a guide to the candidates - Theresa Lubowitz

6 downloads 424 Views 692KB Size Report
Use Liblists between elections and utilize Skype, Twitter, Facebook and other emerging ...... teams of Canadians to six
To the Delegates, A few weeks ago I started reading up on the campaign platforms of our fellow Liberals who are running for positions on the National Executive Board of the Liberal Party of Canada at next week‘s Biennial Convention in Ottawa. Not one for endorsements or slogans, I wanted to make an informed decision about who I will vote for based on considerations such as the experience, vision and accessibility of those running. As I wrote posts on my website summarizing my findings, I realized a lot of other delegates were taking the same approach and appreciated the legwork being done for them. About a week ago, I decided it might be useful to update all of this information exactly one week before registration and provide that information to delegates in the form of a document that they could read, download or even print to serve as a reference in making this historic and important decision. I want to emphasize that this is merely a guide and its completeness depends on what candidates release after the time I first post it. I have contacted all 21 candidates running for election to the National Board. Some through email, some I have reached on the phone, and some even through social media. Some candidates I unfortunately never heard back from but to ensure as complete a guide as possible, I spent a great deal of time reading the details of their plans on their websites and including that information here. I sent each candidate a list of questions I think help to outline how they plan to serve us as members should they be elected. Admittedly, the questions were not the product of mass consultation with the membership and might not answer all the questions you have. I tried to base them on questions I‘d seen others ask, questions I had myself, and questions that seemed to follow the topics the candidates discussed in their campaigns. This guide should be used as a starting point and a primer for your further investigation of the candidates and their plans for our Party. Except for the question each candidate was asked about why they want the position they are running for, all questions are in point form. This was the easiest format to use with content that was a mix of direct communications with candidates and summarizing from websites and platforms. It also has the added benefit of cutting through headings and slogans and getting right to the policies that matter to the membership. While some of the content in this guide was derived from communications I personally had with the candidates, a lot of it is readily available on the websites of the candidates. If you wish to see their policies as they have outlined them, links are provided within this guide. This guide is not an exhaustive list, just a list that has exhausted me. I have tried to be as accurate as possible and while I do have some training in creating materials such as this (canadianvoter.org), I am only human. So please take this disclaimer to heart and use this guide as a launching point for discussions with other delegates and the candidates themselves. Having said all that, the guide is very simple to use. There are five sections organized by the different positions candidates are running for. In each section the candidates for office are listed, the constitutional role is explained, the questions and candidate answers are presented, and the candidate biographies with website and Twitter information follow. It is my hope that you find this helpful and that, despite the high caliber choices available to us, you are able to make an informed and satisfied decision. Sincerely, Theresa Lubowitz

Liberal Party of Canada Candidates for Office National President

3-18



Sheila Copps

14



Mike Crawley

15



Ron Hartling

16



Alexandra Mendès

17



Charles Ward

18

Vice-President (English)

19-25



Philip Chisholm

23



Chris MacInnes

24



James Morton

25

Vice-President (Francophone)

26-32



Imran Ahmad

30



Brigitte Garceau

31



Pierre Lajeunesse

32

National Policy Chair

33-45



Braeden Caley

41



Maryanne Kampouris

42



Daniel Lovell

43



Zach Paikin

44



Paul Summerville

45

National Membership Secretary

46-61



Leanne Bourassa

57



Matthew Certosimo

58



Kyle Harrietha

59



Kim Rudd

60



Mitch St. Pierre

61

Candidates for National President Sheila Copps  Former MP and Deputy Prime Minister Mike Crawley  Former President, Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario) Ron Hartling  Riding President, Kingston and the Islands Alexandra Mendès  Former MP, Brossard-La Prairie Charles Ward  Former Riding President The Constitutional Role of Liberal Party President The National President is the chair of the National Board of Directors and the Council of Presidents and a non-voting member of the executive of each Commission and of all committees of the Party and is responsible to: (a) preside at meetings of the National Board of Directors and the Council of Presidents and at general meetings of the Party; (b) supervise the affairs of the Party and be responsible for the administration of the Party; (c) after consultation with the National Board of Directors, establish the date and place of the next biennial convention of the Party and publish notice of that date and place on the public website of the Party. What is the role of the President of the Liberal Party of Canada? Sheila Copps On September 10th I announced that I am running for President of the Liberal Party of Canada. I want to work with you to make our party a modern, accessible and responsive vehicle for change. It will take ideas, energy and hard work — but I am up for the challenge and I know that together we can build a strong and proud Liberal Party for all progressive Canadians. Mike Crawley The job of Party President is to grow the Party‘s membership base, to engage those members, and to create an environment that fosters the development of new ideas and policies. It is to ensure that we have the resources to fight and make sure that we have the best possible campaign, not just during the elections, but between them too. In my view, that‘s the job of the Party President. Ron Hartling Transitioning organizations out of steep declines requires a special kind of visionary leadership. In our case, that leadership must come from the National President, who is elected to defend the interests of our members and is responsible for our Party's organizational health (as opposed to the Leader, who is our political head). In the absence of a job description, each candidate has his/her own conception of the job he/she will do if elected. As a delegate, you need to know each candidate's intentions so that you can

decide who best matches your understanding of the job which you expect them to do. I believe that our next National President must be a full-time, proactive, deeply-engaged champion and manager of change, one who is rooted in member and citizen engagement. He/she must be ready to hit the ground running with a concrete, well thought-out plan of action and a deep understanding of the onthe-ground reality facing 308 very different riding associations, each of which must be empowered and supported to create long-term local winning conditions. Alexandra Mendès My understanding of the position frames it as a mostly managerial task: ensure the financial sustainability of the organization; provide a decision-making process that reflects members‘ choices and positions; support the Leader and Caucus by providing the means and the ways to promote Liberal values/message; create the conditions for long-term corporate memory keeping; assist the National Director in his job. Charles Ward In today‘s world the National Party President must develop, communicate, and implement a re-build sideby-side with Caucus, volunteers, and Canadians.

