Angry in the Great White North

Liberal MP Hedy Fry had her name on a ten-percenter that went to New Brunswick.  This particular ten-percenter is a nasty piece of business, suggesting that Liberal Party policy is the only one true Canadians could support:

The Liberal Party is drawing criticism over flyers mailed in New Brunswick that some in the military have deemed "offensive."

The flyer, sent from Vancouver Centre MP Hedy Fry, depicts a tattered Canadian flag and what could be taken to be a soldier's ruck sack, alongside the statement: "We used to wear it with pride."

Now let me make something clear.  And this might get many partisan Conservatives upset, but I think it has to be said.

Liberal Party policy does reflect Canadian norms.

Conservative Party policy does reflect Canadian norms.

NDP Party policy does reflect Canadian norms.

Green Party policy does reflect Canadian norms.

And so on...

The fact is, Canadians exercising their democratic right to vote, have voted in varying numbers in support of all these party platforms, and others too.  They all reflect the broad range of Canadian opinion on complex political and social issues.  Hedy Fry's ten-percenter is the classic Liberal Party conceit that only Liberals are truly Canadian.  I suppose the other parties exist merely to appease fringe groups who by accident happen to hold Canadian passports by giving them someone to vote for in sham elections. 

In this case, a member of a fringe group is defined as anyone who doesn't vote Liberal.

Oops, did I say Hedy Fry's ten-percenter.  My bad.  Hey Fry really had nothing to do with it:

The flyer was mailed out in the Oromocto area as so-called "10-per-centers," which are pamphlets sent by a sitting MP but paid for by the government.

She added that the pamphlet did not come from her office, but was approved by the Liberal party, and legally had to be sent with an MP's name, and it just happened to be her named used.

Coward.

Indeed, it is the Hedy Fry Comedy Hour as she notes the public opinion turning against her.  On Friday, Hedy Fry was unapologetic:

Jody Carr, MLA for Oromocto which is the home of Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, says all Canadians are proud to wear the Canadian flag and are proud of the military.

But, Fry said Carr is wilfully misinterpreting the intent of the postcard, and she has no need to apologize.

Today, Hedy Fry is being evasive and contrite:

Fry has spoken out on the controversy and said she apologizes if anyone misinterpreted her message to feel it was derogatory to the military.

Well, sort of an apology.  She's sorry that other people "misinterpreted her message" in the ten-percenter that she had nothing really to do with.

Hey, I thought she said she only lent her name to this ten-percenter.  How did "her message" get on this thing?

I suppose it's only a matter of time before she claims criticisms of her are really attacks on her gender or something.

Double standards on that gender thing: The question of Hedy Fry and gender issues is on my mind because I discovered this curious piece of artwork by Zac Mallett, Hedy Fry's media director:

This piece shares space with images of Hedy Fry on Zac Mallett's Flickr account.  Zac Mallett created this "Ugly Americans" image from this original photo called Mexico 03, also on his Flickr account.

OK, admittedly I don't have that finely tuned sense of what is politically correct and what is not.  But as a gentleman (an outdated concept perhaps, and probably an offensive one to a modern woman such as Hedy Fry), I think it is in poor taste indeed to publicly announce that a woman is ugly.  Isn't there a whole movement out there that is attempting to define all female body shapes as beautiful?  So why doesn't Hedy Fry inform Zac Mallett that labelling this woman as "ugly" is unacceptable in enlightened (or even unenlightened but polite) society?  Maybe those rules only apply to Conservatives.  Or maybe Zac Mallet earns a pass because this work incorporates anti-Americanism, and we all know how much Liberals enjoy slamming Americans, or watching as others slam Americans.  Certainly Hedy Fry has been accused of standing by silently while those around her viciously attack Americans.

I can't help but wonder who this woman is, and what she might say of she knew how this image was being used.  Would she demand an apology?  Would Hedy Fry, roused to actually say something, defend her media director by insisting that this woman "misinterpreted the message" of the image?

More Liberal cowardice: As pointed out in the comments, Zac Mallett has removed the picture from his account.  No apology to this woman, or to women in general, has been forthcoming, or even an attempt to defend his work.  Just Zac Mallett scuttling into the shadows the moment I shine a light on him.  Just like a cockroach.