"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

Young Liberals to Copenhagen

Last week we posted a note on Facebook about Hillary’s fundraising efforts to get her to Copenhagen for the COP-15 UN Climate Change Conference where she will represent the Young Liberals as a member of the IFLRY delegation. This followed some fun and impromptu support we gave Hillary when she came to a Willowdale Pub night:

I also want to encourage everyone to help Elizabeth Dubois (yes, I am biased because Elizabeth works part time in my Office in Ottawa!) and the entire delegation of Young Liberals who have been selected to go to Copenhagen. They all have to pay their own way and would love any help possible.

For more information and to donate please contact Elizabeth Dubois, the delegation coordinator at OttawaAtCOP15@gmail.com

Be sure to check out one of the Climate Change Town Halls happening in your area!

Next one will be held this Wednesday, December 2 at 7:00-8:30pm at Carleton University in Ottawa, Room 210 Tory Building.

Elizabeth will be blogging about her time experience in Copenhagen so be sure to check back for updates!

Martha

Irwin Cotler's Point of Privilege

One of the world’s most renowned human rights activists, someone I am proud to call a colleague, Irwin Cotler, Member of Parliament for Mount Royal, recently stood in the House of Commons on a point of privilege on Thursday November 19, read his speech here.

Page Program/Programme des pages

2010-2011 HOUSE OF COMMONS PAGE PROGRAM
Application Deadline - December 7, 2009

A camera captures the Speaker of the House of Commons as he calls the House to order. A Member rises to ask a question, Hansard in hand. The Clerk of the House makes notes on the daily scroll. A House of Commons Page delivers an urgent message to the Prime Minister. These are the sounds, sights and pace of a day in the House of Commons. In the Chamber and around Parliament Hill, Pages live and breathe the history and action of one of Canada’s oldest political institutions.

Each year, approximately 40 students are selected from high schools and CEGEPS across Canada to come and work as Pages in the House of Commons. Pages begin a year-long contract in late-August. They work a minimum of 15 hours a week and their work schedule is coordinated with their university schedule. They are paid approximately $11,461 over the course of their employment. In addition, a sum of $1,200 is paid at the end of the employment period.

If you are interested in becoming a Page, you must:

· be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident;
· be graduating from a high school or a CEGEP (with no academic interruptions) and be commencing full-time university studies at one of the universities in the National Capital Region in September 2010;
· have an overall academic average of at least 80%; and
· speak both official languages at a superior level.

In mid-October, applications for the Page Program are sent to high schools and CEGEPS across Canada. If you are currently in your last year of high school or CEGEP, please contact your guidance counsellor for an application booklet, print a copy from the Web site or apply online at: http://www.parl.gc.ca/hocpage. Applications for the 2010-2011 House of Commons Page Program must be postmarked or received no later than Monday, December 7, 2009.

For more information on how to become a Page, contact:

House of Commons Page Programme (Recruitment)
Human Resources, Corporate Planning and Communications Services
131 Queen Street, Room 11-10
House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario K1A OA6
Tel.: 613-996-0897 Fax : 613-995-1470

PROGRAMME DES PAGES DE LA
CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES 2010-2011
- le 7 décembre 2009

La caméra s’arrête sur le Président de la Chambre des communes au moment où il rappelle la Chambre à l’ordre. Un député se lève pour poser une question, le Hansard à la main. La greffière de la Chambre prend des notes pour le plumitif. Un page remet un message urgent au premier ministre. Voilà un aperçu du déroulement d’une journée à la Chambre des communes. Dans l’enceinte de la Chambre et sur la colline du Parlement, les pages évoluent au coeur de l’histoire de l’une des plus anciennes institutions politiques du Canada et font l’apprentissage direct de ses rouages.

Chaque année, environ 40 étudiant(e)s des écoles secondaires et des cégeps de tout le pays sont choisi(e)s pour travailler comme pages à la Chambre des communes. Le contrat des pages dure un an et débute à la fin août. Ils travaillent un minimum de 15 heures par semaine et leur horaire de travail est établi en tenant compte de leur horaire de cours universitaires. Ils reçoivent une rémunération d’environ 11 461 $ au cours de l’année. De plus, une somme de 1 200 $ leur est versée à la fin du contrat.