What volunteer or professional experiences do you have, if any, that give you the required experience to be the ideal candidate for President? Sheila Copps 

Journalist, broadcaster and political commentator

Mike Crawley 

President, Aim PowerGen Corporation

Ron Hartling  

Former Diplomat Government management consultant, Department of Foreign Affairs

Alexandra Mendès  

Executive Director, Maison Internationale de la Rive-Sud Volunteer teacher and board member of Portugalia – Tradition & Culture (Portuguese association/school in Montreal‘s South Shore)

Charles Ward 

Former Vice-President Air France Cargo, Canada

What roles have you held within the Liberal Party, if any, that give you the required experience to be the ideal candidate for President? Sheila Copps 

Former Deputy Prime Minister

 

Former Cabinet Minister Former Member of Parliament

Mike Crawley       

Past President, Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario) Past Vice-President (English), Liberal Party of Canada Former staffer, Ontario Liberal Party Leader‘s Office Former staffer, Parliament Hill Former Riding Association Executive Former Student Director, Ontario Young Liberals Past President, University of Western Ontario Liberals

Ron Hartling  

Riding President, Kingston and the Islands Creator and administrator, En Famille

Alexandra Mendès   

Former Member of Parliament (2008-2011) Former Riding President (2006-2008) Former Riding Assistant (2001-2006)

Charles Ward  

Former Riding President Former Campaign Manager

How will you approach the role of Provincial/Territorial Associations? Sheila Copps 

All riding associations should have direct access to Party headquarters which may require a rethink of the existing Party structure

Mike Crawley        

Re-purpose PTAs to focus on fieldwork/riding development and fostering riding association on policy development Funding to PTAs would be prioritized to fieldworkers and they would have explicit job descriptions and targets Initially, cost constraints may require some part-time fieldworkers The executives of the PTAs should be re-constituted so that the positions are aligned with this focused mandate Administrative tasks should be centralized where possible and practical to reduce costs and duplication Ensure the National Director is selected and hired based on objective position requirements and end the effective practice of the position being a ‗quasi‘ political appointment of the Leader Hire the most qualified person for the position and they should remain in that position as long they continue to meet or surpass objectives, potentially through successive leaders The Executive Director of the PTAs will have a direct reporting line up to the National Director, ensuring effective implementation of a three year campaign plan leading up to the next election



The particular dual nature of blended PTAs would be respected in how this reporting line is implemented and Executive Director would continue to also be accountable to their PTA board

Ron Hartling  



Appoint a seven-member Governance Commission to examine every aspect of Party governance, identify deficiencies in comparison to modern best practices and recommend a package of appropriate reforms within 12 months PTAs should begin immediately to recruit volunteers with professional planning expertise who would be willing to visit ridings in their areas, assess their current capacity for rebuilding, identify where they will need outside assistance and work with them, both in the development of their plans and in honestly tracking their progress Where that capacity assessment shows a divided or factional riding resulting from a perceived past wrong, such as a tainted nomination race, the PTA should provide a mediator to bring local Liberals together to find a resolution

Alexandra Mendès 

Allow members to decide how we maintain and/or redefine their mandates

Charles Ward 

Unknown

What role do you see for Party commissions? Sheila Copps 

Unknown

Mike Crawley  





Establish clear and outward looking 18 month mandates for commissions Aboriginal Peoples Liberal Commission should o identify key Liberal contacts within ridings with a significant First Nation population then create and implement an outreach program and o produce a report, in consultation with our caucus critic and based on extensive outreach, on top positions the Liberal Party should advocate for to advance opportunities for Aboriginal Peoples National Women‘s Liberal Commission should o identify strong, prospective female candidates for nomination in all unheld ridings in consultation with the riding association executives o after consultation with Equal Voice and other advocacy groups and our caucus critic, produce a report on impediments to equal participation of women both in political parties and Parliament o create a revitalized fundraising program to support female candidates for nomination and nominated candidates and o establish a nationwide training program specific to nominated female candidates with the objective of increasing their chances of getting elected Senior Liberal‘s Commission should o reach out to seniors‘ organizations across the country in coordination with our caucus critic and, based on these interactions, produce a report on top positions the Liberal Party should advocate for with respect to seniors and

o

identify Liberal contacts within seniors organizations across the country

Ron Hartling 

Appoint a seven-member Governance Commission to examine every aspect of Party governance, identify deficiencies in comparison to modern best practices and recommend a package of appropriate reforms within 12 months

Alexandra Mendès 

Allow members to determine if they should be maintained going forward

Charles Ward 

Unknown

How would you address the pressing issue of fundraising for the Party? Sheila Copps 

Sustained Victory Fund and Laurier Club drives

Mike Crawley            

Merge the fundraising and contact management database into one Create a Federal Liberal Fund that is accountable to the National Board of Directors through the National Director of the Party Replace the National Revenue Committee with volunteer provincial Victory Fund Chairs and Major Donor/Laurier Club chairs Each riding association would have a Victory Fund chair and Major Donor/ Laurier Club chair which is accountable to the riding association executive and to the provincial volunteer chairs Every major centre would have a major donor committee comprised of the best ‗finders‘ and ‗minders‘ from that centre, assuming the overall major donor target for that area with an equally balanced responsibility for acquisition, donor stewardship and donor renewal Put clear focus on ‗stewardship‘ of existing major donors An overall target to double both Laurier Club and Victory Fund by the Leadership vote would be broken down to provincial and riding targets A joint committee comprised of Leader‘s Office, Caucus, LPC representatives and elected Council of Presidents co-chair would oversee the expansion of the national contact management database and direct solicitation program Engaging representatives of defeated candidates on this committee prior to the lift of the nomination freeze should be considered given their ongoing outreach into their ridings All contacts, with members or Canadians, will be managed and coordinated through this body with a clear calendar established and shared with riding associations Riding associations should be aware of all contacts that are planned with their members and voters Create processes and supports to ensure all contacts made with Liberals and Canadians by all parts of the Party are captured and recorded

Ron Hartling 

Ensure transparency in finances and human resources through regular financial reports to members

 

In parallel with short term cuts over the next three months, equal attention must be given to the revenue side of the budgetary equation An immediate appeal to the membership will be a necessary stop-gap measure

Alexandra Mendès   

Tackle the topic within the first month of the election of the new Executive Board to gain a more thorough understanding of party finances Introduce a fundraising plan in three phases - targets for the quarter, semester, and full fiscal year Invest considerable funds into better targeting supporters

Charles Ward 

Ensure the Party uses money more effectively to generate support from voters

How will you grow support for the Liberal Party in unheld and moribund ridings? Sheila Copps 

Recognize that not all approaches to riding associations are universal and riding associations have different needs

Mike Crawley          

 

