Catherine Dorion wears hoodie in Quebec parliament

Image copyright
Twitter

From bare arms in the US House of Representatives to ties in the UK’s House of Commons, what politicians wear to work can say a lot about the traditions they hold dear – and the ones they want to leave behind.

Mark Zuckerberg made hoodies de rigueur in Silicon Valley.

But can they catch on in the halls of Quebec’s legislature?

Quebec politician Catherine Dorion, who is a member of the left-wing Quebec Solidaire party, pushed the fashion envelope when she entered the provincial legislature wearing jeans and a hoodie sweatshirt last week.

After several colleagues complained, Ms Dorion, who represents the district of Taschereau, decided to leave, because she “didn’t want to cause a scene”, said a spokesperson for her party.

Her sartorial stand has sparked a debate over appropriate attire for politicians, along with a hashtag, #moncotonouatemonchoix (which translates to my hoodie, my choice).

What is the Quebec government’s dress code?

The National Assembly, Quebec’s provincial legislature, has no official dress code, only the guidance that members’ attire should “contribute to the maintenance of decorum”.

It is customary that during parliamentary proceedings, men wear a jacket and tie, and women a dress suit. Public servants are also banned from wearing religious symbols.

But last February speaker Francois Paradis was forced to address the issue after there were complaints about several members, mostly from Quebec Solidaire, wearing trainers, jeans and Doc Martens. He said the assembly should debate the issue, and come up with formal guidelines.

“Certainly, I do not think that it will be up to me, as president, to decide unilaterally. This is an issue which, following exchanges that we may have if necessary, will have to be decided collectively. I would strongly hope that a broad consensus emerges as is the case when we consider the possibility of reviewing our rules of procedure,” he said.

He urged members to wear “city dress” or business casual, until an official dress code could be decided on.

What does Ms Dorion say?

Speaking on television programme Tout le Monde en Parle, Ms Dorian said she wears casual clothes to the assembly because she represents real people, not just the political class.

“The National Assembly is the house of the people, it is you, the world, who should be there, not all the same clique,” she said.

This was not the first time her outfits have been considered a faux pas.

This Halloween, a few days before hoodiegate, Ms Dorion posted a photo on social media of herself wearing a skirt-suit and sitting on top of a desk in the National Assembly, the joke being that she was “in costume” as an old-fashioned politician.

In response, the Liberal Party filed a letter of complaint with the ethics commissioner, saying her Halloween costume was disrespectful.

She said she was “shocked and disappointed” the party would lecture her.

What has the reaction been?

Many people have spoken in support of Ms Dorion, arguing that men are not scrutinised as closely for what they wear, and that the assembly should modernise.

Some supporters even created a campaign to get women to wear a hoodie to work on Tuesday in solidarity.

“Women’s bodies do not belong to you. Women’s clothing choice does not belong to you,” says the campaign’s Facebook group.

But others say sexism has nothing to do with it, and that a sweatshirt is just not acceptable office attire.

“A little common sense please! I’m open-minded but we still have to respect certain standards in life, even if we’re ultra open,” wrote one person on the Facebook group created to support Ms Dorion.

Is this an issue anywhere else?

In the age of business casual and office jeans, what counts as professional attire isn’t always clear – even for politicians.

Most of the debate has centred around women’s attire, and whether bare arms are appropriate.

image

Media playback is unsupported on your device

In the US, Congress bans sleeveless tops, trainers and open-toed shoes, but the rules are not always enforced. In 2017, several congresswomen protested by organising a “sleeveless Friday”.

In Canada, the province of British Columbia has proposed to amend its dress code to allow for sleeveless tops.

Men sometimes run afoul of dress codes too. In Montreal, a city councillor was kicked out of a meeting for not wearing a tie. Those rules were changed in 2018.

Outgoing UK Speaker of the House John Bercow ruffled a few feathers when he said MPs did not need to wear ties. He also made waves personally when he abandoned the speaker’s traditional waistcoat, cuffs and winged collar, opting instead for a more modern suit under his robe.

