Am I interested in a debate about sitting hours of the Legislature in a global pandemic while Black, Indigenous, and people of colour are crying out for justice at the systemic discrimination that is murdering them? #peipoli 1/…
No. I am not. It is unfuriating to have to expend energy on sitting hours again. But let’s look at the debate dynamic for a sec for clues to how systemic discrimination functions. 2/
Eleven years ago, the Coalition for Women in Gov’t put out a report on systemic, structural changes needed to reduce barriers to women in gov’t. A full suite of recommendations. 3/
Changing the sitting hours of the Legislature -hours based on a train schedule for passenger service that ended in 1969 – was the LOWEST HANGING FRUIT in that suite of recommendations. 4/
There's much evidence that sitting hours of the Leg are a barrier for many people to consider themselves for elected office – but all that matters is that UNDER-REPRESENTED PEOPLE said it is a barrier to them. Their experience is evidence. 5/
Politicians debating the issue face the complication that any change to rules of the Leg could look self-interested. But the evidence in this case is clear that preserving the status quo (preserving the barrier to new voices) is what's self-interested. 6/
Will changing the hours of the Legislature make a significant difference? Will we suddenly see gender parity or numerous faces of colour? No, of course it won’t. And certainly not on its own. But it's one step. 7/
By debating LOW-HANGING FRUIT so vigorously, repeatedly, drawing attention to the privilege they have granted to this issue to ALLOW it to the floor when there is so much else of importance - decision-makers put people who feel silenced on notice: 8/
Don’t expect to get even the smallest concessions from the status quo easily. (If 11 years of work can be considered easy.) 9/
Don’t expect us to grant the favour of our attention to the suite of recommendations that would create actual, systemic change to diversify the group that holds decision-making power. 10/
And if you get this concession, and it doesn’t make much difference, DO expect that to put the kibosh to the rest of the suite of reforms anyway. 11/
So, #peipoli cloak the argument against changing the sitting hours up in valour all you want, but it isn’t valorous. 12/
Anyway, today we march. I'll be there with those who face systemic barriers I can barely even imagine but am committed to learning about and fighting to eliminate, at their side, based on what they tell me needs to be done.
