The odd views of Professor Franceschet

Corrections from Alberta

Vincent J. Curtis

9 Aug 23

RE: Why a gender quota law makes sense for Canada. Op-ed by Susan Franceschet, professor of political science at the University of Calgary.  The Hamilton Spectator 9 Aug 23.

Contrary to Professor of political science Susan Franceschet reductive, stereotypical perception, Alberta is not populated mostly by rural white men. The two sexes are almost exactly equal in numbers, and more than half the population live in urban areas.  It may seem unfair that “80 percent of [Alberta’s] cabinet spots are held by men” but the Premier, Danielle Smith, is a woman (yes, we still use the terms ‘two sexes’ and ‘women’ out here) and the woman is the one who selected her cabinet members. (The beta males of Ottawa don’t try to bully Alberta men.)

It may well be that over half the opposition MLAs are women, but what does that say about Alberta liberation?  The Premier, Leader of the Opposition, and half the legislature are women.  So, what’s the complaint?  Many of fhe few men there are in the legislature got cabinet posts?

The professor of political science proposes that there should be some rule that requires ‘gender’ equity (whatever that elastic term means) in the cabinet, and, conveniently, this would preclude the UCP from governing.  (“You can’t assemble a gender equal government from such a skewed group of MLAs).  Her views of “representative government” are also odd, as one in which there are as many women as men in the legislature and in a ‘gender-parity’ cabinet.  This is the representation of a Stalinist doctrinaire.

Professor Franceschet clearly has no understanding of the British/Canadian/Alberta constitution, in which people can vote for whomever they like; and she’s supposed to be an expert in the science.  Political science: another soft discipline deserving of the chopping block.

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