0 comments

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • S. Makedonija snižava cijene hrane
    on 26/09/2023 at 16:01

    Premijer Sjeverne Makedonije Dimitar Kovačevski je danas izvijestio je da se spisak proizvoda sa oznakom "Garantovana cijena" proširuje i najavio da će od sjutra biti snižene i cijene bezalkoholnih pića, gazirane i negazirane vode i piva, kao i dodatno voća i povrća.

  • Njemačka bi mogla postati bolesnik Evrope
    on 26/09/2023 at 15:55

    Izvršni direktor Dojče banke Kristijan Seving, upozorio je da će Njemačka postati "bolesnik Evrope" ako se odmah ne pozabavi strukturalnim pitanjima.

  • PES: Interne i eksterne opstrukcije oko formiranja vlade
    on 26/09/2023 at 15:27

    Iz Pokreta Evropa sad (PES) poručili su da će narednih dana ulagati dodatne napore kako bi dobili Vladu koja će realizovati program Evropa sad 2, kako su kazali, jednako uspješno kao i program Evropa sad 1. Iz PES-a su kazali da proces formiranja Vlade nije ni ovoga puta lak, kako su kazali, što zbog eksternih, što zbog internih opstrukcija.

  • Neophodno političke stabilnosti, daleko smo od nove Vlade
    on 26/09/2023 at 15:25

    Skoro tri i po mjeseca nakon vanrednih parlamentarnih izbora Crna Gora još uvijek daleko od nove Vlade, kazao je generalni sekretar DPS Aleksandar Bogdanović, koji se danas sastao sa novoimenovanim ambasadorom Republike Poljske u Crnoj Gori Andžejem Papježem.

  • Uz pomoć UNOPS-a nova era reforme pravosudnog sistema
    on 26/09/2023 at 15:22

    Memorandum o razumijevanju između Ministarstva Pravde Crne Gore i Kancelarije Ujedinjenih nacija za projektne usluge (UNOPS) potpisan je danas u Vili Gorica. Uz pomoć stručnjaka ove kancelarije UN-a unaprijediće se pravosudne institucije, kroz izgradnju novih objekata i povećanje nivoa bezbjednosti, kao i kroz uvođenje savremenih tehnologija.

  • Crna Gora peta u Evropi po Indeksu organizovanog kriminala
    on 26/09/2023 at 15:10

    Crna Gora je peta u Evropi po Globalnom indeksu organizovanog kriminala za 2023. godinu. Od 193 države u svijetu, Crna Gora je na 54 mjestu. Globalna inicijativa za borbu protiv transnacionalnog organizovanog kriminala (GI-TOC) predstavila je danas Indeks transnacionalnog organizovanog kriminala u svijetu.

  • Odložiti početak popisa i uključiti opoziciju u proces
    on 26/09/2023 at 14:47

    Popis stanovništva, koji je zakazan za period od 1. do 15. novembra, treba odložiti, a predstavnici opozicije moraju se uključiti u taj proces po uzoru na dva prethodna, poručila su Socijaldemokrate (SD).

  • Izabrano idejno rješenje za školu u Siti kvartu
    on 26/09/2023 at 14:44

    Na međunarodnom Konkursu za idejno arhitektonsko rješenje objekta osnovne škole u City kvartu u Podgorici, žiri Ministarstva ekologije, prostornog planiranja i urbanizma izabrao je rješenje zajedničkog tima iz Crne Gore i Mađarske, autora Mirka Popovića, Žakline Nježić i Zoltana Šramela.

  • Kosovo: Policajac ubijen u selu Banjska u blizini severnog dela Mitrovice
    on 26/09/2023 at 14:39

    Tokom obavljanja redovnih aktivnosti, kosovska policija je naišla na most koji su blokirali kamioni u selu Banjska.

  • Ministarstvo o incidentu: Odrediti vaspitne mjere
    on 26/09/2023 at 14:29

    Ministarstvo prosvjete oglasilo se oko današnjeg incidenta u Bijelom Polju, navodeći da su sugerisali Upravi Srednje elektro-ekonomske škole da momentalno, po Pravilniku i zakonu, odredi vaspitne mjere prema učesnicima incidenta.

