Merit versus Quota: Voicing opinion on Canada’s new cabinet

Trudeau’s gender-equal cabinet has sparked a heated conversation on the topics of merit and quota. Canadians weigh in on the debate.

“Because it’s 2015.”

Canada’s new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke these now-famous words following his cabinet announcement Nov. 4.

Fifteen men and 15 women were appointed cabinet ministers, establishing the first gender-equal cabinet in Canadian history.

While Trudeau’s progressive move earned him recognition from many, others argued that qualification was devalued in the process. Opinions on gender representation were relatively mixed, sparking a heated debate on the topics of merit and quota.

A step in the right direction

Alejandra Ortiz, a volunteer with the non-partisan organization Women in Toronto Politics, applauds the prime minister for his decision and argues that merit is a non-issue. “I think that it’s a step in the right direction,” she says. “I can see why people were critical of it as far as the merit aspect goes, but the fact of the matter is that just because there’s going to be more representation doesn’t mean that the quality of the candidates will be sacrificed.”

Kate McInturff, senior researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), agrees. She says that what accompanies the merit argument is a false understanding of the opportunities previously afforded to the men and women in caucus.

“The merit argument assumes that there is an even playing field,” says McInturff, “but that is factually incorrect.”

“There’s no question that the women who were appointed to cabinet were equally qualified,” she says. “The merit argument assumes that there is an even playing field. It assumes that men and women have exactly the same level of access to money, networks, and senior management positions. But that is factually incorrect.”

“It’s just simply the case that women are less likely to find themselves promoted to senior management positions. They are significantly disadvantaged and have to overcome additional obstacles, even though they’re as equally qualified and ambitious as their male counterparts.”

McInturff is also the director of Making Women Count, a public policy group that researches gender equality under the CCPA. She says that all women face barriers when attempting to run for political office and face countless more once they are appointed.

A cabinet that looks like Canada

When initially appointed to cabinet, several women were thought to be ministers of state – a title that bears junior responsibilities. However, it was later confirmed that all women were given full cabinet minister status, along with their male colleagues.

Trudeau also considered race, ethnicity, and religion in his appointments, in order for the cabinet “to look like Canada.”

Eighty-eight women were elected to caucus in the 2015 federal election, yet account for only 25.8 per cent of the 338 seats. On the world stage, Canada barely ranks in the top 50 countries when it comes to female representation in national parliaments.

Denying opportunity for outcome

Columnist Andrew Coyne explored the debate in a National Post column on Nov. 2, where he argued that although women make up only one quarter of the Liberal caucus, they now make up half of cabinet. In order to achieve the prime minister’s quota, women were given three times the chance of their male counterparts to be chosen for cabinet positions – likely denying the opportunity to more qualified men.

“Trudeau didn’t choose the best person for the job. Instead, he chose by gender. He denied opportunity in order to achieve an equal outcome, and that’s where the problem lies.”

David Shackleton, President of the Canadian Association for Equality (CAFE) in Ottawa, agrees with Coyne. He says, “Trudeau didn’t choose the best person for the job. Instead, he chose by gender. He denied opportunity in order to achieve an equal outcome, and that’s where the problem lies.”

“I understand why he’s doing it, but it’s problematic,” he says. “At the end of the day, Trudeau is discriminating against those who are truly qualified for the position – be they males or females – in order to achieve gender balance in cabinet.”

CAFE promotes equality for all Canadians regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity, or race. However, the organization focuses primarily on the health, success, and well being of boys and men. Through research and outreach initiatives, CAFE attempts to correct gender stereotypes and improve the opportunities and support available to men.

The purpose of cabinet

Justin Trottier, CEO of CAFE in Toronto, feels a strong tension when contemplating the merit-versus-quota debate. He says that while gender representation is extremely important, the answer lies in the overall purpose of the cabinet itself.

“There has been a really healthy debate within our organization over this issue, with opinions rather mixed,” he says. “Some people think that the appointments should be done based on the qualifications of a candidate. Others are saying that cabinet is meant to be representative of the diversity of the electorate.”

“It really depends on what the point of a cabinet is. Do we want people who are the best qualified for the job in terms of their experience and their previous work in related fields, or do we want people who are embodying the diversity of our country?”

Many individuals, including Coyne, have contemplated the purpose of cabinet. However, a consensus has not been reached. Likewise, individuals have questioned how to assess merit, and have argued that it is entirely possible that Prime Minister Trudeau has already fulfilled both qualification and quota with his chosen ministers.

“A gender-equal cabinet is a giant step in the right direction.”

For McInturff, the new cabinet has set the stage for future prime ministers to follow suit. “We’ve had extremely slow progress in terms of increasing women’s representation in politics in Canada,” she says. “While it’s clearly going to take some time to increase the share of women in political offices, a gender-equal cabinet is a giant step in the right direction.”

House of Commons | Photo © Márcio Cabral de Moura. Photo Licensed under Creative Commons 3.0, FlickR, https://flic.kr/p/9LGm5j.