another reason Chretien appointed candidates was to allow incumbants to automatical run in the next election and not facing riding association runs. The third reason was to prevent single-issue groups from taking over a riding. For example, a pro-life group made pushes into Liberal riding associations in the late eighties, early nineties. Jean Augustine was parachuted into the Etobicoke-Lakeshore riding, which stopped pro-life Dan McCash from winning the Liberal nomination. The last reason was Chretien parachuted candidates was because he wanted someone in cabinet who didn't necessarily have a lot of political experience -- for example Stephane Dion (background in academia) and Marcel Masse (former civil servant who'd also worked for the IMF, World Bank and as a Clerk of the Privy Council for Joe Clark).
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Anyway, going back to the Diana Andrews situation... if it is because of her law suit with the Elementary School Teacher's Union.... she's still listed as an executive for the Elementary Schoo Teachers of Toronto union Whatever happened between Andrews and the union must have been very recent, or it's not important enough for the union to scrub her from their site. Going from the article in Xtra when she ran federally, she sounds like a strong candidate.
"For example, Ruth Ellen Brosseau is a parachuted candidate."
ReplyDeleteNot in the sense you mean. She wasn't stuck in over the wishes of a riding association. She was a warm body (but seems to be proving her mettle), placed as a candidate where there was a moribund riding association with no candidate of its own. At least, that's how I understand it.