An essay that compares immigration to “cultural suicide” and relegates women to the role of procreation was recently recognized by the current Minister for the Status of Women in a competition organized by the Alberta Legislative Assembly.
The controversial essay, written in the Her Vision Inspires competition by an author named S. Silver, won third place in the competition and was published on the assembly’s website, where it was discovered and denounced by NDP MP Janis Irwin. The winning works of the competition have since been removed.
In particular, Ms. Silver takes up in her own way the theory of the grand surrogate put forward in certain far-right circles.
“While it’s sadly popular these days to think that the world would be a better place without people, or that Alberta children aren’t needed since we can import foreigners to replace us, it’s a sick mentality that drives us to cultural suicide leads,” we can read in particular in the work written in English, passages of which have been copied by various media.
The author also questions the status of women in the traditionally male-dominated world of work, judging that women are “not quite” equal to men.
“I believe the best approach would be to reward families for their reproductive service with financial rewards to reduce the financial burden they accept and medals to reward the achievement of having more than two children,” continued Mrs. Silver gone.
The person in charge of the jury that awarded the work, MP Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, was appointed Minister of Delegates for the Status of Women last June.
The latter responded to the controversy twice on Tuesday, first by admitting that the essay should not have been rewarded but with the caveat that it was important to leave room for diversity of opinion.
“It is clear that the process has failed and I apologize for my role in it. The selection of this essay and the award of third prize was a failure on my part as jury president,” she then explained in a second press release.
Third prize was a gift certificate worth $200 worth of merchandise sold by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta Gift Shop.