08 January 2009

Clueless, useless “opposition”

Lorraine Michael is clueless.

She obviously – painfully obviously – doesn’t understand how cabinet appointments are made.  How the heck else would she make this kind of comment to voice of the cabinet minister?

NDP Leader Lorraine Michael wants the Premier to consult with the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women when filling board positions. Danny Williams appointed Ed Drover to replace outgoing member Mary J. Whelan on the Offshore Petroleum Board earlier this week and Michael says the new makeup may not be able to adequately address employment equity issues for women in the offshore since there are now no women sitting at the table. Michael says Williams missed the opportunity to name a woman to the now all-male board, which also has an all-male management team. Michael plans to raise her concerns in a letter to Williams.

If not understanding the process wasn’t bad enough, the biggest concern she’s got about the recent appointment of a Tory bagman to a plum job on the offshore regulatory board is that the fact the board is now all-male means they won’t be able to adequately address gender equity employment offshore.

First of all, Lorraine Michael is making a sexist comment.

That’s right, a sexist comment.  Her comment is based on the assumption that men cannot understand, appreciate or act on issues involving gender equity evidently merely because of their chromosomal structure.

Utter crap, Lorraine.  Sheer crap.

Second, she might want to pay attention to something like the lack of any obvious qualification for the appointee other than his impeccable Provincial Conservative ones. Rather than make sexist comments, Lorraine might try addressing substance.

Third, she might want to watch the news once in a while. 

Lorraine Michael is the kind of opposition a government loves:  clueless and hence completely ineffective. 

Go ahead and write your letter to Danny, Lorraine. 

It’s sure to have a profound effect on the guy who eats tough multinational companies for breakfast.

-srbp-