It’s an embarrassment to be a Canadian at the UN, not only because of Canada’s shocking policies there, but also because of the boorish behaviour of feminist Canadian NGO’s attending these meetings.
During the recent UN Commission on the Status of Women meeting in New York in March, a statement criticizing the Conservative government was distributed by a coalition of Canadian representatives from labour unions and a feminist organization. These women were from the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF), the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA). Their statement purported to represent the view of “civil society” in Canada – especially that of women and girls. It stated that it was a “reality check” on Canada’s lagging performance in achieving women’s equality.
During a plenary session of the meeting, the Canadian Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues, Helena Guergis delivered Canada’s statement to the member nations. The Canadian feminists sat in the gallery during her speech. Their initial strategy was to stand up with their backs to Ms Guergis while she delivered her speech and then walk out during her speech. As luck would have it, however, several REAL Women members, just by chance, sat down among the feminists. The latter assumed our presence was a deliberate strategy to deter them from carrying out their plans (it wasn’t, as we didn’t even know their plans!) Walking out on Ms Guergis’s speech and turning their back on her, however, would not be effective with REAL Women still left sitting in the gallery. The feminists, therefore, resorted to their usual tactic of loudly booing, hissing and essentially doing their utmost to behave in a boorish manner during Ms Guergis’s speech. Their obvious intention was to drown out her speech and cause her embarrassment.
At the end of Ms Guergis’s speech, the State delegates, as well as the REAL Women present, politely applauded Ms Guergis as they did for all speakers.
The feminist NGO’s, however, decided to put a spin on Ms Guergis’ speech, by sending out a press release alleging there was no reaction, and silence in the room following her speech. This story was dutifully reported by the left-leaning Toronto Star, (which always reports, or manufactures, any information that is damaging to the Conservative government, no matter how slight). The Toronto Star reported on March 12, 2010, that the Minister’s speech was not well received by the plenary meeting since little reaction occurred when she finished. This, of course, was nonsense. Reaction to her speech was no different than that of any of the other speakers: a distorted story indeed. You had to have been there to get the real story. One shouldn’t rely on feminist press releases and the Toronto Star to get the truth. |
