I saw this story posted on one of my Facebook friend's news feeds.
Granted, MacLeod is a Conservative MP, and the only parties mentioned are the Liberals and the Cons. Nevertheless, the lesson transcends partisan politics.
My only amusement is that those who don't identify as feminists (the word isn't used once in the article, but this is the Globe and Mail after all) somehow feel like they can simply reap the benefits of hard work from the past, without realizing that education about assumptions about women's roles (and so much more) needs to continue, both now, and into the future.
Can a busy female politician give reliable evidence? A judge says no
Lisa MacLeod is a young female politician who commutes to her job at Queen's Park from Ottawa and leaves her husband, Joe, and four-year-old daughter, Victoria, at home. Mr. Justice Douglas Cunningham of Ontario Superior Court said this is a big distraction for the 34-year-old woman and as a result he felt he could not accept her evidence as corroboration of the Crown's key witness in the recent high-profile, influence-peddling trial of Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien.
....
"It is unfortunate that any woman in Ms. MacLeod's situation may be regarded as less reliable because of the demands placed on her life as a politician," said Nancy Peckford, national director of Equal Voice, an organization promoting women in public office. "Would the same approach have been taken with a male politician who is commuting and has a young family at home? Probably not."
Link to the full article here, Globe and Mail. Don't read the comments. Just don't.
