Go Back to Sleep Mr.Swann

Alberta Liberal Leader B?tches out Tory Finance Minister over Stay at Home Parents

The CBC reports here today in a HOT news item that the Alberta Liberal Leader David Swann has been offended that Alberta Finance Minister Iris Evans made some comments at the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto that weren't ... well liberal enough for him, I guess.

She was talking about empowering kids with lessons on finances, probably ok there. But, then she stepped over the line into hate speech territory, methinks. She apparently said, and I am cautious not to quote her directly unless I get drawn into the coming quagmire, that good parenting means making economic sacrifices while children are young as her own children have done. Oh, such heresy! Out damn Spot!

Then she described her children specifically, and said that oh dog gone it, I will quote her directly: " They've understood perfectly well that when you're raising children, you don't go off to work and leave them for somebody else to raise. This is not a statement against daycare. It's a statement about their belief in the importance of raising children properly."

So David Swann, in a fit of pique, and I have to quote him directly because it can't be paraphrased: " If she really said those things, she must apologize. If she doesn't apologize, the premier must fire her. These are truly outrageous claims. I have never been as stunned by the sheer arrogance and ignorance of the Tories as I am today. In a sense, Iris Evans did us all a favour by revealing her contempt for the sacrifices made by hard working Alberta families."

We here in Ontario don't get stunned as easily I think. So, when a mother tells us of the sacrifices her children made in raising her grandchildren of which she is proud, we don't get our knickers in a twist. But, then we aren't sitting in Opposition either, so don't have a political agenda to make fools of ourselves over.

I have an idea. In Alberta, the Alberta HRC takes on pretty frivolous hate speech claims. Maybe Mr. Swann could make up a frivolous hate speech claim over this. Why not? They've got time on their hands, until they have to defend themselves at the Court of Appeal over Stephen Boissoin in September.