Build on the success of certain BC ridings and implement a voter profiling / propensity modeling strategy across Canada Create a community outreach package for riding associations including materials for community event booths, creative for local ads and tactics to engage with local organizations Create a team tasked with engagement to multicultural groups across Canada that would include a caucus member and be staffed by a senior outreach consultant to lead in the development of a plan which to build a clear presence within these communities Re-constituted PTAs would include a position responsible for multicultural outreach Create a database of advocacy groups, NGOs, think tanks and other influential organizations and encourage Liberals to join and keep track of the Liberals who are involved Implement a plan to regularly engage these individuals and seek opportunities to reach out others in those organizations Defeated candidates should be given a clear and supported role as Party spokespersons in their riding up to the lifting of the nomination freeze; following consent being granted by the riding association If the defeated candidate is unwilling to assume this role, the riding association president should assume the role of spokesperson The nomination freeze should be lifted as soon as practicable following re-distribution with a focus on nominating candidates early Ensure External Communications staff have a clear mandate to o support riding association external communications/advertising o ensure we are effectively engaging with bloggers, social media and Liberal friendly social media communicators and o implement an ongoing external communications plan Establish a volunteer service director staff position at LPC that would field and direct all inquiries from Party volunteers, managing an open ticket system, similar to municipal 311 service, and responsible for ensuring that every open ticket is closed off This position would also directly manage all offers of assistance from new volunteers, deploying them within the appropriate part of the Party



  

Explore the feasibility of centralizing riding association treasury functions and most compliance responsibilities ( LPCBC model should be considered) to allow riding association volunteers to focus more on community outreach, riding association development, member recruitment, candidate recruitment, fundraising and election readiness activities Establish an online depository of key riding association information to ensure proper transfer from one executive to another and, in general, to preserve historical knowledge Create clear position descriptions for riding association executives and provide a sample annual riding association plan, including a template for a regular e-newsletter Streamline access to Liberalist and ensure the database is being used by all volunteers to the fullest extent, including voter issue tracking for fundraising campaigns

Ron Hartling  

Continue discussion with riding associations carried out after creating 2-year plan for Kingston and the Islands to help enable their success Possibly consider not running candidates in underperforming ridings with approval from the riding association

Alexandra Mendès     

Supporter identification Field-worker help in re-activating a proper association by ensuring membership drives, holding town-halls, general meetings, election of local executive, etc. Ensure PTA/field worker support and guidance for at least two years Encourage caucus members‘ help in garnering interest for Liberal events Encourage and support any worth ideas from the National Executive or that members submit

Charles Ward 

Party should focus on stabilizing existing seats and growing back support

What measures will you take to ensure election readiness in the Party? Sheila Copps 

Unknown

Mike Crawley  

 

Immediately begin working with all parts of the Party to establish a three year campaign plan leading up to the next vote st Campaign plan would be finalized and implemented no later than May 1 and involve voter profiling initiatives, community outreach, opinion leader and key organization engagement, member recruitment, local and national fundraising, communication/marketing strategies among other elements Plan will come with clear quarterly targets and objectives at all levels and be refreshed annually to adjust to changing circumstances The plan‘s objectives would cover all parts of the Party including riding associations

Ron Hartling 

Improve internal party communications



Work with each individual riding association to set out goals and targets recognizing some ridings may need a two or three election strategy

Alexandra Mendès 

Adopting the measures laid out in previous answers

Charles Ward 

Unknown

What is your opinion on a primary system for selecting leaders or candidates? Sheila Copps 

Supportive of an open primary system

Mike Crawley     

Put an end to Leader appointed candidates and have open nominations across Canada Actually implement one member one vote for the Leader of the Party It does not make sense to allow non-party members to elect a Leader of our party who would have some level of authority over us and over caucus Simplify becoming a Party member by reducing the membership fee to zero during the Leadership selection period and having online printable forms to encourage as many people to join our Party as possible Explore a zero membership fee and focus instead on converting as many members as possible to Victory Fund

Ron Hartling 

Opposed to it for election of the leader, need to have the logistics prepared before hand

Alexandra Mendès 

Party should consider test-running such a profound change in its electoral culture in a by-election before introducing it at the national level

Charles Ward 

Primaries are unnecessarily complicated and expensive

How will you improve the policy process within the Party? Sheila Copps 

Unknown

Mike Crawley 

Put out a call to our members, NGO leaders, business executives, entrepreneurs, academics, students, community activists, think tanks and any passionate Canadian to propose their big idea

 

          

for Canada Create forums online and face to face for these ideas to be presented, discussed and improved The Liberal Party will become a vehicle for Canadians with extraordinary ideas but no way to champion them over the next 24 months; at the end of the 24 month period, we must institutionalize and evergreen this process based on lessons learned and make our Party forever innovative and outward looking Revamp our internal policy process so that it is not tied to convention, but instead generating new ideas all of the time Policy proposals can originate at any time from either riding associations, youth clubs or new ad hoc policy groups with a minimum of 25 members Ad hoc policy groups would form around a particular concept and have 12 months to generate a policy proposal All those working on policy resolution would have access to a group of volunteer policy advisors with expertise in various policy areas and caucus critics Policy resolutions could be put forward for discussion online once prepared and the proponents can trigger a member vote whenever the resolution is ready (online or by automated phone system) Policy resolutions that attract the most attention would be presented, discussed and debated at all our conventions and regional gatherings but all voting would take place online/by phone All ‗live‘ resolutions would be available online until a vote has concluded after which the resolutions would be ranked by the number of votes and the percentage of positive votes Members should also be permitted to vote down a policy Top ranked policy proposals would be presented to caucus and the Leader would need to inform the Party‘s National Board in writing why any policy that received a threshold level of support (both percentage and actual votes relative to Party membership) is not included in the platform Background materials would be made available online or by contacting the fieldworkers in your PTA offices Create a brand new policy process that involves youth from start to finish - and is an ongoing process that does not require convention attendance to participate

Ron Hartling  

Work with the national policy chair to revamp the policy process in a way that emphasizes community outreach and a healthy partnership among EDAs, Caucus and the Leader National Policy and Platform Committee should immediately launch a consultative process with the membership to review the current suite of Liberal policies and platform documents with a view to identifying gaps and inconsistencies, and soliciting policy proposals to fill those gaps

Alexandra Mendès 

Encourage the newly elected Policy Chair, after receiving a clear mandate from members for his/her proposals, to improve the development of Party policy

Charles Ward 

Unknown

What will you do to engage members at all levels of the Liberal Party? Sheila Copps  

Revitalize membership by engaging community organizations and networks across Canada Use Liblists between elections and utilize Skype, Twitter, Facebook and other emerging social

 

media to connect every riding Ensure riding associations and caucus members have ‗plug and play‘ tools to help them stayed connected in the community between elections Ensure all riding associations have direct access to the Liberal Party headquarters

Mike Crawley            

         

