And the CyberSmokeBlog Golden Arse Award for most asinine comment by a Conservative politician goes to .....?

Captain Harper: "Jump Helicopter Pete Jump!"

Good Day Readers:

It was very, very difficult deciding the winner. On the one hand you had Peter MacKay who's increasingly been stepping in it while sticking his foot in his mouth and chewing it versus Vic Toews who uttered what has to be the big, honking, mother of all asinine comments when he suggested as Public Safety Minister those who opposed his highly invasive warrantless internet searches stood with the pedophiles.

"Commissioner Paulson, immediately arrest all those people over there without a warrant because they oppose my Bills C-30 and 51, therefore, they stand with the pedophiles."

Peter "The Jerk"MacKay won because of the sheer numbers of stupid comments he's been making lately. However, in recognition of "Justice No Gem's" outstanding contribution to the annals of all time political "asinineity" CyberSmokeBlog has created a special award in his honour called, The Vic Toews Caveman Award.

Congratulations recipients!

Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk

Peter MacKsy's mohter's day and father's day messages raise eyebrows

Justice Minister Peter MacKay sent two very different tributes to female and male employees for Mother's Day and Father's Day this year

By Jennider Ditchburn
The Canadian Press
Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Peter MacKay's message to mothers mentioned household duties while his message to fathers described them as "shaping the minds and futures of the next generation of leaders." (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press file photo)

OTTAWA—Justice Minister Peter MacKay raised eyebrows in his department with two very different tributes to female and male employees for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day this year.

Emails obtained by The Canadian Press show that in May, MacKay saluted mothers in the department for holding down two full-time jobs — at home and at work.

“By the time many of you have arrived at the office in the morning, you’ve already changed diapers, packed lunches, run after school buses, dropped kids off at daycare, taken care of an aging loved one and maybe even thought about dinner,” MacKay said of the women in a staff-wide memo that went out to thousands of employees before Mother’s Day.

Read the full emails from Peter MacKay

The email didn’t get much reaction internally until the Father’s Day version arrived a month later.

It made no mention of any household duties, but said the men were “shaping the minds and futures of the next generation of leaders.”

“Needless to say, it can also be daunting to consider the immense and lifelong influence we have over our children,” MacKay wrote. “Our words, actions and examples greatly mould who they will become.

“We can only hope that the moments we spend teaching, guiding and loving them will sustain them throughout their lives.”

The Mother’s Day message does not touch on the impact the women have on their children’s futures. In both instances, MacKay referred to the fact that he is the father of a toddler.

MacKay’s office did not respond to a request for an interview or to take questions by phone.

“With regards to the messages to Department of Justice staff, the minister takes every opportunity to thank the staff for their contribution to the department and to advancing justice issues on behalf of all Canadians,” spokesperson Paloma Aguilar said in an email.

Liberal trade critic Chrystia Freeland calls the difference in the email messages striking and says they play on outdated stereotypes of parental roles.

“I think that particularly in families like the ones that were addressed by these emails . . . I simply don’t think that reflects the modern Canadian family and is demeaning to both mothers and fathers,” said Freeland.

“Both mothers and fathers change diapers and worry about dinner and both mothers and fathers, at least we try to mould the minds of our children and to set an example through our own actions.”

MacKay has faced criticism recently over comments he made on the roles of parents in the context of the dearth of female judges in Canada.

“At early childhood, there’s no question I think that women have a greater bond with their children,” he said Thursday.

The Star reported last week that MacKay rankled a group of Ontario lawyers during a private meeting when he evidently

suggested that women didn’t want to apply for judge jobs because they feared being sent out travelling on a circuit court.

On Sunday, MacKay took to Facebook to say that he did not make the comments attributed to him.

“These allegations are simply untrue and in fact the opposite of everything that I said,” MacKay wrote.

“Rather, in addressing a few dozen lawyers I took the opportunity to encourage MORE women and minorities to apply to be judges, to enable the federal government to promote them to the bench and thus to better reflect the diversity that is Canada today. That was the intent and tone of my remarks.”

Gender issues are always a factor in electoral politics. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has tried to stake territory with female voters by announcing all his candidates must commit to vote pro-choice on matters touching on abortion in the Commons.

The Conservatives, meanwhile, have promised to introduce income-splitting for families. The plan would allow a family where one spouse makes much less than the other to pool earnings to reduce taxable income.

The party’s base includes many social conservatives who strongly support such a proposal, arguing it removes tax discrimination against families and would provide more economic flexibility to parents.

“Each family embraces their personal responsibilities and the challenges in their own way and I respect that,” MacKay said in his Facebook post.

“Again, this reflects the fabric that is our country and that is something we all value and share.”