New leader of B.C. NDP has to be a woman, according to obscu
Gunnair @ Sun Jan 02, 2011 9:46 am
$1:
VICTORIA -- The next leader of the British Columbia New Democratic Party will have to be a woman, unless the party's male president or treasurer resigns, according to gender rules in the NDP constitution. The unique requirement, buried within the NDP's official rule book, adds an extra layer of complexity in the race to replace leader Carole James. The constitution states both genders must be represented in the jobs of party leader, president and treasurer.
The current president is Moe Sihota, and the treasurer is Bob Smits. James is stepping down later this month, and virtually all those who have publicly said they are considering the job are men.
"If the constitution is going to be complied with, one of those other officers needs to resign and be replaced with a woman," said former NDP provincial representative David Schreck, who first publicized the gender clause on his Twitter account Friday.
"There's only one way out and that is Sihota or Smits has to be replaced by a woman."
The party's gender equality rules may also apply to the interim leader, to be selected by NDP caucus later this month, Sihota said.
"We're seeking some advice on that," Sihota said Saturday. He wouldn't speculate on whether he or Smits would resign if caucus selected a male interim leader.
NDP officials will discuss the situation next week, he said. The interim leader will head the party until a leadership vote April 17. Sihota said the NDP executive is "well aware" of the gender rules in the constitution. "We'll be making some recommendations to the executive in January and the provincial council in February on how we deal with that," he said. The objective will be to comply with the constitution, not change it, said Sihota.
Even if the party wanted to alter its constitution and abolish the gender rules, it would need to pull together a complicated convention meeting, said Schreck.
"The likelihood of changing a provision like that in the constitution is somewhat akin to a snowball surviving in hell," he said.
James announced her resignation Dec. 6 after 13 of her 34 MLA caucus mutinied against her. All the NDP MLAs who have said they are considering running for the leadership are men. Federal NDP MP Peter Julian is expected to announce his leadership intentions next week. Marijuana activist Dana Larsen announced his bid for leader last week. The gender provisions in the NDP constitution are at least a decade old, Sihota said. They also include a requirement that at least 50 per cent of the vice-presidents, members at large, regional members and youth representatives be women. The party has made a point of enshrining gender equality in its rules, including designating more than one-third of the ridings for women in the 2009 provincial election. Twelve of the 34 NDP MLAs are women.
"The NDP find themselves in an odd predicament," said Norman Ruff, University of Victoria political science professor emeritus.
"They've prided themselves in being on the forefront of equality issues, but at the moment they are dragging behind the Liberals in (female) leadership candidates."
Ruff said he thinks the party won't have to solve the gender problem until at least April, when it finally selects a permanent leader. But it may continue to be a matter of controversy until then.
"The NDP are already in some disarray, and their predicament doesn't seem to be improving."
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/technology ... z19tg9id00
The current president is Moe Sihota, and the treasurer is Bob Smits. James is stepping down later this month, and virtually all those who have publicly said they are considering the job are men.
"If the constitution is going to be complied with, one of those other officers needs to resign and be replaced with a woman," said former NDP provincial representative David Schreck, who first publicized the gender clause on his Twitter account Friday.
"There's only one way out and that is Sihota or Smits has to be replaced by a woman."
The party's gender equality rules may also apply to the interim leader, to be selected by NDP caucus later this month, Sihota said.
"We're seeking some advice on that," Sihota said Saturday. He wouldn't speculate on whether he or Smits would resign if caucus selected a male interim leader.
NDP officials will discuss the situation next week, he said. The interim leader will head the party until a leadership vote April 17. Sihota said the NDP executive is "well aware" of the gender rules in the constitution. "We'll be making some recommendations to the executive in January and the provincial council in February on how we deal with that," he said. The objective will be to comply with the constitution, not change it, said Sihota.
Even if the party wanted to alter its constitution and abolish the gender rules, it would need to pull together a complicated convention meeting, said Schreck.
"The likelihood of changing a provision like that in the constitution is somewhat akin to a snowball surviving in hell," he said.
James announced her resignation Dec. 6 after 13 of her 34 MLA caucus mutinied against her. All the NDP MLAs who have said they are considering running for the leadership are men. Federal NDP MP Peter Julian is expected to announce his leadership intentions next week. Marijuana activist Dana Larsen announced his bid for leader last week. The gender provisions in the NDP constitution are at least a decade old, Sihota said. They also include a requirement that at least 50 per cent of the vice-presidents, members at large, regional members and youth representatives be women. The party has made a point of enshrining gender equality in its rules, including designating more than one-third of the ridings for women in the 2009 provincial election. Twelve of the 34 NDP MLAs are women.
"The NDP find themselves in an odd predicament," said Norman Ruff, University of Victoria political science professor emeritus.
"They've prided themselves in being on the forefront of equality issues, but at the moment they are dragging behind the Liberals in (female) leadership candidates."
