A recent Cape Breton Regional Municipality budget meeting listed “Amanda and Emmett” as two participants.
Held via video conference, the name appeared as one, indicating CBRM Mayor Amanda McDougall would have her newborn son Emmett by her side.
Born in November, Emmett has been going to work with McDougall since he was six days old. The mayor isn’t eligible for government-funded maternity leave due to her elected position.
“There are no parental accommodations in politics,” McDougall said. “We do not pay into EI (employment insurance) because technically we receive a stipend, not a salary (as elected officials).”
McDougall’s fourth floor corner office, with walls of windows, overlooks Sydney harbour. There are a few signs of Emmett’s presence in the space.
On the floor is a blanket and some toys for tummy time. In the back corner, a blocked area for “Emmett’s Dignity Corner” has his playpen crib where he naps.
Sometimes relatives come to babysit Emmett at the office while McDougall works. The most frequent visitor is her mother. On days when municipal council meets, Emmett stays home or with other family members.
“I take my role as chair seriously. Workshops and in-office work I find it no problem to have him with me,” the mayor explained.
McDougall, who was elected the first female mayor in the CBRM in October, is one of a growing number of women proving motherhood and politics aren’t mutually exclusive.
She said she’s heard very few negative comments about her bringing Emmett to work and people have stopped asking her how she would handle mayoral duties and motherhood – a question people had asked daily during the municipal election campaign.
“People are more curious when I don’t have Emmett with me in the office.”
Baby Emmett, only five weeks old, nestled in his portable bassinette/playpen beside his mother’s desk at city hall in downtown Sydney in January. CAPE BRETON POST FILE PHOTO
AS IT SHOULD BE
McDougall’s choice to work and bring her baby to the office could help in the fight to get equal representation of men and women on all levels of government, said Dr. Meredith Ralston, a professor in the political science and women’s studies at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax.
“I bet that will have a role model effect on other women, young women in particular I hope, so that they can see, hopefully, not just the bad social media stuff or see any kind of harassment, but to also see a woman do a great job, have a happy home life, have children and take on a job like being mayor,” Ralston said.
“Then we see women decide to take that chance because they see women like them, and they want to make a difference.”
Cumberland North PC MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin said she believes making politics more family-friendly can break down a barrier holding women back from entering politics.
“We can’t just use the words and say we want more women in politics,” she said.
“We actually have to change the culture. And that involves creating a culture that’s welcoming to women. And guess what? Women have babies. We should be celebrating women having babies, not criticizing them.
“We all have a responsibility. Instead of looking for reasons why women can’t be in elected office, we have to look at ways to support them and empowering them, which involves changing the culture and the rules that existed up to now. If that involves having a nanny’s suite in the mayor’s office, so do it. It involves finding ways to support women in elected office.”
Dr. Robyn MacQuarrie, president of Doctors Nova Scotia. CONTRIBUTED – Contributed
A WOMAN’S CHOICE
Returning to work after having a baby or staying home is a very individual choice, stressed Dr. Robyn MacQuarrie, an obstetrician-gynecologist who is the current president of Doctors Nova Scotia.
Some women, like MacQuarrie and Smith-McCrossin, are self-employed so taking maternity leave wasn’t the best choice for their family.
For other women, they may be eligible for paid maternal leave through the federal government or private insurance, which they use solely or split the time with their partner.
“It’s as individualized as the mother because it depends on what the mother does. Being a mayor certainly sounds like something you need to be (at work for). It’s not something that can be deferred. You need to be available and aware of current context,” MacQuarrie said.
“It’s so individualized by the person, right? Do they have benefits that allow them to work part-time? You know we need to make sure that things like EI aren’t so prohibitive that women can’t work part-time and still do some work.”
MacQuarrie said new mothers who can, want and choose to return to work will need support in the months after their babies are born.
“It’s a really challenging time to be both working and a mom, so you want to take great care to make sure she’s not being overwhelmed by too many, you know, pots on the fire … making sure she’s not asking too much of herself,” said MacQuarrie.
