End of session tid-bits

Parliamentary leak in foyer during Power Play with Tom Clark: December 11, 2009

The cameramen say this is one of many over the past few years!

The garbage can to catch the water leak:

Martha gets a callous from signing Holiday Cards and our team gets paper cuts from stuffing!

The torch arrives in Parliament: Thurs Dec 10: Martha gets to meet a Canadian heroine, Barbara Ann Scott, winner of the 1948 Winter Olympics gold medal for figure skating!

Martha just recorded with CBC Radio, The House, which airs on Sat Dec 27th at 9:11am.

She recommends a book to read over the holidays.

Team MHF at COP-15

Hello All,

For those of you who don’t know me my name is Elizabeth Dubois and I am an assistant to MHF. I am also an active Young Liberal as the Chair of the YLC Issues Working Group, former University of Ottawa Young Liberals Vice President and current lead for the YLC delegation to COP-15 (the United Nations Climate Change Conference).

In fact I am writing to you now from the Bella Center in Copenhagen where negotiations are underway. I, along with 22 other Young Liberals of Canada have spent the past two weeks in Copenhagen as members of the International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) delegation. We have had the opportunity to attend seminars and lectures, engage in discussion and debate with other dedicated citizens and meet with numerous leaders and experts. We have detailed our experience online, check out our blog and youtube. (More information can be found at the YLC website.)

I hope to get more photos up soon but for now here is a quick snap of me as I blog,


Elizabeth

twitter: @lizdubois

Statement by Martha in the House of Commons, December 8, 2009: Salvation Army

Ms. Martha Hall Findlay (Willowdale, Lib.):Madam Speaker, I stand today to praise the work of the Salvation Army.At this time of year, we know the Salvation Army for its ubiquitous donation kettles, but I know the army also from my late father who, after his return from fighting in Europe in World War II, spoke often and admiringly of the army's work on the ground there. When my dad passed away, it was indeed the Salvation Army to which we asked people to make contributions in his honour.Affectionately known as the Sally Ann, the Salvation Army does its good work in 118 countries, in 400 communities in Canada alone, and it provides direct assistance to 1.5 million Canadians annually. It is the largest non-governmental provider of direct social services in Canada.I would like us to welcome here today and to thank Commissioners Bill and Marilyn Francis, Territorial Leaders for the Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda, and their colleagues. I ask this House to join me in saying thank you on behalf of so many people to the Salvation Army.

Déclaration de Martha, Chambre des Communes, le 8 décembre 2009: L'Armée du Salut

Mme Martha Hall Findlay (Willowdale, Lib.):Madame la Présidente, je rends aujourd'hui hommage aux oeuvres de l'Armée du Salut.À ce temps-ci de l'année, les représentants de l'Armée du Salut qui recueillent des dons sont omniprésents. Pour ma part, c'est mon père, aujourd'hui décédé, qui me l'a fait connaître. Après son retour d'Europe, à la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, il parlait souvent et avec admiration du travail de l'Armée du Salut sur le terrain. Quand il est décédé, c'est à l'Armée du Salut qu'il a demandé que les gens fassent des dons en son nom.L'Armée du Salut est présente dans 118 pays, et dans 400 collectivités uniquement au Canada. Elle vient directement en aide à 1,5 millions de Canadiens chaque année. Il s'agit du plus important fournisseur non gouvernemental de services sociaux directs du Canada.Je souhaite la bienvenue aux commissionnaires Bill et Marilyn Francis, chefs de territoire de l'Armée du Salut au Canada et aux Bermudes, et à leurs collègues. J'invite la Chambre à se joindre à moi pour dire merci à l'Armée du Salut au nom d'innombrables Canadiens.

Statement by Martha, December 4, 2009: Volunteerism

Ms. Martha Hall Findlay (Willowdale, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, they are the true unsong heroes of Canadian society. They deliver hot meals to shut-ins, they sift through mountains of used clothing, and they coach our children's sports teams. They are volunteers and today is their day.

Today is International Volunteer Day. I invite my colleagues to join me and warmly thank all those people who, out of pure altruism, collect donations in order to allow soup kitchens to continue helping the disadvantaged, bring comfort to patients in our hospitals, and collect and distribute toys to children.

We must always be aware of their many selfless contributions, and the tremendous social and economic benefits they provide to all of our communities.

Today, we thank these volunteers for the very precious gifts of their time and effort.

I encourage all of my colleagues to join me today in not only thanking all of the volunteers in this country but also to join their ranks a few times a year.


Déclaration de Martha, le 4 décembre 2009: Le bénévolat

Mme Martha Hall Findlay (Willowdale, Lib.): Monsieur le Président, ce sont des héros de la société canadienne qui travaillent dans l'ombre. Ils livrent des repas chauds à des personnes confinées chez elles, ils font le tri dans des montagnes de vêtements usagés et ils sont les entraîneurs des équipes sportives de nos enfants. Ce sont tous des bénévoles et, aujourd'hui, c'est leur journée.

C'est aujourd'hui la Journée internationale des bénévoles. J'invite tous mes collègues à se joindre à moi pour remercier chaleureusement tous ces gens qui, par pur altruisme, s'investissent pour recueillir les dons qui permettent aux soupes populaires de continuer à aider les démunis, qui apportent un peu de réconfort aux patients dans nos hôpitaux, qui accumulent et distribuent des jouets pour les enfants.

Nous devons toujours être conscients de leurs contributions désintéressées, ainsi que des énormes avantages socioéconomiques qu'ils procurent à toutes nos collectivités.

Aujourd'hui, nous remercions ces bénévoles qui font ce don si précieux, celui de leur temps et de leurs efforts.

J'encourage tous mes collègues à se joindre à moi aujourd'hui pour remercier tous les bénévoles du pays et à faire oeuvre utile avec eux quelques fois par année.

"CAMR" Bill

This week I voted to support the passage of Bill C-393, An Act to amend the Patent Act (drugs for international humanitarian purposes) (known as the "CAMR" Bill) at second reading. Although it is not the complete answer to the problems it tries to address, it is a positive step that I feel is important to support.

Legitimate concerns have been raised about (i) assuring protection of Intellectual Property rights; and (ii) that C-393 will not, in and of itself, solve the problems encountered so far in getting affordable, much-needed drugs to the countries and people most in need. On (ii), my colleague Glen Pearson (Liberal MP, London North Centre), who has extensive experience with the challenges faced by so many sick and poor in African countries, has committed to developing other solutions to the underlying problems that won't be addressed by C-393. I wholeheartedly support him in that effort. On (i), my other colleague Marc Garneau (Liberal MP, Westmount--Ville-Marie) has raised some legitimate concerns about the protection of intellectual property rights, and I hope that further work at Committee can help address those issues.

- Martha