Female courage confronting pomp and ceremony

Glenda Simms, Contributor

On June 3, I was greatly honoured and extremely privileged to have been invited to the Canadian Senate Chambers to listen to the Throne Speech which marked the opening of the 41st session of Parliament.

From my vantage point in the gallery, I had a clear view of the procedures that were taking place on the outside of the Senate Chambers.

In the established Westminster model, we saw the arrival of His Excellency David Johnson, the new governor general of Canada. He and his wife were greeted by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who confidently demonstrated to his country his pride in the proceedings. After the recent general election, he has a strong majority and a mandate to carry out his plans for the country. No wonder he appeared to be 'standing tall'.

Inside the Senate chambers, all sat in quiet anticipation and, as the vice-regal procession entered the room, everyone rose and, in true patriotic zeal, awaited the governor general's invitation for the assembled company to be seated.

As I cleared my mind of all my cynicism of the colonial traditions, I began to realise that I am extremely appreciative of the fact that I have the rights and privilege of dual citizenship in this global village. I, therefore, sat back, relaxed and listened carefully to the promises of this majority conservative Canadian government led by Harper.

In the Throne Speech, the governor general declared that his government would continue to work on the plans that were conceptualised while there was a minority government and that they were committed to deliver many programmes, including the following:

A continued reduction in corporate tax.

The balancing of the books in order to eliminate the deficit.

The institution of a guaranteed income supplement to help the most vulnerable senior citizens.

The establishment of a children's arts tax credit to support parents who encourage their children to pursue their creative passions.

Working with the provincial and territorial governments to ensure a sustainable and accountable health-care system.

The maintenance of a principled foreign policy in an uncertain global environment.

The creation of an Office of Religious Freedom to protect religious minorities and promote the pluralism that is essential to free and democratic societies.

The introduction of measures to address marriage fraud and the reintroduction of legislation to combat human smuggling.

The development of a National Conservation Plan to connect all Canadians with nature.

The reintroduction of comprehensive legislation to combat crime and terrorism.

These are the measures that will also protect children from sex offenders; eliminate house arrests and pardons for serious crimes; protect the most vulnerable in society; propose tougher sentences for those who abuse seniors; help at-risk youth to avoid gangs and criminal activity; and address the problem of violence against women and girls.

The reintroduction of legislation to clarify and strengthen laws on self-defence of property and citizen's arrest.

Tabling concerted actions to address the social and economic barriers faced by Aboriginal Canadians.

A commitment to ensure the kind of education that will allow first-nation children to achieve their full potential.

These are some of the highlights of the Throne Speech that stood out for me.

I was just about to ask one of my conservative female friends if this is the first time that the issue of violence against women and girls has been mentioned in a Throne Speech since confederation.

As she contemplated her response and started nodding in the affirmative, we both noticed a strange sort of confrontation between an older male security guard and a young woman, in the middle of the main floor across from the prime minister, the governor general and other dignitaries who occupied the esteemed chairs in the front of the room.

Whatever was happening ended very quickly, and the official proceedings continued to the planned conclusion. As we proceeded from the galleries to the reception floor to nibble on finger food and sip exotic drinks, everyone seemed to have forgotten the promises made in the Throne Speech. They were all talking about the major security breach that had taken place. There was much rumour and speculation, but by the end of the afternoon it was an established fact that the dramatic moment was created by a 21-year-old female page.

In the June 6 edition of the Globe and Mail, reporter Anne McIlroy summarised the incident that has come to dominate the chambers on the Hill in Canada's capital. According to McIlroy, the rogue parliamentary page, Brigette DePape, has become an instant celebrity after she silently disrupted the Throne Speech.

Ms DePape smuggled a poster under her skirt, and at a specific point in the governor general's presentation, she held up the sign which screamed, 'STOP HARPER'. She was then escorted out of the chamber and fired instantly.

According to the media report, the young woman said she was elated by the thousands of persons who sent her positive messages via the Internet. She has had a number of job offers and is considering some of them. According to the Globe and Mail report: "She has also won the support of high-profile documentary maker Michael Moore."

supportive

Of course, there are many who are critical of her action. According to McIlroy, DePape's father was critical of her. The leader of the Opposition, Mr Jack Layton, is not supportive of such action in the halls of Parliament. In fact, he has committed his party to ensure the decorum in the House of Commons.

On the other hand, DePape's mother and sisters are very proud of her. In the young woman's words, "It is only through these inappropriate actions that we will challenge the status quo."

Some of my friends in the Conservative Party of Canada are prepared to ignore the ideas of DePape, but I felt hopeful because two of them invited me to visit the larger-than-life statue of the 'famous five' Canadian women who marched and challenged the government of their day to accept the fact the women of Canada are persons.

It is the spirit of these warrior women who undoubtedly inspired a young parliamentary page to challenge the pomp and the ceremony with her raw guts and calculated courage.

Glenda P. Simms, PhD, is a gender expert and consultant. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and glendasimms@gmail.com.