Yet another announcement of a policy which hasn't been thought through

[#1]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7474801.stm

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She said firms should be able to choose a woman over a man of equal ability if they wanted to - or vice versa.

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Allowing positive discrimination would help organisations such as the police better reflect the communities they serve by recruiting more female and ethnic minority officers, said Ms Harman. But if, for example, a headmistress wanted to discriminate in favour of a male teacher to balance an all female team that would be allowed too.

So does this mean that an employer could advertise for a female/male/coloured/black/old/young person (take your pick) to create a more balanced team and this would be acceptable.

[#2]

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positive discrimination

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxymoron
[me=orbrey]is angry[/me]

[#3]

[me=Jameseh]pokes Orbrey[/me]

[#4]

I personally find Positive Discrimination abhorrent.  This person most qualified for the position should be chosen, no mater what race, creed or sex.  It is stupid for example to stop a person from being selected as a council candidate because they are the wrong sex.

[#5]

As a society, we demoralise and waste the talents of a staggering proportion of our population. What goes by the name of positive discrimination is mostly nothing of the sort. It is a determined effort to get the best people for the job in the face of implacable prejudice, in a worthwhile attempt to avoid this waste.

[#6]

But positive discrimination is not generally forced from outside an organisation but from within it, this will in no way cut out what you are inferring it will only cut out the predudice within a branch which could be treated in other ways, why force into place an inferior person just because "we havnt enough of that gender"
Ford Motor Company from the 80's were forced to stop bad practices, and now it is not unusual to find high placed people of all type, all paid from one common wage structure

[#7]

Quote from: pierre_pierre

I personally find Positive Discrimination abhorrent.

Yes why should OAP's get free bus passes.
[me=chilly]runs and hids...[/me]

[#8]

Maybe here is a use for positive discrimination (playing Devil's Advocate):
Part of my job is "Licensed to touch"; physically examining a patient. I also have to pry a little into a teenager's sex life, "Could you be pregnant?", as I use ionising radiations in my work.
Would you prefer a man, or a woman, to be asking your daughter this type of thing?

[#9]

They talk about favouring some groups over others of equal ability. As a tie-breaker I can just about  live with that. But I cannot agree that it is a good idea to employ or promote an inferior candidate just to make up a quota.
"Age discrimination will also be outlawed in the provision of goods and services, although there could be exemptions for things like holiday aimed at certain age groups."
So things like savings accounts giving preferential rates to those below or above a certain age will be ended? Hairdressers and stores will no longer be able to offer over-60s discount days? I don't imagine many 70 year olds will be wanting to go on Club 18-30 holidays or many 18 year olds will be booking with Saga anyway.

[#10]

Quote from: johpal

Would you prefer a man, or a woman, to be asking your daughter this type of thing?

Either. It depends on the person rather than the sex of the person IMO.
If it were Doctor Hillary Jones asking the question, I'd be pretty comfortable with it - at least on the gogglebox he comes across as a truly professional chap genuinley interested in the best interests of the patient.
I'd even go so far as to suggest that by conditioning our children that one sex is a better choice over another for given set of circumstances, we are starting a legacy of another generation of discrimination.
The most comforting thing for me when I attend the doctors (as an example) is that they know what it is that they are doing. Age/Sex/Skin Colour/Country of birth etc mean very little.
Women police officers may on average be less suited to attending certain types of incident that their male counterparts (and vice versa of course!) but the key thing it that they are an officer of the law - thats all you'll care about if one of them comes to drag you from a wrecked car or to chase off a mugger or whatever else.

[#11]

Quote from: chillypenguin

Yes why should OAP's get free bus passes. [me=chilly]runs and hids...[/me]

Thanks for the nudge Chilly. I really must get mine sorted

[#12]

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If it were Doctor Hillary Jones asking the question, I'd be pretty comfortable with it

Dont know about current practice, but in not too recent past most gynaecologist were male!

[#13]

Yes, I could have done with mine (bus pass)  this morning....  instead of waiting for my car to have it`s re-test, I started to walk home  (5.4 miles) did it in 1 hour 30 mins, no strugglin, no running, and not out of breath, or in pain.... felt great at 64 yrs old..... got to within 100 yards of my front door, and my mobile rang. to say the car was ready for picking up ! !... 
Decided to go back by bus.... cost me £2.15p to travel 2.7 miles.... (bus did not go the direction of the mot, so had to finish with another walk)  fortunately it was all down hill (about 1in7) 

[#14]

I hope you are not crossposting again Shutter, this is the "Discrimination" thread, not the "MOT" one,
and since you are not 65 you cant get a bus pass, you pay or walk!

[#15]

|Correction, Pierre.  I think you will find it is "over 60"  at least it is here in Hampshire.! as I have already made the application..... just did not get the photo done, and sent off !
No. I was not "cross posting".... I was using the story as an illustration why I should need a bus pass.
(Hope that satisfies the mods    oh, and Pierre too!