Lessons to be learned in 'Take your pants off' kerfuffle — but will they stick?

The recent rhetoric in Manitoba's Legislature dipped below the line of acceptable as two members of the NDP, James Allum and Andrew Swan, apologized for blurting out "shame" at female PC MLAs during a vote last week.

But the temptation to hammer opponents for bad behaviour may have caught the Tories with their own pants around their ankles.

Targeting anyone based on their sex or race is simply unacceptable, and what is hard to figure — according to many that know both Allum and Swan — is why they did it. Neither has the reputation for that type of attitude. 

• 'We crossed a line': Accused of intimidating women, Manitoba NDP MLAs apologize
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• MLA yelled 'Take your pants off' in legislature, PCs say, but NDP denies accusation

But perhaps the ruling Progressive Conservatives, seeing the opposition on its heels, went too far this week by accusing New Democrat Rob Altemeyer of yelling "Take your pants off," at Culture and Heritage Minister Rochelle Squires.

Members of the press corps at the Legislature glued their ears to a cleaned up and slowed down audio tape of the moment provided by the NDP. The conclusion was consistently Altemeyer didn't say "Take your pants off," but "Take a pass on it."

According to the NDP, Altemeyer was targeting Premier Brian Pallister for not taking a question and it fits what is on the audio recording.

An audio technician at the CBC performed much the same process and the result was the same. All ears in our newsroom heard "pass," not "pants."

Parliamentary government has a long and dark past favouring the heckle. Sit in the gallery of any legislature, Senate or assembly and it is a wonder ears don't bleed from the barbs and outright insults.

Speakers of all parties throughout history have arrived at the job with promises to clean up the bitter edge to the discourse.

Political scientist Chris Adams says heckling in the house has a long standing tradition, recalling Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's attempt to disguise his use of the F-word with the phrase "fuddle duddle."

Adams acknowledges the House, whether federal or provincial, takes on the trappings of a stage, but he says that comes with a risk.

"When decorum is damaged, the image of our government and the assembly is damaged," Adams said.

Hit me with your best shot

Some politicos seem to revel in sticking their opponents with a verbal knife and twisting. The late British Labour MP Tony Banks reportedly once said Margaret Thatcher was acting "with the sensitivity of a sex-starved boa-constrictor."

There is an old saying that is very difficult to hear when your mouth is open.- Myrna Phillips

And the temptation to target based on chromosomes isn't exclusive to the United Kingdom.

Former Liberal MP Sheila Copps faced a barrage of sexist remarks in Parliament, being called a "slut" and a "bitch" by her political foes. Copps and one-time Conservative minister John Crosbie often sparred, prompting Crosbie to once advise Copps to "quiet down, baby."

The legislative referees try to tone down the assaults, but rarely do the lessons stick.

In the mid-eighties, then Manitoba Speaker Myrna Phillips reportedly gave PC MLA Don Orchard the word on decorum. 

"There is an old saying that is very difficult to hear when your mouth is open," Phillips told Orchard.

Perhaps part of what is at play in the current legislative session is the aroma of defeat pervading the NDP caucus and the willingness of the ruling Tories to exploit the disarray.

Learning curve in new roles

Battered and bruised from internal strife pre-election and still staggering from a disastrous conclusion at the ballot box, the NDP appear rudderless and the PC brain trust appear to like that way.

Mary Agnes Welch of Probe Research (and former reporter with the Winnipeg Free Press) doesn't see the New Democrats recovering their poise anytime soon.

"This is the start of a very, very long process [for the NDP]," Welch said.

Welch sees the party with little bench strength in it's caucus, a diminished political staff to support them and no one anxious to take the leadership reins. 

"They were so badly defeated and are so badly divided," Welch said.

This is not the recipe for an effective and dynamic opposition, especially at a time when the new government is planning to take the province in a completely different direction.

Politics can be a rough game, and when one side smells blood in the water, the temptation to pounce can be intoxicating. The Tories got tempted to pull down Rob Altemeyer's pants in public, but the recording of his words show the opposite was true.

With an overwhelming majority in the legislature, consistently favourable poll numbers post-election and years left to their mandate, you might think the Progressive Conservatives would be focused on governing. Instead, this week they chose to kick an opponent when they were down.

Chris Adams's take on the last two weeks of rhetoric comes in the form of some advice.

"This is an example of the governing party being new to governing and [they] need to start behaving more consistently as a government. And the NDP need to get used to being Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition," said Adams. "They both need to learn their roles."