Reflections on the morning after
158 to 133. Enough to pass Bill C-38, and I'll happily take it. If I land a tenure-track job at the University of Alberta in the future, my marriage will be recognized there (barring some nutbar move by Ralph Klein).
There was something bittersweet about the vote though. It's hard to ignore the 133 people who voted against the legislation. They do speak for a large constituency of Canadians who do not think that my marriage should be recognized, and that is something that still hurts. There were hateful things said yesterday in the House of Commons, and indeed half of the times I flipped past CPAC, someone, whether Liberal or Conservative, was saying something about the destruction of the Canadian family, or something similar. I expected it from the Conservative Party, and in reply to Monte Solberg, I will happily take this new Canada. Moreover, I will heartily thank Jim Prentice, James Moore and Gerald Keddy, who stuck by their guns and voted for the legislation.
What stung the most was the fact that Bev Desjarlais, NDP member for Churchill, did not abstain as she had done on earlier votes, but showed up and voted against Bill C-38. She is supposed to be representing the progressive voice in Parliament. How she can work day in and day out with gay and lesbian colleagues and still feel that their relationships are somehow less legitimate than heterosexual ones is mind-boggling. I think that the party made the right decision in stripping her of her critic's portfolio (recognizing that kicking her out of caucus was unlikely to happen).
Those discordant notes aside, this is a good day for Canada. It is also a time for celebration, and a good amount of levity. With that in mind, check out Robert's great post over at My Blahg. It'll make you smile! Recommend this Post
posted by Matt @ 8:19 am
5 comments
5 Comments:
Sweet! Monte said we can have it! Does that mean he's leaving?
Bev Desjarlais - she's what a Party Whip is for.
The NDP does not have the authority to whip anyone, they do not have enough members to even talk about promotion and demotion in the party.
Are you up for a tenure-track position at the University of Alberta? I'd love to show you the ropes in person!
Idealistic Pragmatist - I only wish. I'm actually heading east this fall for another post-doc, this time at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick. I made the U of A reference because my husband keeps joking that my next post will be in Alberta, so as to keep me moving around the different regions of the country. I was actually offered a post-doc at U of A two years ago, but Concordia worked better for us at the time. I've liked Edmonton when I've been there for conferences and research trips. It would be a nice post, if they were hiring.
Ah well. If it ever does come up, give me a ping. I'm quite nicely settled here (got tenure in 2003), and it's a good place to have a career.
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