DECEMBER
      7,
      2006
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      @
      9
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CAMPUS
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Harper
      Hates
      Women,
      Honk
      if
     
     
      _
      you
      Hate
      Him.”
     
     
      “Where’s
      my
      29
      cents?”
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Kent
      Aitken
     
     
      _
      Reporter
     
     
      A
      small
      group
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      students,
      professors
      and
     
     
      local
      female
      advocates
     
     
      armed
      with
      signs
      took
      to
     
     
      the
      street
      Thursday,
      Nov.
     
     
      23
      to
      protest
      recent
     
     
      federal
      budget
      cuts.
     
    

    
     
      The
      cuts,
      among
     
     
      other
      things,
      affected
      the
     
     
      organization
      Status
      of
     
     
      Women
      Canada,
     
     
      eliminated
      the
      Court
     
     
      Challenges
      Program
      and
     
     
      cancelled
      National
      Child
     
     
      Care
      agreements.
     
    

    
     
      The
      cuts
      to
      Status
     
     
      of
      Women
      Canada,
      a
     
     
      federal
      government
     
     
      organization
      which
     
     
      promotes
      —
      equality,
     
     
      removed
      40
      per
      cent
      of
     
     
      their
      administrative
     
     
      budget.
      This
      led
      to
      the
     
     
      closing
      of
      12
      offices
      and
     
     
      eventually
      the
      dismissal
     
     
      of
      approximately
      half
      of
     
     
      the
      SWC
      staff.
     
    

    
     
      “A
      lot
      of
      people
     
     
      don’t
      know
      about
      these
     
     
      cuts,”
      explained
      Hollye
     
     
      MacKinnon,
      who
     
     
      organized
      the
      protest.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      She
      spent
      her
      time
     
     
      Thursday
      leading
     
     
      approximately
      30
      people
     
     
      along
      University
      Avenue
     
     
      i
      ktOnt.
      Ol,
      “UP
      Ee,
     
     
      starting
      chants
      with
      a
     
     
      bullhorn
      and
      yelling
      to
     
     
      drivers
      stopped
      at
      the
     
     
      red
      light
      what
      the
      cuts
     
     
      were
      doing
      to
      women’s
     
     
      rights.
     
    

    
     
      “[We
      want
      to]
      raise
     
     
      awareness,
      let
      those
     
     
      concerned
      get
      their
      voice
     
     
      out...
      I
      want
      to
      see
      more
     
     
      talk”
      said
      MacKinnon.
     
    

    
     
      “A
      lot
      of
      people
     
     
      don’t
      know
      about
      these
     
     
      cuts.”
     
    

    
     
      The
      protest
      was
     
     
      small
      but
      very
      vocal.
     
     
      One
      of
      the
      handful
      of
     
     
      males
      present,
      James
     
     
      Morrison,
      explained
      why
     
     
      he
      came
      out.
     
    

    
     
      “We
      heard
      the
     
     
      noise
      in
      the
      soc
      lab...
      I
     
     
      agree
      with
      [the
      cause].”
     
    

    
     
      The
      cuts
      represent
     
    
   
   
    
     
      billions
      of
      dollars
     
     
      rerouted
      from
      66
     
     
      different
      programs.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Some
      of
      the
      cuts
      were
     
     
      re-appropriations
      of
     
     
      budget
      surpluses
      and
     
     
      efforts
      for
      efficiency.
     
     
      Most
      of
      those
      programs
     
    
   
   
    
     
      didn’t
      concern
      the
     
     
      students
      marching
     
     
      Thursday.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      However,
      it
      was
     
     
      certainly
      felt
      by
      the
     
     
      protesters
      that
      some
      of
     
     
      the
      cuts
      carried
      terrible
     
     
      implications,
      especially
     
     
      for
      women
      and
      the
      effort
     
     
      towards
      equality.
      Signs
     
    
   
   
    
     
      saying
      “Harper
      =
      5
     
     
      million
      dollar
      cuts
      to
     
     
      Status
      of
      Women
     
     
      Canada”,
      “Women
      earn
     
     
      71
      cents
      for
      every
      dollar
     
     
      earned
      by
      a
      man”
      and
     
     
      “stop
      cuts
      to
      women’s
     
     
      groups”
     
     
      seemed
      to
      imply
      this,
     
     
      although
      the
      most
      eye-
     
     
      catching
      the
     
     
      skillfully
      done
     
     
      charicature
      of
      Stephen
     
     
      Harper
      portraying
      him
      as
     
     
      the
      devil.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      certainly
     
    
   
   
    
     
      was