[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Table 5

The whole "has to be half women" mandate rings a little hollow to me. Sure it's nice when a cabinet is diverse, but forcing that type of diversity is not only patronizing to women, it also makes one think that probably a lot of better suited candidates are left out.

Whatever happened to judging people on their own merits? Isn't that what equality is about? If that means 75% women, great. If that means 25% women, great. At the end of the day, I want the best government possible. Not the best photo op or feel good moment.

Forcing candidates into certain spots makes you question their merits whether its justified or not. I think it would've made a more powerful statement to just appoint the same people without the fanfare, and let the media pick up on the story.

Thought Elizabeth May did a pretty decent write-up on it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/elizabe...b_8472966.html

I don't know about you, but I have been astonished at the many media pundits who question Justin Trudeau's decision to appoint a cabinet with gender parity. The CBC panel on Nov. 1 with The Walrus editor Jonathan Kay was a real low point. Suddenly a hue and cry is raised that having 50 per cent women will entail incompetent appointments. Kay even kidded that it was unfair to his "people." It reminded me of the Parks and Recreation episode where men rallied for their rights crying out "we have not been treated fairly -- really recently."

I do not recall anyone questioning the merits of male ministers being appointed as the vast majority of cabinets -- forever. Were all those stellar choices under Stephen Harper (Julian Fantino, Vic Toews, and Pierre Poilievre to name a few) just so unquestionably well-prepared for the job that the matter never came up? Or is it beyond obvious that questions of merit never surfaced when the expected men were put in their usual spots -- known as positions of power?

The satirical publication The Beaverton skewered the response in a brilliant little column: "50 per cent female cabinet appointments lead to 5000 per cent increase in guys who suddenly care about merit in cabinet."