Mandate the Council of Presidents with a clear role as it represents the link between the Party leaders and riding association presidents Elected Chair of the Council should be a riding president elected by the group not the Party President The body should meet on a quarterly basis by teleconference to review the implementation of the three year campaign plan referenced in my platform and engage on other key matters The Chair should also be granted ex-officio status on the National Executive Hold weekly online polls of Party members on current issues Before a House of Commons session begins, host a teleconference for Party members with the Leader and other caucus leaders to discuss our plans for the session During House of Commons sessions, allow members to submit suggestions for one Leader question and one critic question each week from which three suggestions for each question would be put to an online member vote in order to select one Hold ad hoc online chat forums for members with the Leader and critics on emerging issues Continue to build and develop the online Liberal community by creating a hub for liberal members (i.e. Like Fred in Ontario), linking it to facebook and all social media platforms Establish an online speakers‘ bureau to allow riding associations to source caucus and other key Liberals as speakers for events Commit LPC to get a minimum number of speakers to each riding annually Provide each new member with an electronic welcome kit outlining o core values and principles of the party o ways in which they can participate in the party o key contacts and upcoming events and o five quick and easy things thing can do immediately to promote the party PTAs should create a sub-committee from their executive to hear any complaints of riding associations being inaccessible to their members or other transgressions All meetings of riding associations should be posted on the LPC website on custom riding association pages so that members can easily and always find out about them Childcare services should be provided at conferences where possible on a cost recovery basis to facilitate participation of parents Ensure there will continue to be a full time staff person devoted to assisting the Young Liberals of Canada (YLC) in its recruitment, fundraising and organization efforts Hiring of this individual will be done based upon clear position requirements and in consultation with the YLC board Ensure the YLC has the proper budgetary resources to focus its efforts receives credit for the leadership it shows in fundraising To recognize success, budgetary increases to the YLC should be considered when fundraising efforts are successful Expand the YLC internship program by placing youth within the Party Office, Parliament Hill and in regional offices to learn essential organization skills that will be utilized to further strengthen our ridings across the country Simplify list management and membership recruitment for campus clubs through Liberalist and other tools Ensure the YLC is equipped to reach out to youth groups across the country to o identify key Liberal contacts within those groups and o produce a report outlining top issues affecting youth that the Liberal Party should take positions on

  

Work with the YLC and PTAs to create a training program for interested youth that teaches them key riding level organization skills Those that complete the program would be given significant roles in resource challenged ridings leading up to and during the next election. Encourage each Youth club and Campus club to align itself with a particular non-profit organization and support their efforts

Ron Hartling 

Work with each individual riding association to set out goals and targets recognizing some ridings may need a two or three election strategy

Alexandra Mendès  

Encourage the newly elected Membership Secretary to pursue their mandate from the delegates at the convention Ensure the National Executive makes certain commitments made to the membership are respected

Charles Ward 

Unknown

Candidate Biography: Sheila Copps Website: www.sheilacopps.ca Twitter: @Sheila_Copps The Honourable Sheila Copps, known as one of Canada‟s foremost female politicians, has been a prominent figure in Canadian public life for almost 35 years. Known for being feisty and tough, she was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario. Sheila entered politics in 1981 by becoming the first Liberal in over 50 years to represent the provincial riding of Hamilton Centre. In 1984, she was elected Member of Parliament for the riding of Hamilton East and was re-elected in five successive elections. Sheila was the first woman to ever hold the position of Deputy Prime Minister and served for ten years in the federal cabinet, both as Minister of the Environment and Minister of Canadian Heritage. From her work on diversity and inclusion, to protection of the environment, to support for young Canadians and women, Sheila has had a storied career and left an indelible mark on Canadian public policy. Among her achievements, she brought forward what was the strongest federal environmental assessment legislation in the world; established Young Canada Works to provide annual summer employment for youth; brought in copyright protection for Canadian recording artists; and led ministers of culture from over 50 nations in the development of the first ever International Network on Cultural Diversity. Sheila earned a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in French and English from the University of Western Ontario in London, and pursued further studies at McMaster University in Hamilton and the University of Rouen in France. In 1998, she received an Honourary Doctorate in Law from Université Sainte-Anne in Nova Scotia in recognition of her efforts to promote bilingualism and her commitment to advancing the French language and culture in Canada. In recent years, Sheila has been working both in French and English as a journalist, broadcaster, and political commentator. She is the author of two books, Nobody‟s Baby and Worth Fighting For, she is currently residing in Ottawa with her husband, Austin Thorne. Together, the couple has four children and four grandchildren.

Candidate Biography: Mike Crawley Website: www.mikecrawley.ca Twitter: @_Mike_Crawley Mike Crawley is running to become the next President of the Liberal Party of Canada. After joining the Party as a teenager, Mike became actively involved in all levels of the Party. He learned about the Party sitting on riding association executives, playing active roles in local campaigns, heading up the University of Western Ontario Liberals and acting as Student Director for the Ontario Young Liberals. Staff roles on Parliament Hill and in the Ontario Liberal Leader‟s office gave Mike yet another perspective on the Party. More recently, as President of the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario) Mike got the Ontario wing running modest surpluses and shifted the focus of Party staff to fieldwork. On the National Board as Ontario President and, subsequently, Vice-President (English) Mike pushed to for a streamlined and more efficient national Party. Professionally Mike has led the growth of AIM PowerGen Corporation from a start-up to the Canadian division of the world‟s largest private power generator, deploying well over a billion dollars in the construction and operation of wind and solar power facilities across the country. Mike lives in Toronto with his wife Heather and two daughters. An avid distance runner, Mike is always looking for a new personal best in his next race.

Candidate Biography: Ron Hartling Website: www.ronhartling.ca Twitter: @ronhartling I am a passionately committed Liberal who has put much careful thought and analysis into what it will take to rebuild our Party over the next four years. No late convert to the urgent need for Party reform, I‟ve been speaking out and writing concrete renewal proposals for more than 5 years and put those ideas into practice as riding president for Kingston and the Islands. On May 2, we were one of only two ridings to elect a new Liberal MP and one of three which increased the Liberal vote. Our success was the culmination of two years planning and implementing our own strategic plan. I presided over a clean, respectful 5-person nomination race which I kept free from outside interference, enabling our members to choose an uncommon candidate who sufficiently resonated with voters to buck national trends. We are now the second-largest EDA in Canada. I have authored a similar 4-year plan for rebuilding the Party nationally. At the national level, I have been a consistent and effective advocate for our members‟ right to be heard. I conceived, lobbied for, created and managed the En Famille national online forum over the past three years, working closely with all levels of the Party. I offer extensive experience in negotiating and managing organizational change. A former diplomat, I developed a deep understanding of the federal system through many high-level consulting assignments as a project manager, strategic planner and management consultant. My largest was a 5-year, $256 million project which radically modernized the global operations of the very traditional Dept of Foreign Affairs, successfully moving it into the electronic age. I believe my skills, my track record of delivering positive change, and my full-time commitment make me an excellent fit for the real requirements of the job of our next President.

