By Plain Rhetoric

Charlotte Whitton would not have been pleased with women in politics forum

Jun 5, 2018 | 5:00 AM

I’M GOING TO TAKE ON a subject this week that, for an opinion writer, is fraught with peril and affords an even higher degree of risk when said writer is male, white and supposedly privileged. So let me cautiously begin by introducing you to a trailblazing politician of the 50s and 60s who once said, “Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult”.

As a teenager living in Ottawa in the 60s, I considered her my first introduction to politics, or at least the first politician I actually became aware of and remembered. As such, I thought women in politics were normal.

Her name was Charlotte Whitton and she was Mayor of Ottawa between 1951-1956 and again in 1960. She was the first female mayor of a major Canadian city and the second ever in Canada. This was in an era of Father Knows Best, Make Room for Daddy and the Honeymooners, and unbeknownst to me, she represented a political and social breakthrough thought — at the time — to be near impossible.

Ms. Whitton, a graduate of Queens University and first female editor of the Queens Journal newspaper was not shy, held strong opinions on many subjects, had an incredible wit, was the founding director of the Canadian Council on Child Welfare and a sometimes outspoken member of the Progressive Conservative party.

I was thinking of Mayor Whitton last week as current and past city councillors hosted an introduction to politics for women considering entering the field in this fall’s civic election. I wondered what Whitton would be thinking 67 years after becoming the Mayor of Ottawa and later being named a Commander of the British Empire and an Officer of the Order of Canada.

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Would she be pleased with the discussion or disappointed that such an evening is still required? Keep in mind that her feelings on being successful were stated as, “It’s how you deal with failure that determines how you achieve success.”

Whitton was not what we would call today, a touchy, feely kind of person and didn’t hesitate to take on the likes of the Lord High Mayor of London or our own Prime Minister Pearson and I think she would have been somewhat disappointed with parts of what was reported about last week’s conversation.

Not disappointed by the desire and ambition of those attending but by the conversation itself, let alone that the conversation is still needed all these years later.

I’m confident Ms. Whitton never had to be told to wear a suite or speak in a deeper voice. Value for her was instead placed on ideas, substance, character, knowledge and belief in a set of standards and ethics upon which important decisions could be weighed.

In her world — and mine too for that matter — intelligence, strength of character and a set of well thought out and practiced values trumps gender each and every time. Personally, I vote for the person who best represents my goals and aspirations. I vote for the person who shows me they have the tools, experience and drive to make Kamloops a better place. I don’t vote gender.

I simply assume all candidates know what business attire is and don’t have to be told what to wear while representing the city. And this suggestion from last week to speak in a deeper voice to gain and retain the respect of your male colleagues and voters is demeaning and a sell-out of who you are. I think Charlotte Whitton would be rolling in her grave if she knew the conversation still needed to drift in that direction.

Perhaps I am naive, yet I know it would be beyond ridiculous for me to vote for male candidates simply because they’re guys like me. Nor would I vote for a female candidate simply because she is a woman. I want the best representing my interests and I base my voting decisions on who I think is or will be the best.

We need more women running for office, not because of some unspoken formula looking for balance based on gender, but because new voices are needed at the table. Voices that can add diversity of experiences to the discussion along with knowledge and ideas to help shape policies that will benefit our city.

Breaking through the glass ceiling is about women like Charlotte Whitton who, instead of talking about how it should happen, did something to make it happen.

If she was around today, I think she would ask, “Do you want to be remembered for being willing to change your voice and sound like the person you’re not or for what you can and did accomplish?”