  • PES: Interne i eksterne opstrukcije oko formiranja vlade
    on 26/09/2023 at 15:27

    Iz Pokreta Evropa sad (PES) poručili su da će narednih dana ulagati dodatne napore kako bi dobili Vladu koja će realizovati program Evropa sad 2, kako su kazali, jednako uspješno kao i program Evropa sad 1. Iz PES-a su kazali da proces formiranja Vlade nije ni ovoga puta lak, kako su kazali, što zbog eksternih, što zbog internih opstrukcija.

  • Neophodno političke stabilnosti, daleko smo od nove Vlade
    on 26/09/2023 at 15:25

    Skoro tri i po mjeseca nakon vanrednih parlamentarnih izbora Crna Gora još uvijek daleko od nove Vlade, kazao je generalni sekretar DPS Aleksandar Bogdanović, koji se danas sastao sa novoimenovanim ambasadorom Republike Poljske u Crnoj Gori Andžejem Papježem.

  • Odložiti početak popisa i uključiti opoziciju u proces
    on 26/09/2023 at 14:47

    Popis stanovništva, koji je zakazan za period od 1. do 15. novembra, treba odložiti, a predstavnici opozicije moraju se uključiti u taj proces po uzoru na dva prethodna, poručila su Socijaldemokrate (SD).

  • Oprema sa Ćilipa popisana još 2004, obaviješten Dubrovnik
    on 26/09/2023 at 13:25

    Službenica Aerodroma Crne Gore Biljana Knežević tvrdi da je oprema sa Ćilipa evidentirana još 2004. godine te da je tada o tome obaviješten i aerodrom u Dubrovniku.

  • Reforme u EU obezbijedile bi Crnoj Gori lakši put do članstva
    on 26/09/2023 at 12:30

    Reforma Evropske unije (EU) pružila bi Crnoj Gori novu perspektivu i dašak entuzijazma da će Unija biti spremna u srednjem roku za prijem novih članica, ocijenila je državna sekretarka Ministarstva evropskih poslova Milena Žižić.

  • "Spajić previše optimističan, ne zna se ima li većine"
    on 26/09/2023 at 09:52

    Predsjednik Demos-a Miodrag Lekić kazao je da mu jučerašnji sastanak predsjednika Crne Gore Jakova Milatovića i mandatara Milojka Spajića nejasan, a da je Spajić previše optimističan.

  • Nađena oprema ukradena sa aerodroma Ćilipi
    on 26/09/2023 at 09:21

    Premijer Crne Gore Dritan Abazović kazao je da je nakon 30 godina, zahvaljujući rukovodstvu Aerodroma Crne Gore, prilikom popisa imovine ove državne kompanije, pronađena je i evidentirana oprema za koju se sumnja da je ukradena sa Aerodroma Ćilipi, tokom napada na Dubrovnik 1991-1992.

  • "Novi izbori realniji od formiranje vlade"
    on 26/09/2023 at 09:07

    Nova Vlada treba da bude odraz izborne volje građana, a sve drugo bi nas odvelo u nestabilnosti, kazala je poslanica koalicije “Za budućnost Crne Gore” Jelena Božović. Ona ocjenjuje da je nedopustivo da Vladu Crne Gore formiraju ambasadori.

  • Rastoder: Razmotriti odlaganje popisa stanovništva
    on 26/09/2023 at 09:00

    Predsjednik Izvršnog odbora Bošnjačkog vijeća Mirsad Rastoder pozvao je Vladu da donese odluku o odlaganju popisa u Crnoj Gori na mjesec dana, ili dok se ne steknu neophodni institucionalni uslovi da se popis uradi kvalitetno,temeljito, na zakonit i sveobuhvatan način.

  • Građanin čeka da nova vlada sjedne u fotelje i ispuni obećanja
    on 26/09/2023 at 07:58

    Lider Pokreta Preokret Srđan Perić smatra da se udaljavamo od onoga što su predizborna obećanja i da su političari zaboravili na građanina koji je podršku dao vladi koja će popraviti životni standard.