MacLean's capital diarist Mitchel Raphael has the latest on everyone's favourite formerly progressive Conservative, Peter McKay.
You may remember Peter as the guy who told former NDP leader Alexa McDonough to stick to her knitting, called ex-girlfriend Belinda Stronach a dog and then lied about it despite the audio evidence, and mocked NDP MP Dawn Black in another question period exchange last spring.
It seems Peter was at it again last week, turning his patented McKay charm on Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett, advising her to just “calm herself” and “be a little more helpful.” Man, Peter does have a way with the ladies, doesn't he?
Mitchel helpfully supplies the Hansard:
Hon. Carolyn Bennett (St. Paul’s, Lib): "Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government seems to have it in for the UN. It has ignored the UN treaty on cluster bombs, the UN climate change treaty, the UN convention on the rights of disabled people and now this convention for disabled persons.And from the Dawn Black exchange back in May:
"When will the Prime Minister stop taking dictation from the White House? Canadians want an independent foreign policy.
"Would the minister tell us why he is embarrassing Canadians by refusing to sign this convention without hiding behind consultation. That happens before ratification."
Hon. Peter MacKay (Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, CPC): "Mr. Speaker, I do not know quite what to say to that. As I mentioned, we are of course working toward the ratification of the UN convention on the rights of the disabled. We have been very involved in the process from the very beginning.
"We are very active at the United Nations in all of the discussions. If the hon. member would just calm herself somewhat and be a little more helpful she would realize that this is something that will happen. We have not reached the date yet."
Ms. Dawn Black: "Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve to know the answers to these important questions, most of which were asked by the government itself while in opposition.What a catch. And he's still single ladies! Condi, you'd better tie him down while you still can... Recommend this Post on Progressive Bloggers
"Will the minister concede that in fact the government has no clue as to how long we are going to be there, no idea how much it is going to cost and no strategy for how we are going to get out? Canadians deserve these answers. When will the government come--
The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Hon. Peter MacKay (Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, CPC): "Mr. Speaker, I was having difficulty hearing the member as well. Maybe she could raise her voice in her next question.""What we know, obviously, is that Canada, as I said, is part of a very important effort to try to eradicate."
8 comments:
Jesus Christ Jeff,
I know you like to be a water carrier whenever possible, but COME ON..
Peter as the guy who told former NDP leader Alexa McDonough to stick to her knitting
This is not a sexist remark, it means "mind your own business". Give it a rest. I assume you've already gotten to the point in French Kiss where Chantal Hebert reports that Stephen Harper told another male politician (I think it was Paul Martin) to stick to his knitting (eg. stay within the federal jurisdiction)?
I know that you're predisposed as a Liberal to think that everything a Conservative says is sexist or insulting in some way, but for the love of God, please drop the "stick to your knitting" line.
I agree with Olaf on the knitting expression. However, women especially are subject to base lies and attacks from the neocons. Harper lied blatantly in the House this week about Robillard and Jennings. The Chief Justice of the SCC has been purposely misquoted, etc...
Olaf:
So why did he not just say "mind your own business"?
It is no more dismissive than his actual statements and it does not have sexist undertones or at least can be construed as sexist.
He should have known that making such a statement would be twisted by his opponents so it was a stupid remark from a political standpoint.
Whether you agree that Mr. McKay's statement was sexist or not I think you would agree with Jeff's assertion that Mr. McKay has a tendency to put both feet into his mouth on an almost regular basis.
First of all Olaf, despite my posts against so-cons I'd rather not have the Lord's name taken in vain round here.
Anyway, it would seem Peter felt the comment was inappropriate as he apologized for making it. I'll grant you though, it doesn't rise to the level of calling Belinda a dog, particularly when taken in isolation. However, when viewed alongside an increasing number of questionable comments from Mr. McKay it is difficult to not see some sort of pattern emerging.
D'oh!! That should read CANNOT be construed as sexist.
I am going to have to put in for new fingers.
Whooee! I ain't takin' MacKay t' task fer bein' a numbnuts who don't realize some folks see sexism when all's he's tryin' t' do is be clever. I figger he ain't too awfully sexist an' he ain't too awfully clever, neither.
I feel a little sorry fer Petey on accounta he got hoodwinked inta dissolvin' his Pergressive Cons an' the new party ain't as pergresive as he thought it might turn out. I feel sorry fer a feller who gets all girl-crazy over Condi Rice. I feel sorry fer a down-easter who gets t' play second-fiddle to a guy who don't know a fiddle from a violin. I even feel a little sorry fer him on accounta he got dumped fer Bill Clinton.
As sorry as a feel fer Mackay, he's on my shitlist (Gina Scripes, Jeff. I hope "shitlist" ain't too offensive.) I wrote t' Petey last week about this here 9 year old Canajun citizen who's bein' held in a Merkan jailhouse down in Texas. Mackay never even acknowledged my message an' he ain't doin' diddly fer the little asthmatic Canajun boy who's sleepin' next t' the shitter (sorry Jeff) in inhuman conditions that violate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
So if Petey wants t' call B-Linda a pooch or tell Alexa t' go knit a scarf or treat Condi to a Timmy's donut, that's up t' Pete. But he's Canada's go-to guy on Canajuns gettin' their human rights trampled on in foreign coutries an' he ain't gettin' the job done, sez I.
JimBobby
"So why did he not just say "mind your own business"
The same reason my wife uses the expression. Born and raised down east, where its a commonly used term.
As for putting his feet in his mouth, Iggy already claimed the prize for his "sideshow" comment.
Jeff,
Did you get to the part in Chantal Hebert's book where Harper uses the term with regards to a federal government that stays within it's jurisdiction? Is Harper being sexist in this case? Can't we just agree that however it was taken, it's clearly a legitimate expression that isn't at all sexist in nature, and move on?
And what, men can't tell women to calm themselves now? If MacKay had told Ralph Goodale to calm himself, would anyone have noticed? I really don't know what the point of this post was.
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