So oooo, the new cabinet has been sworn in and there are "three" women in it. The Sask. Party had eleven women candidates, and I need to check again and see how many were elected. I think it was five. I haven't heard too many comments from the Sask. Party members; it would seem like the message comes from the new Premier, and one or two others. Interesting times ahead, I am sure. I am also sure there will be many challenges ahead for all, on both sides of the legislature. I have mostly enjoyed posting on this blog; and it has been interesting to read the "posts". I have been seriously challenged, and have not succeeded in making comments on other student's blogs. My apologies!! No cartoons have been posted on my blog either, which is too bad, as I especially enjoy the political cartoons others have posted. Perhaps another time I will do better at this, but I hope I have interested some in the issue of "Women in Politics".

Now the excitment of the election is over, some of us will be waiting to see who makes it into the Saskatchewan Party's/ Brad Wall's cabinet. I am hoping to see some women in the cabinet, but that doesn't guarantee that all the issues of concern to women will be addressed. The women who have been elected to represent the Sask. Party, come from different backgrounds, and from reading about their experience, each has a lot to offer. It is hard to imagine how one would feel becoming an elected representative for the first time. It is a privilege and an opportunity. One would hope their will be more consensus, more civil deabating of the issues, and more accomplished with this next sitting of the Sasatchewan Legislature. I think Christine Tell will be in cabinet, and Sandra Heppner. Many women have served in the cabinet of the NDP; it is the women of the Saskatchewan party who, I hope, will have that same opportunity. November 21st we will know.

Election 2007

The Sask. Election results were interesting to watch, and it was good to see a number of women candidates elected. There were women candidates in 38 of the 58 ridings. Women were elected in13 of those ridings. My Math. which is not always, but often enough, accurate, works that out to 22.4% of the seats in the Saskatchewan Legislature. In all there were 54 women candidates running in this election. Twenty ridings had only men as candidates. The challenging task of determining whether some names were those of men or women, I didn't try to figure out, but there were only 3 I wondered about, and I chose not to count them. The breakdown shows the Sask. Party running 12 Women candidates, elected 8. The NDP Party ran 11 women candidates and 5 were elected. The Liberals ran 13 women candidates, and the Green Party ran 16 women candidates. There were 2 women for the other Parties. These are my "tallies" so as always I can be corrected on my figures. The candidate I campaigned for, Corinne Pauliuk , NDP. garnered 2254 votes. The winning Sask. Party candidate, Don McMorris garnered 5354 votes, Liberal Michael Hiebert, 528 votes, and Green Party candidate Dagan Harding, 202 votes. It was an interesting experience. Of course the reality of being an elected M.L.A. who is also a woman, does not mean they will be successful in putting women's issues on the agenda, or even be interested in doing so. Two of the candidates from the Women's forum have been elected: Laura Ross, S.P. and Sandra Morin, NDP. Both articulated their experience, and committment to issues that concern women, as did the Liberal candidate, Marie-France Magnin(who captured a respectable 2191 votes in the same riding that Sandra Morin won), and Larissa Shasko, Green Party (who increased the number of votes cast for the Greens by 100 in her riding). It will be up to us as women in this province to hold all our elected candidates accountable to the many issues women face. I will especially be watching, and hoping that "Gail" the women needing an ovarian cancer drug that is not on the Formulary, will, this time around, get the drug she needs to prolong her life. For many women, the impact of these kinds of issues is often uppermost in their minds, and there are so many similar issues, all of which seem to disappear into a sink hole, once government gets into office. Enough said!!

Women's Forum Election 2007

Thursday, November 1st found a receptive audience at City Hall Forum listening to four Women candidates, as they talked about themselves, their Parties' platforms, and answered questions from the Moderator and from the floor. I thought it would be great if all four candidates won seats in the next Legislature of Saskatchewan. No one backed down from a question, and the atmosphere was quite positive (in my opinion). The women were articulate about their reason's for entering politics. Each had an impressive background of personal experience, volunteering and committment to what they were doing. The challenges were admited to, but not defeating to them in any way. The obvious interest they took in answering the questions from the floor, and the honesty they showed when confronted with information they were not familiar with, was refreshing. It flies in the face of comments you often hear about women being so involved with their work and family that they are not interested in anything else, nor do they have the time. It is refreshing to hear why they are making the time, and it often is related to their personal experiences, and a realization that the solutions to many problems would progress when given a women's insight and perspective. Thanks to the YWCA for arranging the Forum. It was time well spent.