It seems our legislators who are to be working diligently to govern our country have found a new, pressing, hot-button issue to divert attention from actually performing the work they're paid (and paid rather well comparatively speaking) to perform.
As of late, NDP member from Quebec - Sanna Hassaina - brought her baby son, Skander Jack, named for former leader Jack Layton, into the House of Commons prior to an important vote on the long gun registry. Hassaina claims speaker Andrew Scheer asked her to remove the baby from the floor of the Commons.
Scheer denies the allegation, saying he simply requested Hassaina take her seat and urged fellow MPs who, in his opinion appeared to be making a fuss over the infant, to maintain decorum.
The issue became an instant political football, detracting from the business at hand. The NDP accused the government of taking an anti-child stance, which the interim leader Nicole Turmel, suggests would tend to turn young people away from politics. Women's groups and 'enlightened' pundits see this as a women's issue. No one seems to see that the issue appears to have taken our legislators attention from the matter in question, that is, the vote on the long gun registry.
Some would suggest more workplaces should accept working mothers bringing their children into their workplace during business hours, but the practice isn't as widespread as some might believe.
Those who feel strongly about the issue, as do obviously Ms. Hassaina and Ms. Turmel, could have made arrangements to address the matter, rather than turn the youngster into a political football.
Current parliamentary rules require that only elected members of parliament can be on the floor of the House of Commons during a sitting vote. Perhaps those rules, implemented long ago by a male dominated House need to be examined. But until that's done should members be allowed to disregard established rules?
We think not.
On the other hand, given the antics, including name calling, heckling, and an apparent disregard for decorum, perhaps babies do belong in Canada's biggest nursery.
