“Crossing the floor’ is the term used when a politican decides to leave their party and join another.
It is a literal event in the sense that the governing party sits on one side of parliament and the opposition on the other.
Belinda Stronach, a billionare heiress who ran for the leadership of the Conservative Party in 2004, surprised Ottawa by leaving the Conservative Party today and jumping into a Liberal cabinet position.
There is mixed reaction from her Newmarket-Aurora (Ontario) riding. She won that seat with just over 600 votes.
The budget vote Thursday will come down to two independents in the house.
Update: I popped over to a political thread for a brief moment today. I don’t know what the heck is wrong with people. Kevin Powell says it well at his blog.
Whore” “Prostitute” “Bimbo” “Dipstick” “Blonde Ambition” These are words I’ve been hearing today from Conservatives to describe Belinda Stronach and her defection to the Liberals. Would these kinds of names be hurled at Peter Mackay if he was the one that defected? Even Scott Brison, in all his homosexual glory, was saved the brutal personal attacks after he defected to the Liberals.
It’s terrible how we treat our women.
Stronach’s decision overshadowed the arrival of Queen Elizabeth II. Her Majesty appeared to be genuinely glad to be here. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh begin a nine day visit to Saskatchewan and Alberta. I noticed the royal car doesn’t have a licence plate. Never noticed that before.
This is the Queen’s 21st official visit to Canada, it has been 18 years since she has been in Saskatchewan.
Long day. The Queen started the day in full regalia reading the speech from the Throne to open the British Parliament.
The Royal Visit website is here.
I don’t have strong feelings one way or the other about the monarchy.
I think a royal figurehead at least gives us someone to focus on who is traditional and historical rather than five minute instant celebs. Her visits don’t undermine our soveriegnty as a country.
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Some of the reaction to Belinda’s decision has been over the top, but probably in the same category as the picture of Harper and Duceppe last week (”Lovers or just friends?”)
At least that was said with humor though.
True. The humour was evident. I left out the blog post headline on that one because I personally thought it a bit unfair.
This is quite another story.
When a member of the Conservative Party can publically call a female colleque a dipstick I have a problem with that. What is a dipstick? Duh. Objectivication of female parliamentarians is not okay.
It’s wrong. I don’t care what he thought or felt.
Not a big leap to the other names being used is it?
The dipstick term was a new one to me but that just shows I’m naive.
Christie Blatchford is defending the use of the term whore in the Globe today.
“Objectivication of female parliamentarians is not okay.” You are right, of course. And there are enough other witty barbs available without going to the sexist ones.
No one has remembered that the “dipstick” offender was an MPP, not an MP. In the past Provincial and Federal politicians have been quick to distance their parties from each other even if they have the same name. More “politics” I know, but something to keep in mind. Maybe this is more of the media creating the news instead of reporting on it?
Hamster,
I noticed the sexist tone before CBC got hold of it. Having a super-feminist wife I’ve become sensitized to these type of sexist slurs. Runciman’s quote was “She’s a dipstick. An attactive one, but still a dipstick.” What does being attractive have to do with a political decision?
I live in southern Alberta, and many Conservatives down here are sickened by the childish, needlessly sexist comments coming from their fellows. So, just in case it needed to be said, we can’t paint all Conservatives with the same brush.
kgp
Did some politicians call another politician, bad names. Gee, that’s a first.
However you would describe Ms. Stronach’s present condition, if a few intemperate adjectives become the story, clearly it is wildly contagious.
Paul ” The Dipstick for Political Integrity” Johnston.
A few intemperate adjectives are very much part of the story.
Ask any woman in Canada. Ask your wife. Your mother.
Mom says a dipstick is thin metal rod used to measure the amount of oil in an automobile engine.
Colloquially, when used as a pronoun it is meant to infer that said person is a rather primative tool of severely limited and finite use.
Given Ms. Stronach’s recent actions and quite frankly her entire political career to date, the group most likely offended by the comparison were dipsticks themselves.
Ask any dipstick in Canada. Ask yourself.