NB legislature gives short shrift to equality seekers.
by Jody Dallaire
New Brunswick’s legislature resumes sitting next Tuesday. Legislators work hard under difficult conditions, facing the political game as it is currently played, the public disenchantment, disrespect even, for politics — even from politicians — and the limited role of backbenchers.
The fact that there is so little diversity among the Members will not help the discussion either – very few women for one thing, no people of the First Nations, and no voice for the 15 percent of New Brunswickers who voted but for a party not represented in the Assembly.
Having said that, I have questions for our provincial politicians. Others will ask about the issues of the moment – fracking, Point Lepreau, etc. I want to know what their plan is on fairness.
Last election, only 12 of Liberal candidates were women, 43 were men.
Just so you know I’m not targeting only the current party in power, my first questions are for the Liberals: so what’s the strategy to have some female MLAs next time? Zero women Liberal MLAs, like now, should not be an option. Last time, only 12 of your candidates were women, 43 were men. What’s the plan for the future? Doing the same things as in the past is likely to backfire these days.
The poverty reduction plan was thrown together under the previous Liberal government, but with the cooperation and approval of the then-Opposition Progressive Conservatives:
Liberals: Will you lead the way by recognizing the “plan” as flawed and, instead of criticizing the government for the growing poverty, get the government to 1) Integrate concern for people’s standard of living in all relevant government policies and 2) Develop a real plan?
Where is the plan to address the number of deaths, injuries and costs caused by intimate partner violence — mostly male violence against women?
To all political parties, I ask, where is the plan to address the number of deaths, injuries and government expenditures caused by intimate partner violence — mostly male violence against women — in this province?
Treating victims after the fact doesn’t count. If helping victims is violence prevention, then hospital emergency departments are “health promotion and accident prevention units”.
New Brunswick has had a recent rash of murders and murder suicides, yet we act as if male violence against women is a given, inevitable, unchallengeable. Are the churches telling the government that the poor – and the battered women — shall always be with you?
Are the churches telling the government that the poor – and the battered women — shall always be with you?
Cuts to legal aid and family court constitute a related issue. The last few years have seen a gutting of services through family courts and essentially the disappearance of legal aid for other than criminal matters. Courts are bogged down with cases where a poor soul is representing themselves ponderously. Lives are more miserable because of unsettled affairs, unpaid amounts, unfair situations. Families where there is conflict or violence are put into danger when services are not available to help sort out separations and custody issues.
When this government produced its first Budget, in March last year, it stunned everyone by announcing the imminent abolition of the New Brunswick Advisory Council of the Status of Women, a respected body which the party in power’s platform had promised to work closely with. New Brunswick women and the equality community reacted sharply to this action as an attack on the promise of equality. After 18 months of government meetings and consultations, women remain without an independent voice.
Will the next provincial budget – the number one policy document of any government – be concerned about its impact on equality? Any budget could inadvertently make matters worse, if it does not examine the potential impact on people, like an environmental impact analysis.
Will the next budget spend public funds in a program that attempts to fix problems that another program is causing? Such an impact analysis must extend to the revenue part of the budget. If tax cuts are given to the better-off, then whose services are being cut to pay for that, or who is going to pay more to make up the difference?
Finally, for all the years and dollars spent on studying the gender pay gap and pay equity by successive New Brunswick governments over the last decade, how many more dollars have gone into New Brunswickers pockets? Pay equity programs for government employees have been put in place, but the main issue was always the pay inequity in the private sector, where the great majority of us work. What exactly has changed?
About Jody Dallaire
Jody Dallaire lives and works in Dieppe New Brunswick where she writes a weekly column on women's equality issues and matters of social justice.
Email: jody.dallaire@rogers.com.
One Response to “If women had their own Question Period”
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One member per riding makes it very difficult to nominate anyone who is "different". Multi-member ridings or party lists provide a different incentive—"something for everyone". EVERY democracy that elects at least 30% women uses a proportional voting system. More info: http://FairVote.Ca