Ruff said he thinks the party won't have to solve the gender problem until at least April, when it finally selects a permanent leader. But it may continue to be a matter of controversy until then.
"The NDP are already in some disarray, and their predicament doesn't seem to be improving."
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/technology ... z19tg9id00
It only gets more interesting.
Bodah @ Sun Jan 02, 2011 9:54 am
I guess qualifications don't matter and only what people are packing between their legs and the color of it do.
Go Canada !!!
Gunnair @ Sun Jan 02, 2011 10:00 am
Yeah... oh we are soooooooo fucked up.
andyt @ Sun Jan 02, 2011 4:25 pm
I read they were already talking about changing it. But it looks like they've paddled themselves up the creek and broke the paddle. Stupid idea to begin with, and the kind of thing that makes people not want to vote for them. Who wants to vote for a govt that's driven by political correctness instead of pragmatism about what works. We could very well wind up with Cristie (BC Railgate) Clark unless voters really stop being sheep and vote for "other." And that "other" could be Zalm puppet.
Freakinoldguy @ Sun Jan 02, 2011 4:34 pm
Can anyone say:
Jenny Kwan
No wonder she was so freakin interested in stabbing Carol James in the back. Or, could it be that Moe wants a woman in charge so he can pretend he's still in charge. 
This is just another nail in the coffin of what was once seen by some people as a viable alternative to the slugs in the BC Liberal Party. ![[B-o]](./images/smilies/drinkup.gif "Drink up")
God I love BC Politics. 
andyt @ Sun Jan 02, 2011 4:47 pm
Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:
Can anyone say:
Jenny Kwan
No wonder she was so freakin interested in stabbing Carol James in the back. Or, could it be that Moe wants a woman in charge so he can pretend he's still in charge.
This is just another nail in the coffin of what was once seen by some people as a viable alternative to the slugs in the BC Liberal Party.
God I love BC Politics.
Jenny Kwan
No wonder she was so freakin interested in stabbing Carol James in the back. Or, could it be that Moe wants a woman in charge so he can pretend he's still in charge.
This is just another nail in the coffin of what was once seen by some people as a viable alternative to the slugs in the BC Liberal Party.
God I love BC Politics.
Maybe out of the ashes we'll get parties that use pragmatism to run their platform instead of the pc stuff we got from both the NDP and the Liberals. The pro buisiness views of the Liberals were just as pc driven as the Dippers, just for tighty righties. What we need is an inquiry into BC Rail, convention center, BC place roof etc, so people quit spouting the nonsense that the Liberals know how to manage money any better than the Dippers. Just reward a different crowd is all, being a pinko I'd rather see money going to teachers and nurses than millionaire developers any day. Or better yet, not going to anybody that's already doing will, those are the people who should be tightening their belts, instead of the wage slaves.
Radio @ Sun Jan 02, 2011 5:19 pm
Why isn't anyone suggesting a viable solution to this might, just might, be to get rid of the most stupid and pathological liar in BC, Moe Sihota?
Scape @ Sun Jan 02, 2011 5:25 pm
Moe? He's iron clad as far as the rank and file are concerned. Bob would go well before he did.
ShepherdsDog @ Sun Jan 02, 2011 5:27 pm
Whenever I hear Moe Sihota's name mentioned, Sammy Haggar's "I can't drive 55" starts playing in my mind
andyt @ Sun Jan 02, 2011 5:29 pm
Radio Radio:
Why isn't anyone suggesting a viable solution to this might, just might, be to get rid of the most stupid and pathological liar in BC, Moe Sihota?
I have no use for shMoe, but he's certainly not BC's or the NDP's biggest problem. Tho if he's party president, he may be a symptom of their biggest problem.
Public_Domain @ Sun Jan 02, 2011 6:05 pm
Gunnair @ Sun Jan 02, 2011 6:11 pm
Mr_Canada Mr_Canada:
Pretty anti-democratic
Forced representation isn't freedom
and it is not actual equality
Forced representation isn't freedom
and it is not actual equality
I wonder if they dig some trans-gendered figurehead to cut through the red tape.
Scape @ Sun Jan 02, 2011 6:11 pm
It's their bed and they are going to lie about it no doubt. However, Moe is a ruthless one. The NDP would do well to have him as the leader but I doubt he would be foolish enough to take it. That's what they need more then ever right now is someone to get the party back in line before it spins apart. I suspect that somehow the NDP will once again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and give the Liberals yet another majority.
Gunnair @ Sun Jan 02, 2011 6:12 pm
Scape Scape:
It's their bed and they are going to lie about it no doubt. However, Moe is a ruthless one. The NDP would do well to have him as the leader but I doubt he would be foolish enough to take it. That's what they need more then ever right now is someone to get the party back in line before it spins apart. I suspect that somehow the NDP will once again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and give the Liberals yet another majority.
Moe has waaaaay too much baggage to be anything more than the man behind the curtain.
Public_Domain @ Sun Jan 02, 2011 6:25 pm