Listen Up! Here are a few female politicians who deserve recognition

Hugh Mackenzie
Huntsville Doppler

Women in Politics

Sydney Allen posted a refreshing opinion piece on Doppler last week about trivializing feminism. She is right of course. Too many stupid ideas are popping up these days such as making Santa Claus gender neutral and banning holiday songs from generations ago because it is possible, if you try really hard, to find something offensive about them. As she points out, all that does is take away from the really important issues still facing women today. It also, in my view, masks the very real accomplishments that many women have made to our society, accomplishments that make a significant difference, in spite of the challenges women face, both in the workplace and in the political arena. As well, it seems to me, we tend to recognize the accomplishments of men, far more quickly than we do those achieved by women.

As I prepared to write this article, my daughter-in-law, an accomplished professional, reminded me that I took her shopping shortly after I first met her and brought her a tee shirt that said, “Well behaved women don’t make history.” Apparently, she still wears it.

That got me to thinking about women, particularly those in politics (because it is so volatile today), who are currently making a real difference. We don’t seem to talk about them and so, I am going to mention a few whom I admire. I don’t agree with everything they stand for, but that doesn’t matter. What is important is that they stand up for what they believe and if, once in a while, they have to “misbehave” in order to get their point across, they are not afraid to do so. These are women, at all levels of government in Canada, who provide meaningful leadership today and will continue to do so in the future. Let’s start here at home.

Karin Terziano is Deputy Mayor of Huntsville. Scott Aitchison first appointed her four years ago following a tradition, but not a requirement, to appoint the person who topped the polls in the District election. He broke that tradition this year by reappointing Terziano Deputy Mayor, although she did not run as a District Councillor. He did so because “she is so good at the job.”

No doubt, there was tension between them at the beginning because neither are known to be shy and retiring when it comes to saying what they think. But they also complement each other with their different skills and have become a very effective team. This was more than evident during Scott Aitchison’s extended illness a year or so ago when Town affairs carried on seamlessly with Karin Terziano at the helm. She also, during her years on council, has kept a tight rein on the Town’s finances as Chair of that committee. She is one of the hardest working and most effective members of Council. One should not be surprised if, in due course, Karin Terziano becomes the first woman mayor of Huntsville.

Another very effective leader on Huntsville Council is Nancy Alcock. I do not know her as well as I do Karin Terziano but have been very impressed with what I have seen. I first met her with her late husband David Harris, a highly regarded writer and photographer. He was also a bit of a curmudgeon who thrived on controversy. David Harris is the only person in the world who could, literally (and I mean literally), get Claude Doughty and me in the same bed with him! From the get-go, I admired the way in which Nancy was able to both encourage and support David’s eccentricities and talent, and at the same time manage to stay out of the fray. It is a trait that has served her well on numerous subsequent occasions.

Nancy Alcock is also a power on council. Unlike many politicians, she doesn’t speak unless she knows exactly what she is talking about. She knows the value of research and she knows the right questions to ask. She does not grandstand but puts her viewpoint forward firmly. She knows the importance of consensus and she is respectful of other people’s point of view. She is no bobblehead but she understands compromise and how to actually get things done. My prediction is that we will be seeing a lot more of Nancy Alcock!

Moving away from Huntsville, there are two women I particularly admire in the Ontario legislature. One is Christine Elliott and the other is Caroline Mulroney. Both have been roundly criticized for not standing up to Premier Doug Ford in relation to controversial issues such as the cuts to the size of Toronto Council and the appointment of his friend to head the O.P. P. My guess is that they have but behind closed doors and, at least in relation to the O.P.P., the Premier appears to have listened.

Years ago, I remember asking Frank Miller, who was then Treasurer of Ontario, why he didn’t resign when the Government, over his serious objection, purchased Suncor. His answer was that if you resign, you are gone and you lose all ability to have any influence or to make a difference. You just fade away. So Miller stayed, and he went on to become Premier of Ontario.

Christine Elliott and Caroline Mulroney must also stay. They have different backgrounds, experience and skills and, for different reasons, have institutional knowledge about how government should work. They bring real and important talent to the Ford government. They are much better on the inside, exerting their influence and common sense, than they would be on the outside, without any ability to make a difference. In doing so, they will make the Ford Government better and one day, who knows? Perhaps one of these women will be Premier of Ontario!

Finally, there is one woman in the Federal government of Justin Trudeau with whom I am particularly impressed, without taking anything away from the rest of them. That woman is Chrystia Freeland. I see her as a highly motivated, highly intelligent, somewhat frenetic individual, who has moved relatively successfully from one international crisis to another whether it be NAFTA negotiations or a grumpy China. On NAFTA, more so than her Prime Minister (which might have been the strategy), she has stood up to Donald Trump and come away with a deal that many thought was impossible. It is not a perfect deal, and certainly the tariffs on steel and aluminum must still be resolved if the new NAFTA agreement is to have any credibility. But still it is a deal that Canada can be somewhat happy with, given the reality of the man in The White House. I picture Freeland and Trump as David and Goliath and I am pretty damn comfortable that “David” is on our side of the border!

The first woman to serve as Prime Minister of Canada, albeit for a very short time, was a Conservative. Justin Trudeau should be looking over his shoulder because, in my view, the second woman could well be Chrystia Freeland.

Do we need more women in politics? Of course. Do we give enough credit for the accomplishments of those women who are already there? Certainly not. I often wonder why and it is high time that we did.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

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