Candidate Biography: Alexandra Mendès Website: alexaMendès.ca Twitter: @AlexandraBrLP Those things which are clear, undeniable, without personal merit: I am a woman; I was born in 1963 in Lisbon, Portugal. The eldest of four children, raised in a manner for which I am tremendously grateful – love of languages and the peoples who people our world, the passion for reading, and the necessary obligation to give more than to receive. What I‟ve preciously acquired over the years, from experiences and people who have crossed my path: 





  

An always challenging family life; I got married in 1984 and remain so; I became a mother (the greatest joy of my life) in 1986; the passing years have brought their share of sadness and separations… but really, how many more deeper joys! I chose to be Canadian, a choice that I have not regretted once since April 17, 1982. Canada, the country where my parents chose to continue their quest for a more stable life and future, has become my country because I have so decided! I lived my first years in Canada in the full heat of the 1980 Referendum. What an incredible learning curve in citizenship those years were! I also chose to be a Liberal, a political philosophy that fits perfectly with beliefs born of the Carnation Revolution[1]; while I had become deeply attached to the idea of freedom and individual rights (to which humans aspire naturally), I also became very sensitive to how a society built and shared prosperity. I have always had the incredible good fortune to work for causes that are dear to my heart; My life has been punctuated by experiences that shaped and enriched me, allowing me to develop and adopt values of “full citizenship”! And as a footnote, I really don‟t like to be called Alex…

[1] The Carnation Revolution (Portuguese: Revolução dos Cravos), also referred to as the 25 de Abril (the 25th of April), was a military coup[1] started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance. (Ref. Wikipedia)

Candidate Biography: Charles Ward Website: www.charleswardliberal.ca Twitter: @charleswardlib Welcome to the conversation concerning my run for National President. My pan-Canadian experience goes like this Born in Montreal, raised in Ontario, B.Comm. (Dalhousie) in Halifax Began career in Halifax, five years later, relocated to Montreal, bilingual Retired 2005 as Vice President Air France Cargo, Canada Re-located to Alberta two and half years ago Children and grandsons live in Vancouver and Calgary; my Dad, sister in Halifax and brother in Toronto. Began my political career at age 14 campaigning door to door for John Matheson, Parliamentary Secretary to Lester Pearson. Graduated to campaign organizer/manager. As riding President in the 80s, I successfully developed and implemented a strategic plan through the Lac St. Louis Riding Association and its members to get our Constituency re-engaged with the Party. I have no ambition to be the face of the party or use it as a stepping stone for Leadership. The Presidency is a behind-the-scenes volunteer business position, charged with putting consistency in place through defined, fiscally responsible processes, enabling Liberals to effectively use time and money participation to generate Canadians‟ votes. Comfortable in my own skin, self motivated. I‟m in it for my children and grandchildren, they deserve better. Plain spoken, I say what I mean and mean what I say. I have little time or patience for political games and obfuscation. Take charge, take responsibility. Make it right – not paper it over with cosmetic fixes. Administrator, troubleshooter, facilitator – I enable processes to happen, encouraging people to find their own solutions to problems and tasks. In business terms, what‟s in it for you and Canadians? In today‟s world the National Party President must develop, communicate and implement a re-build side-by-side with Caucus, Volunteers and Canadians. I am a winner just by standing for a well executed, legitimate, values based commonality of organizational purpose. Past performance predicts future results – I‟ll get the ship stabilized with a re-build not a re-model. I am asking for your vote to elect me National President.

Candidates for Vice-President (English) Phil Chisholm 

Vice-President, Vancouver-Quadra

Chris MacInnes 

Campaign Chair, Nova Scotia Liberal Party

James Morton 

2011 Federal Liberal Candidate for Oshawa and Former Deputy Chair of the Council of Presidents

The Constitutional Role of Liberal Party Vice-President (English) The National Vice-Presidents are responsible to: (a) assist the National President as required; (b) assume the duties of the National President in the National President’s absence, or if the National President resigns, dies, or is expelled from office; and (c) perform any other duties assigned by the National Board of Directors. What do you believe is the primary role of the Vice-President (English)? Philip Chisholm I believe the primary role of VP (English) at this junction in the Party's history is to help in fixing and simplifying the Party's internal structures. However that being said - we also need to have: Accountability/transparency/openness; proper/ongoing policy development process; and Unity so that we are all working together towards a common goal. We need to get everything right. Chris MacInnes Constitutionally the National Vice President's role is to help manage the finances and administration of the party and assist the President in these duties as required. Additionally, the vice president is also mandated to communicate with the membership and act as a liaison between the membership and the national board. As the only candidate with experience as a management committee member of a PTA, I would hit the ground running with respect to all of these core functions. Communication with the membership and the PTAs would be my priority. I will ensure that consultations with every region/PTA will form a fundamental part of my role as Vice President (English). I would also approach this position from the perspective of a political organizer with management experience and champion ideas which I believe would make the LPC a better political machine. In my view, the era of the permanent campaign is here to stay and we must prepare accordingly. For instance, I have seen the positive effect field workers can have on individual EDAs in their rebuilding efforts. We have 100 dormant ridings now which we must address immediately. Moreover, the adoption of modern GOTV methods, including investing in Liberalist and microtargeting, must also be an immediate priority as is training our members on how to use this technology for our benefit.

James Morton I see the role of the Vice Presidents as being organizational. Specifically, my task as Vice President (English) is not to set policy but to enable the Party to implement whatever policy it decides. I have outlined three primary goals:   

Micro-targeting of voters A Liberal talent bank and reporting to members on a scheduled timeframe.

