Future is yours, Campbell says
Former PM returns to House to encourage aspiring female politicians
OTTAWA — The last time Kim Campbell was in the House of Commons was June 16, 1993, a week before she was sworn in as the first woman to be Canada’s prime minister.
She stood up that day to reflect on the historic milestone she had had achieved in Canadian politics when she won the leadership of the governing Progressive Conservatives. In her speech, Campbell acknowledged and thanked the female trailblazers and male enablers who had helped clear her path.
The House adjourned that afternoon and by late summer the country was in an election campaign and everyone knows how that turned out for Campbell and the Progressive Conservatives. She would never sit in the House of Commons as prime minister.
But on Wednesday morning, to mark International Women’s Day, Campbell returned to the House of Commons for the first time since that summer day in 1993, and this time she came as the trailblazer, with an inspiring speech that looked forward to a day when having a female prime minister would not be so remarkable.
On Wednesday every single one of the seats occupied by a young woman, one aspiring female politician from each of the country’s 338 ridings. They had arrived in Ottawa as part of the Daughters Of the Vote program, an initiative of the group Equal Voice, which works to encourage, support and remove barriers to women who want to run for any political office.
“It is a glorious sight to see you all here,” Campbell began. “It is so touching and I know that over the coming years, this sight of young women filling the seats is going to become more and more natural.
“We will make room for our male colleagues. We won’t take all of the seats. We’ll share. Women do that. But this is a remarkable and very touching vision for anyone who has served in this chamber.”
In her speech, Campbell touched on a debate still not yet resolved for parliamentarians: Making the House of Commons a “family-friendly” workplace.
Still, as Campbell noted, changes made since her day — eliminating late-night votes, for example — make it more likely that more women will run.
“It isn’t just women who want a saner life. Men also want to go home to their families. The civilizing quality of life in the House of Commons benefits everybody.”