Marking 20 years
of bold journalism,
reader supported.
Today's Big Story

Belinda Bitched Out Again

Norman Spector weighs in on Stronach and all those damn woman reporters.

Richard Warnica 31 Oct 2006TheTyee.ca

Richard Warnica is a senior editor at The Tyee.

image atom

These are not boring times in Canadian politics. Climate change, Quebec nationalism and, in Afghanistan, Canada’s first offensive war in a generation are all alive and well.

But another story continues to dominate the hearts and minds in Ottawa. Two weeks ago, a 41-year-old man allegedly called his ex-girlfriend a dog in Parliament.

Neither the man, Foreign Affairs minister Peter McKay, nor the woman, Liberal member Belinda Stronach, have come out looking particularly rosy.

McKay has been attacked for continuing to insist that if it isn’t in the official record, he didn’t say it. While Stronach, and the rest of what’s left of the Liberal front bench, have been accused of exaggerating the offense for political gain.

So why is this today’s big story? Well, until yesterday, no one looked good in this kafuffle, but no one looked all that bad either.

Thankfully the owner of the most famous mock turtleneck in Canadian politics stepped up to the plate.

Speaking about the affair on the Bill Good show yesterday, Norman Spector called Stronach, a twice-elected former auto parts CEO and federal cabinet minister, a “bitch.” And, lest we think it was merely a slip, Spector backed it up later in an interview with the Globe and Mail.

"I think she's a bitch. It's as simple as that," Mr. Spector said. "And I think that 90 per cent of men would probably say she's a bitch for the way she's broken up Tie Domi's home and the way she dumped Peter MacKay. She is a bitch."

Not done, Spector, a former senior advisor to Brian Mulroney and ambassador to Israel, added this piece of analysis on the origins of the story:

"Half the Press Gallery now are women and women find this very offensive." 

The best, or worst, part of the story, is that without Spector this story was dying.  Yesterday Commons Speaker Peter Milliken announced once and for all that he could not rule on the case.

Digging through the Tyee archives  shows this story is nothing new. During her first campaign, coverage of Stronach focused moslty on her womanly assets. Ditto when she leapt to the Liberal party. It raises the question, are we really ready for women in politics?
 [Tyee]

  • Share:

Facts matter. Get The Tyee's in-depth journalism delivered to your inbox for free

Tyee Commenting Guidelines

Comments that violate guidelines risk being deleted, and violations may result in a temporary or permanent user ban. Maintain the spirit of good conversation to stay in the discussion.
*Please note The Tyee is not a forum for spreading misinformation about COVID-19, denying its existence or minimizing its risk to public health.

Do:

  • Be thoughtful about how your words may affect the communities you are addressing. Language matters
  • Challenge arguments, not commenters
  • Flag trolls and guideline violations
  • Treat all with respect and curiosity, learn from differences of opinion
  • Verify facts, debunk rumours, point out logical fallacies
  • Add context and background
  • Note typos and reporting blind spots
  • Stay on topic

Do not:

  • Use sexist, classist, racist, homophobic or transphobic language
  • Ridicule, misgender, bully, threaten, name call, troll or wish harm on others
  • Personally attack authors or contributors
  • Spread misinformation or perpetuate conspiracies
  • Libel, defame or publish falsehoods
  • Attempt to guess other commenters’ real-life identities
  • Post links without providing context

LATEST STORIES

The Barometer

Do You Think Naheed Nenshi Will Win the Alberta NDP Leadership Race?

Take this week's poll