What volunteer or professional experiences do you have, if any, that make you particularly suited for the position of Vice-President (English)? Philip Chisholm    

Mechanical Engineer with 20 years' experience fixing and building organizations Driving force behind the successful rebuilding process at a $200Million company Built a business from the ground-up Been granted 12 US Patents

Chris MacInnes   

Volunteered in both urban and rural ridings at the provincial and federal level Managed a province wide campaign Served as the Leader's Tour director for Atlantic Canada on a federal campaign

James Morton   

Teacher in Atlantic Canada Lawyer in Ontario and Nunavut President of the Ontario Bar Association

What roles have you held within the Liberal Party, if any, that makes you particularly suited for the position of Vice-President (English)? Philip Chisholm  

Vice-President for Vancouver Quadra Pushed the National Office to get Liberal University up and running

Chris MacInnes    

President of the Dalhousie Liberal Club during law school Experience as a Table Officer/Management Committee member of a provincial/territorial association Past two years served as Vice-President (Federal) of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party Served as the Provincial Campaign Chair in Nova Scotia

James Morton   

Former Riding President over several terms both with held and unheld Ridings Deputy Chair of the Council of Presidents 2011 Federal Liberal Candidate for Oshawa

How will you improve the internal organization of the party to better serve its members? Philip Chisholm                 

Develop a 308 riding training program (Riding in a box) Provide informative reports on the health of ridings Equip ridings with all the resources required to function Administer hands-on training to ridings when needed Standardize how ridings are organized and managed Leverage the use of Liberal University and provide additional training material, videos and resources Supply more resources in the areas of fundraising, canvassing and election readiness Train all 308 ridings to use Liberalist Update the Party‘s data management system Disseminate monthly reports to all ridings to shape strategies for membership and fundraising Write an updated and much shorter version of the party constitution with clear, easy to understand, acronym-free language Clarify how members (and non-members) can make donations and how much they can donate Investigate incorporating PayPal and Interact as payment methods Produce detailed information on the Party‘s finances and expenditures to all members to increase trust Prepare an organizational chart made readily available to all members Allow all members the right to vote at conventions (in person or remotely) so everyone can contribute to Party process and the appointment of Executives Make the policy development process accessible to all members via the internet and ensure it is an ongoing process with regular review

Chris MacInnes    

Build a more open, transparent and inclusive party with a range of views from every region of the country on how to rebuild Focus the efforts of field workers onto supporting EDAs to encourage grassroots engagement Recognize the era of permanent campaigning and invest in building up Liberalist in every riding as this data is critical for elections and fundraising Have the Liberal Party at the National Executive level reflect the policies that matter to young Canadians

James Morton    

Create a Liberal Talent Bank, providing an effective way to find expertise within the Party to help move forward Create a national program of incentives for EDA‘s and PTA‘s to collect talent information Create the position of National Volunteer Director, who will work with EDA‘s and PTA‘s to expand the volunteer base Include under the purview of the Volunteer Director the responsibility for expanding and maintaining Liberal University and making it a vital and well-used source of training for Liberal volunteers



Expand existing programs celebrating the hard work of our volunteers

How will you improve internal communications as Vice-President (English)? Philip Chisholm         

Improve the usability of the Liberal Party website Provide yearly, or even quarterly, reports to all members on the health and progress of the Party Introduce real conversations on the topic ‗Unity within the Party‘ and resolve conflicts to create a unified front Re-brand the Party (possibly as ‗New Liberals‘) and update the logo to be in line with the new Liberal brand Communicate clearly the fact that the new Liberal Party is under new management Regain control over the Liberal name to reduce confusion between the different Provincial and Federal Liberal Parties Involve members in the brainstorming of the Party‘s branding Review our marketing strategy and implement tactics to update and maximize the Liberal image Allow all Party members the right to vote at conventions whether in person or remotely

Chris MacInnes 

Embrace social media and use a variety of media to connect with members and make communication a more convenient process

James Morton     

Enhance Liberalist to incorporate micro-targeting to improve the effectiveness and return of our communications efforts – phone, mail, online or at the door Will release a report in both official languages within 30 days of the end of the Biennial listing all of the initiatives, projects and decisions taken and authorized Will report progress to members, as well as the issues and obstacles which stand in the way of success, every three months Expand and extend the ability of the membership to provide their concerns and feedback Visit PTA‘s, Commissions and EDA‘s across the country, evangelizing new initiatives, processes and policies to all levels of Liberal membership

Candidate Biography: Philip Chisholm Website: www.philtheengineer.com Twitter: @PhilipChisholm My name is Philip Chisholm, I am a Mechanical Engineer (McGill 1990) and I have 20 years of experience making organizations more efficient, focused and profitable. I currently live in Vancouver but have lived in Goose Bay, Halifax, Ottawa, Moncton, Aylmer (Quebec), Montreal and North Carolina. Wherever I reside, I am a proud Canadian. So how does engineering translate to politics? Engineers are trained to solve complex problems. Whether the challenge is putting a man on the moon, designing a consumer product, or improving a political organization – the process is the same. To be successful the solution requires combining systematic thinking along with creativity, ingenuity and determination. Nine years ago I founded a business that designs, builds and sells consumer goods. Today it continues to grow and be profitable. Before this, I spent nine years at a $200M US corporation where I began at the bottom and advanced to upper management in a role that required me to modernize 8 disorganized and inefficient departments into well-organized and effective departments. I have been a Liberal all my life but have taken a more active role in the Party this year. In September 2011, I was elected as VP for Vancouver-Quadra and am excited to take on new challenges within the Party. As a member I wanted to find more information on how the Party functions but I soon discovered that there was no central location that housed such information on the website. So I decided to petition the National Board to create such an area online. This was met with „some‟ resistance but not to be deterred I organized a group of 40 members and we worked together to help convince the National Board of the importance of such an information area. Within just 3 months Liberal University was re-born on the web. I would like to apply my critical thinking and enthusiasm to the National Board.

Candidate Biography: Chris MacInnes Website: www.chrismacinnes.ca Twitter: @CMacInnes1 Chris MacInnes is a very active volunteer who is passionate about the Liberal Party and committed to making a difference. Chris began volunteering with the Liberal Party over twenty years ago, participating in provincial and federal campaigns in his home province of Nova Scotia. He currently serves as provincial Campaign Chair to the Nova Scotia Liberal Party. In 2010, Chris was elected to the position of Vice President – Federal of the party‟s provincial management committee. In these roles, Chris has helped increase the party‟s seat count in the legislature, streamline party operations, organize and focus on grassroots fundraising and overhaul the party‟s approach to election campaigns. Chris attended Carleton University, graduating with a B.A. (Hons.) in 1995. At the age of 22, he went to work in the office of then Senator Allan J. MacEachen until 1998. Chris then attended Dalhousie Law School in Halifax, graduating in 2002. After Law School, he served as Special Assistant in the office of the then Minister of Industry, the Honourable Allan Rock. In 2003, Chris was appointed Chief of Staff to the Minister of ACOA, the Honourable Joe McGuire – a position he held until 2006. At the time of his appointment, Chris was among the youngest Chiefs of Staff in the government at age 30. Following his years on Parliament Hill and in government, Chris articled in Toronto and was called to the Bar in 2007. He then moved back to Nova Scotia to practice law. Since 2010, Chris has been a founding partner at KCM Strategy Group, a public affairs firm with offices in Halifax, NS and Charlottetown, PEI. Throughout his career, Chris has developed the experience necessary to help the Liberal Party of Canada modernize its operations and become a more effective political party. Chris lives in Halifax with his wife, Kristan Hines, and their daughter, Grace.