“Raising a baby is a lot of work and trying to do a full-time job is also a lot of work and so it’s important to make sure that she is able to ask for the supports she may need.”
When the work environment is good for both mom and baby, MacQuarrie said there could be health benefits for women who choose to take their children to work with them.
“We know that particularly for breastfeeding women, having contact with their infant is very important for maintaining supply of breast milk,” she said.
“If conditions allow and it’s safe for mom and babe, being able to be in physical contact is something that I think should be celebrated and acknowledged.”
Nicole Sullivan is an immigration/diversity and education reporter for the Cape Breton Post.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
MONTREAL – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will not be taking advice from Pierre Poilievre after the Conservative leader challenged him to bring down government.
“I say directly to Pierre Poilievre: I’m not going to listen to you,” said Singh on Wednesday, accusing Poilievre of wanting to take away dental-care coverage from Canadians, among other things.
“I’m not going to listen to your advice. You want to destroy people’s lives, I want to build up a brighter future.”
Earlier in the day, Poilievre challenged Singh to commit to voting non-confidence in the government, saying his party will force a vote in the House of Commons “at the earliest possibly opportunity.”
“I’m asking Jagmeet Singh and the NDP to commit unequivocally before Monday’s byelections: will they vote non-confidence to bring down the costly coalition and trigger a carbon tax election, or will Jagmeet Singh sell out Canadians again?” Poilievre said.
“It’s put up or shut up time for the NDP.”
While Singh rejected the idea he would ever listen to Poilievre, he did not say how the NDP would vote on a non-confidence motion.
“I’ve said on any vote, we’re going to look at the vote and we’ll make our decision. I’m not going to say our decision ahead of time,” he said.
Singh’s top adviser said on Tuesday the NDP leader is not particularly eager to trigger an election, even as the Conservatives challenge him to do just that.
Anne McGrath, Singh’s principal secretary, says there will be more volatility in Parliament and the odds of an early election have risen.
“I don’t think he is anxious to launch one, or chomping at the bit to have one, but it can happen,” she said in an interview.
New Democrat MPs are in a second day of meetings in Montreal as they nail down a plan for how to navigate the minority Parliament this fall.
The caucus retreat comes one week after Singh announced the party has left the supply-and-confidence agreement with the governing Liberals.
It’s also taking place in the very city where New Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat on Monday, when voters go to the polls in Montreal’s LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. A second byelection is being held that day in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona, where the NDP is hoping to hold onto a seat the Conservatives are also vying for.
While New Democrats are seeking to distance themselves from the Liberals, they don’t appear ready to trigger a general election.
Singh signalled on Tuesday that he will have more to say Wednesday about the party’s strategy for the upcoming sitting.
He is hoping to convince Canadians that his party can defeat the federal Conservatives, who have been riding high in the polls over the last year.
Singh has attacked Poilievre as someone who would bring back Harper-style cuts to programs that Canadians rely on, including the national dental-care program that was part of the supply-and-confidence agreement.
The Canadian Press has asked Poilievre’s office whether the Conservative leader intends to keep the program in place, if he forms government after the next election.
With the return of Parliament just days away, the NDP is also keeping in mind how other parties will look to capitalize on the new makeup of the House of Commons.
The Bloc Québécois has already indicated that it’s written up a list of demands for the Liberals in exchange for support on votes.
The next federal election must take place by October 2025 at the latest.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is defending her decision to turn off comments on her social media accounts — with an announcement on social media.
She posted screenshots to X this morning of vulgar names she’s been called on the platform, and says comments on her posts for months have been dominated by insults, to the point that she decided to block them.
Montreal’s Opposition leader and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have criticized Plante for limiting freedom of expression by restricting comments on her X and Instagram accounts.
They say elected officials who use social media should be willing to hear from constituents on those platforms.
However, Plante says some people may believe there is a fundamental right to call someone offensive names and to normalize violence online, but she disagrees.
Her statement on X is closed to comments.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
