Femme Fatale

One of Warren's readers astutely points out we're down 2 women in Cabinet. Throw in the fact that Robillard was demoted from Industry to Intergovernmental and we're left with Anne McLellan and Liza Frulla as the only females with meaty portfolios. And that's calling Heritage a meaty portfolio which is being generous (although it seems like an unwritten rule that the Minister of Heritage being female is being followed. Sort of like how the Justice Minister must be from Quebec).

Remember this winter when Paul said he wanted a record number of female Liberal candidates? Well, they failled to match Chretien's record in that departement. Now, once again, women are being overlooked. It's not like there weren't any choice - Rubby Dhalla and Marlene Jennings were rumoured to be Cabinet bound. And then there was this chick from Hamilton who was run out of town by Martin and his new House Leader; I think she would have made a fine Cabinet Minister.

I'll be interested to see if Carolyn Bennett, who criticized Jean Chretien for not including more women in one of his Cabinet shuffles, opens her mouth now that it's Paul who dealt the deck. And now that she finds herself in Cabinet. I'm guessing she won't speak up this time.