Si vous voulez devenir page, vous devez :
· être citoyen(ne) canadien(ne) ou résident(e) permanent(e);
· avoir réussi vos études secondaires ou cégeps (sans interruption) et débuter des études à temps complet à une université de la région de la Capitale nationale à compter de septembre 2010;
· avoir obtenu une moyenne générale d’au moins 80 p. cent;
· posséder une connaissance supérieure des deux langues officielles.

À la mi-octobre, les formulaires de demande d’emploi sont envoyés aux écoles secondaires et aux cégeps partout au pays. Si vous êtes présentement inscrit(e) en dernière année à l’école secondaire ou au cégep, veuillez communiquer avec votre conseiller(ère) académique pour obtenir les formulaires de demande d’emploi, imprimer une copie à partir du site Web ou remplir le formulaire en ligne à l’adresse suivante : http://www.parl.gc.ca/cdcpage. Les demandes pour l’année 2010-2011 doivent être envoyées ou reçues avant le lundi 7 décembre 2009, le cachet de la poste faisant foi.

Pour de plus amples renseignements, veuillez communiquer avec :

Programme des pages de la Chambre des communes (Recrutement)
Services en ressources humaines, planification corporative et communications
Pièce 11-10, 131, rue Queen
Chambre des communes, Ottawa (Ontario) K1A 0A6
Tél.: 613-996-0897 Télécopieur : 613-995-1470

Marketing’s “Great Canadian Creative Faceoff”

“Marketing’s “Great Canadian Creative Faceoff” competition is now on, and I am shamelessly promoting one of the finalists, Cindy Schultz . Cindy is the most creative person I know. Her blog makes me cry with laughter every time I read a new post (advance warning, however---it’s not for the faint of heart) You have to see her work to understand... she is truly both inspired and inspiring. I don’t know any of the other finalists, so this isn’t any comment on their work—I’m sure it’s great, just to have been named as finalists in the competition. But I encourage everyone to check out Cindy Schultz at http://halifaxbroad.blogspot.com/; click on the jumping girl image under “My Other Dark Side” to see more of Cindy’s work; sign up for her email messages (it’s therapy of a very unique kind); and most of all---VOTE FOR CINDY SCHULTZ at http://www.creativefaceoff.ca/
If you are on Twitter you can also vote for her by posting this hashtag: #creativefaceoffvote13
- Martha

UPDATE: Conservative abuse of millions of dollars of gov't advertising for partisan benefit

Here is yet another example of the Conservative government using tax-payer-paid advertising and other gov't assets to promote itself, and to mislead Canadians about what's really going on with their so-called economic plan.


Gerald Keddy:

The Conservative logo should not appear on a cheque from the government of Canada.

We need your help!

We are gathering all of the additional examples we can, so please comment below with any examples you have seen online including website links, or send us a hard copy to 368 Confederation Building, Ottawa ON K1A 0A6 (no postage required) or by fax to: 613.992.1158.

Conservative abuse of millions of dollars of gov't advertising for partisan benefit.

WE NEED YOUR HELP. The Conservative government is using tax-payer-paid advertising and other gov't assets to promote itself, and to mislead Canadians about what's really going on with their so-called economic plan. They are using taxpayers' money to promote themselves. They are quite simply trying to buy us, and eventually our votes, with our own money---millions and millions of our own dollars.

We saw this in Ontario under Mike Harris---and it's not a coincidence that many of that same gang are now in Ottawa--Guy Giorno, John Baird, Jim Flaherty....... We stopped this abuse in Ontario with tough, Liberal legislation---we need to stop it at the federal level too.

In the meantime, we are looking for examples of this abuse---gov't ads, publications and websites that do less "informing" and more "patting themselves on the back". For example, ad copy, radio spots, government websites that are very partisan (lots of Conservative blue, photos of the PM and ministers; photos of "announcements'" that feature local Conservative candidates but no Liberals; gov't-paid-for web sites that have links to Conservative Party websites; return addresses on mailings that are private entities, not the government; ads that direct readers or listeners to Harper's "economic plan vanity site".

WE NEED YOUR HELP! I have written to the Treasury Board, showing how this abuse of gov't ad spending for partisan advantage breaks several laws.

We are gathering all of the additional examples we can, so please comment below with any examples you have seen online including website links, or send us a hard copy to 368 Confederation Building, Ottawa ON K1A 0A6 (no postage required) or by fax to: 613.992.1158.

Thanks in advance for all your help,

Martha