Vancouver Sun: 2 Opposition MPs Urge PM to Insist that Olympics Include Female Ski Jumpers
January 6, 2010: In an article in the Vancouver Sun, two MPs are calling on Canada's Prime Minister to intervene in the dispute over the exclusion of female ski jumpers at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Liberal Joyce Murray, MP for Vancouver Quadra and New Democrat Libby Davies, MP for Vancouver East want the Prime Minister to contact International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge and find a solution enabling Olympic organizers to host a female competition next month.
In the article, Liberal Joyce Murray, MP for Vancouver Quadra, asserts the Government of Canada, "as partners in the Games, are complicit in the violation of human rights and blatant discrimination as identified by our courts.
"The prime minister needs to step in and say to the IOC president, 'This is unacceptable in Canada; we will not permit it. You need to reverse your decision. Either men and women compete or neither compete.'"
In December, 2009, the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear the appeal of 14 women ski jumpers who have been excluded from the 2010 Winter Olympics. The courts' decision marks the end of the legal road for the jumpers but the women continue to gain support around the world.
To view the article, click here.