2006-02-07

Last year, Conservative MP Belinda Stronach crossed the floor to join the Liberal party after 11 months as international trade critic of the official opposition. Many from outside and within her own party were surprised by the move, and there was a lot of criticism of Stronach for the move.

I�m no fan of the Conservatives, or of Stronach in particular, but I was disturbed to note the sexist treatment she received from the media and from other politicians. She was referred to in terms of in terms of her physical appearance:

"Blonde Bombshell" (National Post headline about Stronach�s switch)

with slurs against her intelligence:

"She sort of defined herself as something of a dipstick, an attractive one, but still a dipstick." (Bob Runciman, Ontario Conservative MP)

"I've never really noticed complexity to be Belinda's strong point." (Conservative leader Stephen Harper)

and in terms of sexual promiscuity:

�[P]eople prostitute themselves for different costs or different prices." (Maurice Vellacott, Saskatchewan Conservative MP)

"I said that she [Stronach] whored herself out for power, that's what she did," (Tony Abbott, Ontario Conservative MP)

Yesterday, on the first day of the newly elected Conservative minority government, Liberal MP David Emerson crossed the floor to join the Conservative party. Stephen Harper immediately appointed Emerson minister of international trade.

There has already been the expected backlash from former colleagues. However, it will be most interesting to see if anyone calls Emerson a "silver fox", a �dipstick� or a �whore.�

Posted by polarcanuck at 1:42 p.m.

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