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Former BC Liberal Party MLA Jane Thornthwaite has written an Op-Ed that was published today in the Vancouver Sun.
According to the good Ms. Thornthwaite, pretty much everything that happened to her after the voters of British Columbia learned that she had shamed a fellow MLA in a sexist manner on a BC Liberal Party-sanctioned video call is everyone else's fault.
...As soon as I saw the recording of the roast video I should have immediately apologized. The fact that I didn’t was a mistake that I sincerely regret, which is why, shortly after, I did. Our leader, on the other hand, waited another two days before addressing the issue, which meant the platform announcement did not get the attention it deserved...'
...Listening to Andrew Wilkinson tell British Columbians that I made a fool of myself” despite saying the opposite to me privately was soul crushing and likely cemented the loss of my seat...
...I received no negative feedback from the roast prior to it becoming public: In fact a senior staffer messaged me after the roast. “Great Job Jane. You were good. This is fun to watch.”...
... (L)istening to Wilkinson throw me under the bus, I experienced what many women in our organization have experienced — a double standard between the treatment of men and women...
...Wilkinson never said Laurie Throness “made a fool” of himself when he refused to stop advertising in a magazine containing anti LBGTQ2+ content. Or when he likened free birth control to eugenics. I never heard Wilkinson call male MLAs “fools” after they took part in rallies against a woman’s right to choose or when they advertised for federal campaigns after being told not to do so...
For this, we thank Ms. Thornthwaite.
According to the good Ms. Thornthwaite, pretty much everything that happened to her after the voters of British Columbia learned that she had shamed a fellow MLA in a sexist manner on a BC Liberal Party-sanctioned video call is everyone else's fault.
...As soon as I saw the recording of the roast video I should have immediately apologized. The fact that I didn’t was a mistake that I sincerely regret, which is why, shortly after, I did. Our leader, on the other hand, waited another two days before addressing the issue, which meant the platform announcement did not get the attention it deserved...'
...Listening to Andrew Wilkinson tell British Columbians that I made a fool of myself” despite saying the opposite to me privately was soul crushing and likely cemented the loss of my seat...
...I received no negative feedback from the roast prior to it becoming public: In fact a senior staffer messaged me after the roast. “Great Job Jane. You were good. This is fun to watch.”...
... (L)istening to Wilkinson throw me under the bus, I experienced what many women in our organization have experienced — a double standard between the treatment of men and women...
...Wilkinson never said Laurie Throness “made a fool” of himself when he refused to stop advertising in a magazine containing anti LBGTQ2+ content. Or when he likened free birth control to eugenics. I never heard Wilkinson call male MLAs “fools” after they took part in rallies against a woman’s right to choose or when they advertised for federal campaigns after being told not to do so...
For this, we thank Ms. Thornthwaite.
After all, it is good to know, if only after the fact, that her party's soon-to-be-former leader traffics in double standards and that at least one senior party staffer thinks that such shaming is 'fun to watch'.
But here's a question...
If Ms. Thornthwaite had retained her seat in the legislature would she be educating the voters of British Columbia as to the rotten core of her party right here, right now, three weeks after the provincial election?
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As to what she, herself, actually said on that video call?
Well, just before she apologized to the MLA she shamed, Ms. Thornthwaite also wrote the following:
...I made a terrible mistake. This is not who I am and is not reflective of the decades I’ve spent advocating for women in politics...
That is most definitely good to know.
However...
Those things that you actually said on that Zoom call, Ms. Thornthwaite.
Those things that denigrated another woman.
They were your words.
And those words came from your thoughts.
And saying those words that came from your thoughts was actually your deed.
Correct?
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Correct?
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8 comments:
Very eviscerating.
In a perfect world RossK, your post would be the next Op-Ed the Vancouver Sun publishes.
I hope you’ve submitted it for consideration.
Lew--
Ha!
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All snark aside Lew, have you noticed that all the club members have been trumpeting the sensationalist stuff in the pull quotes on the Twittmachine without bothering to get to the heart of the matter?
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I have.
Reminds me of club acceptance of Gordon Campbell’s teary-eyed apology for driving drunk in Maui. They never got around to asking if he would have returned and offered said apology had he not been caught. An honest response would have revealed of course, that he was sorry only that he’d been nabbed in the act.
Very good point Lew.
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Out of curiousity is the rest of clip available to see, hear what others said? And, why no backlash to the others in attendance (except Wilkinson)
NVG--
To his credit, Jason Sturdy spoke up the day after the clip was released.
I have not seen the entire thing. Regardless, what the others did not say while Ms. Thornthwaite did her thing is what matters here.
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she wouldn't have been upset if she had been re elected. But she wasn't and then, to have her party turn on her, well that wouldn't have gone over well. She is correct, there is a double standard out there, not just in her own party. They all thought it was funny, even if it wasn't. If she had not been "caught" no one would have said any thing, but saying nothing is how these things go on and on and on.
Its like nasty Jewish jokes. People used to laugh. Then when I would say, that's my Grandfather you're talking about, they got shocked looks, embarrassed, and it finally stopped. I use the same line when you hear jokes about people of Chinese descent or Indigenous descent. The response we give is, that is one of my family members you're talking about. Its time it all stopped.
Of course guys are going to give guys a pass. Not much has changed there. O.K. it has changed somewhat, but still, she got thrown under the bus and her male collegue wasn't. Should serve as a lesson for voters.
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