It Could Happen to You

Sask Party MLA calls NDP MLA "Dumb Bitch" in the House

Right-wing Saskatchewan Party MLA Mike Chisholm was speaking in the House this week and he made an pretty derogatory remark to one of the Female NDP MLA's.

I quote from Hansard:

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Mr. Chisholm: — Mr. Chair, those last comments were completely inappropriate for this committee, and I understand they should be withdrawn . . . [inaudible interjection] . . . You're calling somebody lazy and you think that's okay? Maybe we have to look at the Hansard on that one too, Deb, dumb bitch.

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The "Deb" he is referring to is Deb Higgins, the NDP MLA from Moose Jaw.

Check out the handy YouTube clip:



Now, I don't want to make too big a deal about this, both sides of the House cross the line from time-to-time, but this language is fairly unacceptable. I have no doubt that a apology was issued but still, I think this speaks to the Sask Party's bigger issue - their attitude towards women.

Update: Not only was there an apology but Chisholm has resigned from his position as a Legislative Secretary:

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Michael Chisholm, a Saskatchewan Party MLA for Cut Knife-Turtleford, has resigned as a legislative secretary after calling the NDP's Deb Higgins "a dumb bitch."

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Sask Liberals lean to the Right

Or so says the headline in this leader-post story.

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The Saskatchewan Liberal Party has begun a period of introspection after party candidates were shut out for a second consecutive provincial election last November. And, suggestions emerged Saturday the party could be nudging toward more right-wing ideals.

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That's right, return to the glory days of Thatcher, nothing like 40-year-old discredited ideas.

Of course, that would be a step up for the Liberals in Saskatchewan. They are the only group I know that with one elected official (federally or provincially) out of 74 and having gone zero for 4 in the last 4 provincial by-elections and election, that can make a virtue of their looserdom:

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"We have one of those unique windows in the life of a political party where you don't have the baggage of the past and you really have a clean slate." - Ryan Androsoff

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Good job Prairie fire, good job. :-)

Minister of Labour Rob Norris

Wow! This is harsh even by Mr. Mandryk's standards:

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If it truly was the New Democrats' goal to portray Norris as pompous and idiotic in this committee, their greatest ally in this effort has been Norris himself.

Deliberately adopting a speaking style reminiscent of William Shatner on the bridge of the USS Enterprise, Norris has blithered on about Plato, Aristotle and dead trees casting a shadow on the province. No metaphor has gone untortured.

But while Norris's petulance in committee has served no purpose other than to annoy, insult and demean, it may be unfair to single him out

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So to summarize, Norris is pompous, idiotic, blithering, annoying, insulting and demeaning.

Sounds about right

Saskatchewan Green-Liberal Merger?

You know you are not doing so well as a political party when the greens try to buy you out.

The Greens!

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What was far most interesting was that the Greens used the occasion to officially serve notice they'd like to see a formal merger with the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan.

[snip]

Interim Liberal president Frank Proto was quick to note in an interview Tuesday that this isn't the first time he's heard such overtures since the November election.

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Needless to say, this isn't getting a super warm reception from John Murney. I would link to other Saskatchewan Liberal Blog reactions, but I don't know any.

On Blogs and Lawsuits

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"The greatest threat to freedom is the absence of criticism."

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Wole SOYINKA

Nigerian playwright, poet, novelist, and political activist (1934-)

So my blogging associate Lance has shut down the SaskBlogs aggregator, a service that benefited all of the Saskatchewan bloggers. I understand his reasons and I accept that he felt he had to do what he did but it really too bad.

This all stems from a lawsuit that has been launched against Small Dead Animals. Now my readers will know that I have gone of the way, on many, many occasions on this blog to try to discredit and attack Kate and her blog (and Lance has come in for his fair share of criticism as well)

But this is an attack on free speech. It is easy to defend free speech when it is something that you like, it takes some guts to defend the speech that you hate.

So let it be said, at least here, (even if that is meaningless), Kate, Lance and all others should have the right to say whatever they want on their blogs without threat of lawsuit or any other legal interference from the state or the public.

Kate, Lance, I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend your right to say it. For what it is worth (and I know it is not worth much) you have my support in this matter.

gpm

Saskatchewan Fillibuster

Leader Post

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By early evening Monday, NDP MLA Kevin Yates had spoken for three hours on the motion and was still going strong

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What the hell is going on in Saskatchewan these days! First the tape and now the legislature is being ground to a halt with a fillibuster.

The first session for the Saskatchewan Party is looking a bit disastrous.