What Peterborough Gave to Ottawa

9/30/2021

Rosemary Ganley
The Peterborough Examiner
September 30, 2021

Somebody should really write a book about the “brief, shining moment” (actually it was six years), that Maryam Monsef spent in the Parliament of Canada.

This column is not sour grapes over the result of last Monday’s federal election. I wish Michelle Ferreri well, for all our sakes.

Rather, it expresses acknowledgement and gratitude from 23,000 voters, and many others from many places, to our outgoing MP.

She brought many strengths to her work of representing us. The first is that she carried Peterborough grassroots voices to the halls of government. Early on, her talent became obvious to leaders and she was appointed to the gender-equal cabinet, where, being a quick learner, she had a strong and influential voice. Minister Bill Blair mentioned this when he visited here during the campaign. Speaking authoritatively from her knowledge of violence against women, she supported him in his anti-assault-rifle legislation.

When the pandemic hit, and local feminists told her that domestic violence was increasing by 30 percent with the strain of families cooped up, she persuaded the prime minister to lead the charge to fund 1,500 organizations across the country working against the scourge.

She shone as Minister for Women and Gender Equality (WAGE), developing a strong staff of feminists, and networking with Canadian women at all levels of society. During her time, the Status of Women office was made a full government department, unlikely in future to be eliminated by any right-wing administration.

Perhaps the greatest victory for us. is that the ideas and convictions of people here in Peterborough made their way into so much government policy. Peterborough was a big player. The witness of feminists, those such as Karen Basciano, Lynn Zimmer, Katherine Carleton, Ann Farquharson, Ariel O’Neill, Julie Cosgrove, Kim Dolan, Linda Slavin, Julia Anderson, Lisa Clarke and so on, all that large sisterhood Monsef had nurtured and celebrated from day one, had her ear. It profoundly shaped government choices across the country. And around the world.

Another large cohort of influential Peterburians whose views she listened to and passed on, has been that of environmentalists: Steven Hill, Bob Paehlke, Drew Monkman, Brianna Salmon, Guy Hanchet, Kate Grierson, Al Slavin, Cheryl Lyon, Fred Irwin, Connie McCracken, and on and on.

Their knowledge and commitment showed up in Monsef’s advocacy of the Liberal green plan. and other green achievements, which have been hailed across the spectrum.

Through her, we’ve had clout, real clout.

Active constituency services were maintained by good staff at the office right downtown on Bethune Street.

Another outstanding quality has been her graciousness in trying circumstances. I once heard a Jesuit priest, Daniel Berrigan, who was crying out against the Vietnam War and paying a heavy price, say, “I have no enemies, only adversaries.” Let that attitude sink into Canadian politics. It was one she embodied. She ignored attacks and kept to the high road.

Canadian politics can be mean. There are vestiges of racism and chauvinism, in spite of the tremendous social progress of the last 30 years. Monsef was both a symbol of that progress and a contributor to it.

An Examiner photo showed her at midnight meeting with her opponent and saluting. The peaceful transfer of power, the hallmark of a democracy, was well understood by Monsef.

Finally, it was her leadership in the worldwide women’s movement. The rising of the women is the rising of the race. She spoke often at the U.N and other global meetings. I have seldom seen anyone so effectively engage an audience, listen more carefully or remember people’s names so well.

Canada, and our city were hailed everywhere. We made our overseas aid gender-sensitive. At home, we now submit every piece of legislation to a gender analysis. It asks,” How will this affect women and children?”

Unless I point to these things, Monsef’s modesty will not reveal them. We made some giant, irreversible leaps forward the last six years. We say, sincerely, thank you.

Hurray for her, and for us.

"Gleanings" is Rosemary Ganley's new book. You can purchase directly from the author at rganley209@gmail.com or from >Amazon<

9 Comments

Vivian Heinmiller

9/30/2021 08:20:35 am

Thank you Rosemary, for your comments explaining all that Maryam has done for our area. We were fortunate to have her voice in cabinet.
Vivian Heinmiller

Margaretann Cooper

9/30/2021 10:43:35 am

Excellent, thank you for sharing this message I knew so little about her many good deeds.

Tanna Edwards

9/30/2021 10:52:42 am

Many of us have worked a lifetime on these issues and had no where near the impact. Thank you for sharing her varied efforts more broadly. She is an inspiration to many, young and old, and her gracious reputation, intellect and speaking skills precede her. We are grateful for her contributions.

J W

9/30/2021 11:13:18 am

I have a lot of respect for you Rosemary and the work you’ve done in Peterborough. But this loss does not come as a shock to many in the community.

I want to know is why someone who is such a fierce advocate for women all over the world couldn’t show that same regard for her own colleagues: Jody Wilson-Raybould, Jane Philippot and Celina Ceaser-Chavannes. They were smeared and discarded simply for doing the right thing. It’s unacceptable and it was a deal breaker for me. She was elected as an outsider in 2015 and I truly thought she would have come to their defence.

The other thing we have to recognize is that material conditions in Peterborough have been deteriorating for a number of years. Cost of housing is too high, groceries are getting out of reach, no one has a job, homelessness and addiction are on the rise. The way to win an election isn’t to have it in a certain month or a certain year or to have the best slogan, it’s to help people in their lives. Voters would have re-elected anyone who implemented policies to fix these things.

Matt Garrow

9/30/2021 07:18:01 pm

Great points.

Rosemary offers a fanciful tribute but listing the opportunities to speak at the UN or paraphrasing the words of a fellow Cabinet member as a meaningful endorsement is a barethread defence of a clumsy and ineffectual politician.

To your critique I would add that she not only shrank from defending her fellow Cabinet members but also her Indigenous constituents. When the NDP tabled its motion to demand the government cease its endless litigation designed to prevent the fair and equitable treatment of Indigenous children in care, she abstained. A telling moment and another blotch on a rather shoddy record.

Meredith Hill

9/30/2021 11:50:48 am

I want to extend my thanks for this Examiner article about the fine work done by Maryam Monsef over her time as our Member of Parliament. I've been aware of many of her efforts and was always so pleased to see her at so many community gatherings and conversations, enthusiastically bringing her knowledge, skills, and contributions to so many facets of Peterborough's life. We were blessed to have her as our representative in the halls of power! And I was terribly disappointed by the results of the election last week. It's so very hard to accept that Peterborough would oust an experienced, knowledgeable cabinet member in favour of an inexperienced backbencher. I do hope that other doors and opportunities will open for Maryam; Peterborough needs her, and Canada does too.

Claudette Gauthier

9/30/2021 05:57:24 pm

Totally agree! I too was disappointed with the outcome of the election for Maryam.

Eleanor Low

9/30/2021 12:04:23 pm

Thanks Rosemary for pointing out Maryam's accomplishments which were evident to so many of us. I have nothing but respect for what she was able to accomplish in 6 years. She is passionate, knowledgeable and well spoken and under her watch the Feds stepped up (where they had jurisdiction) to make a positive difference here as you point out. I was very disappointed but not surprised (for reasons noted by others) that our City/County voted for a local personality who drew on conservative roots for support. I believe it was very short sighted to trade experience and influence at the Cabinet table for inexperience on the opposition back bench. Yes, we are all inexperienced when we take on a new role. But this was not the time for that. Thank you for your service, Maryam. We will miss you.

Suzanne Lawson

10/1/2021 02:14:54 am

Thanks to this most helpful leader come from way beyond Peterborough! She served the country well.