Candidate Biography: James Morton Website: www.jamesforvp.ca Twitter: @MortonsMusings James Morton is a celebrated lawyer, author and media commentator. James is a founding partner in a mid-sized firm and has published more than 25 legal texts and a larger number of papers and articles. James is Past President of the Ontario Bar Association and a regular local and national media commentator. His concern for social justice also led him to join and become an active and respected member of the Liberal Party of Canada. James has served in several key leadership positions for both the federal and provincial parties, including Deputy Chair, Council of Presidents, Liberal Party of Ontario, Central Region Victory Fund Chair, LPCO Central Region Area 2 Director and President, Thornhill Liberal Riding Association. James experience and knowledge make him a trusted advisor to many political and business leaders. James attended the University of Western Ontario, graduating with a B.Sc. He went on to attend the Osgoode Hall Law School and graduated in 1986. In 1991, he established Steinberg Morton Hope & Israel LLP, where he is the litigation partner and head of the litigation department. He is a sought after lecturer with numerous awards including the Harcourt Advocacy Award, OBA Service Certificate, and a Government of Ontario Volunteer Award. A long time human rights and community activist, James is involved with many organizations. He has served as a Director for the Royal Botanical Gardens, a Governor for the Canadian International Peace Project, Counsel for the Canadian Somali Congress, Legal Counsel (pro bono) and Member of Advisory Board for Artists Against Racism and is co-founder and Director of Golden Bears Charity, an organization providing toys to children in temporary shelters. James brings the Liberal passion, business acumen and vision needed on the National Board at this time in Party history.

Candidates for Vice-President (Francophone) Imran Ahmad 

Former Parliament Hill Staffer

Brigitte Garceau 

Vice-President (Francophone), Liberal Party of Canada

Pierre Lajeunesse 

Chief Riding Organizer, Liberal Party of Canada (Quebec)

The Constitutional Role of Liberal Party Vice-President (Francophone) The National Vice-Presidents are responsible to: (a) assist the National President as required; (b) assume the duties of the National President in the National President’s absence, or if the National President resigns, dies, or is expelled from office; and (c) perform any other duties assigned by the National Board of Directors. What do you believe is the primary role of the Vice-President (Francophone)? Imran Ahmad The Vice-President (Francophone) is first and foremost a member of a team, the National Board, focused on strengthening all aspects of the Party (e.g., finance, administration, organization, etc.) and ensuring good governance by constantly engaging in a two way dialogue with members. In addition, due to Canada‘s bilingual heritage, the Vice-President (Francophone) also supports and represents Canada‘s 9.5 million French speakers‘ views and needs on the National Board. Brigitte Garceau When elected as your National Vice-President (Francophone) I promised that my seat would be your seat. That you would be listened to, not just heard. I believe I have kept faith with that promise by ensuring that your ideas and concerns were addressed and acted upon at the national level. During my mandate, I continued the work I had started as co-chair of the Change Commission (whose report is available on the party website) to implement much needed reforms. I helped to improve communications for members, digitally and directly. Most importantly, I was on the ground with you, in your home regions, reflecting your needs personally. I want to continue that work. It is for that reason that I seek your support for re-election to this post. Pierre Lajeunesse The primary role of the Vice-President (Francophone) is to participate in all of the national board‘s activities while representing francophone members. This means promoting and protecting the French language and Official Language linguistic minorities. The French language is an asset and should be treated as such. As a member of the Board, the Vice-President (Francophone) will have to play an important role in rebuilding the Party everywhere in Canada. This Vice-President will have a more particular role to play in francophone ridings, most of which are in Quebec where the orange wave of last May can - and must be reversed. Furthermore, as a Party officer, VP (Francophone) is elected by – and responsible to – all members of the

Liberal Party, regardless of linguistic background. VP (Francophone) is part of a group of 5 Table Officers responsible to all Party members that will make decisions – along with other members of the National Board – for the membership as a whole. I intend to take that responsibility very seriously and will be available and accessible to all LPC members.

What volunteer or professional experiences do you have, if any, that make you particularly suited for the position of Vice-President (Francophone)? Imran Ahmad   

Worked in all levels of Quebec politics Has held several corporate and charitable board positions in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta Been a lecturer at Université de Sherbrooke‘s Law School and led a seminar at University of Toronto‘s Rotman School of Business

Brigitte Garceau 

Founded the Garceau Foundation to help battle child poverty, homelessness and hunger

Pierre Lajeunesse   

Member of the Canadian Armed Forces (1976-1980) Founder of an insurance firm Awarded the Queen‘s Jubilee Medal for community service

What roles have you held within the Liberal Party, if any, that give you the required experience to be the ideal candidate for Vice-President (Francophone)? Imran Ahmad       

Treasurer, Vaughan Federal Liberal Association Official agent for a Liberal candidate during the 2011 federal election Coordinator during the 2008 federal election in Calgary and responsible for francophone outreach Staffer in Ottawa for Senator Roméo A. Dallaire Quebec organizer during the 2006 Liberal Party leadership race Member of several Liberal EDAs in Quebec, Alberta and Ontario Was a youth organizer with the Liberal Party of Quebec

Brigitte Garceau 

Vice-President (Francophone), Liberal Party of Canada

Pierre Lajeunesse    



President of Joliette Federal Liberal Riding Association Regional President – Lanaudière, Liberal Party of Canada (Quebec) Director – Board of Directors of the Liberal Party of Canada (Quebec) Chief Organizer for numerous Federal elections Chief Organizer, Liberal Party of Canada (Quebec)

How will you improve the internal organization of the Party to better serve its members?

Imran Ahmad   

   

Prepare and distribute to all members an annual report highlighting successes, failures and outlining an action plan Ask members to annually evaluate the National Board‘s performance (―National Board Report Card‖) Create the position of Commissioner of Francophone Services to will be charged with: o Ensuring that the French language is fully integrated in the Party‘s day-to-day operations o Coordinating the rebuilding efforts of francophone communities across Canada by investing the necessary resources so as to strengthen and empower EDAs Rebuild strong relations with Francophone associations in each Canadian province and territory Hold an annual Liberal Youth Summit where young Liberals, the Leader, Caucus and the Party meet to discuss issues and establish priorities Create a youth internship program where young Liberals can complete an internship at LPC‘s headquarters, a PTA or an MP/Senator‘s office Make Liberal University an accredited training program that will teach young Liberals political skills that they can use during election campaigns, organizing regional events, etc.

Brigitte Garceau 

Platform still to be released

Pierre Lajeunesse  

Create a leaner internal infrastructure to do more with less and helping staff to work efficiently by giving them the right tools to do their jobs Maintain the PTA system for every province that wants one because Canada is too big and diverse to control and direct the Party exclusively from Ottawa

How will you improve internal communication to members, particularly in regards to how quickly Francophone Party materials are released? Imran Ahmad      

Prepare and release within 3 months following the Biennial a strategic plan outlining a clear action plan to eliminate waste, streamline operations and seek out efficiencies within the Party Meet regularly with PTAs, Commissions and EDA to solicit their input and assess how the National Board can further support them Outline measurable objectives for Party officials to which they will be held accountable on an annual basis Hold regular regional roundtables where grassroots members can provide input directly to the National Board Improve the use of Liberalist to enhance outreach to grassroots members Establish a toll free telephone line and email access where members can provide their input directly to the National Board

Brigitte Garceau 

Platform still to be released

Pierre Lajeunesse  

Interface with Liberalist more often than we currently do to find out what voters expect of us Utilize traditional communications but expand uses of social media such as Facebook, Twitter

     

and YouTube Install professional translation in our communications with members so not only the wording but also the meaning of the message will be understood All party communications must be released in both languages at the same time If the Party cannot afford a team of translators, set up teams of volunteers Offer personal support to all PTAs and EDAs as VP (Francophone) to help them develop communication tools and outreach in French either through an agreement with the National office or through local or regional teams of volunteer translators Use more modern and efficient consultation tools such as a virtual ‗suggestion box‘ Consult previous reports and implement their findings

Candidate Biography: Imran Ahmad Website: www.imranahmadvpf.ca Twitter: @imranvpf Born in Montreal, Imran is fully bilingual and has spent 30 years in Quebec. He completed his college studies at Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf and earned his civil law degree from Université de Montréal in 2005. Imran moved with his wife to Gatineau in 2006 where he worked for LieutenantGeneral the Honorable Roméo A. Dallaire, a Canadian hero. He completed a master of laws at the University of Ottawa and went on to clerk for Justice Edmond P. Blanchard at the Federal Court of Canada, the Competition Tribunal and Court Martial Appeals Court in Ottawa. In 2008, Imran moved to Calgary where he worked as an attorney at Bennett Jones LLP and relocated his practice with the same firm to Toronto. He now resides in Vaughan with his wife and three children. Imran joined the Liberal Party in his teens, has worked as a staffer on Parliament Hill, worked on numerous election campaigns and has been involved with several riding executives. He currently serves as Treasurer for the Vaughan Federal Liberal Association. As a long time Liberal, he believes the time has come for a new generation to renew the Party. The Party is facing and will continue to face significant internal and external challenges in the coming years. Imran believes that it is in the face of adversity that Liberals are able to bring about real and long lasting change. Professionally, Imran is a corporate lawyer in Toronto. He has practiced law in Alberta and Ontario and is also a member of the Association des juristes d‟expression française de l‟Ontario. Imran is also driven to reaching out to his community which has given him so much. He sits as a Board member at a not-for-profit organization providing business training to individuals with developmental disabilities. He is also devotes a portion of his practice to pro bono work.

Candidate Biography: Brigitte Garceau Website: brigittegarceau.ca Twitter: @BrigitteGarceau Brigitte Garceau has served as National Vice-President (Francophone) since her election in 2009. During her mandate, she continued the work she had started as co-chair of the Change Commission (whose report is available on the party website) to implement much needed reforms. Her vicepresidency has been the culmination of two decades of service to the Liberal Party. She has been a riding board member, served on the Council of Presidents, held the regional presidency of west Montreal, was a member of the Board of Directors of LPCQ, Quebec`s representative on the national membership rules commission and as president of the Westmount Ville-Marie riding association has been involved in every aspect of political campaigning. Brigitte also knows this country as few others, having lived in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. Brigitte is a family law attorney with Robinson, Sheppard, Shapiro, with some twenty years of experience. She obtained her civil law degree at the Université de Montréal and her common law at the University of Ottawa after doing her BA in political science at Carleton. She has been an accredited mediator since 1995, and has pled at every court level including the Supreme Court of Canada. She has not only built an outstanding reputation as an advocate, but also served her profession and community as a member of the Liaison Committee on Family Law of the Superior Court of Montreal; teaching family law at McGill University‟s Law School and participating and presenting in numerous roundtables and conferences. She is a member of the Bar of Montreal, the Bar of Quebec and of the Family Lawyers Association of Quebec. Her commitment to community goes beyond the law and politics however. In 2008 she founded the Garceau Foundation to help battle child poverty, homelessness and hunger. The Foundation allows her to furnish an optimal level of financial, professional and organizational support to front-line social service groups. She firmly believes that Liberal engagement goes beyond party and must be brought right to the people. Brigitte is a mother of two, Cassandra and Michael, who are the singular joys of her life.

Candidate Biography: Pierre Lajeunesse Website: www.pierrelajeunesse.ca Twitter: @LajeunessePLC Pierre Lajeunesse was born on February 5, 1955, in Joliette, Quebec. He has worked for three decades as a Damage Insurance Broker, Financial Security Advisor, Group Insurance and Group Annuity Plans Advisor. He founded his own business at the beginning of the 1990‟s ; he has recently sold it and retired. Pierre is a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces, where he reached the rank of Officer. Pierre has spent his life leading teams engaged in reaching the targets set for him. In addition to his military past, he has been deeply involved in the Liberal Party of Canada. Indeed, he started as a volunteer for the No camp in 1980, then became president of the Joliette Federal Liberal Association, and then moved on to become Chief Organizer for the Honourable Denis Coderre, winning successive campaigns in the Montreal riding of Bourassa in 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2011. In 2009 he became Chief Organizer for the 75 ridings of Quebec for the LPC(Q). Pierre Lajeunesse is a recipient of the Queen‟s Golden Jubilee Medal which is awarded to Canadians who have made outstanding and exemplary contributions to their communities or to Canada as a whole.

Candidates for National Policy Chair Braeden Caley 

Organizing Chair, Liberal Party of Canada (British Columbia)

Maryanne Kampouris 

Vice-President Policy, Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario)

Daniel Lovell 

Vice-President, Vaughan Federal Liberal Riding Association

Zach Paikin 

Director, Mount Royal Federal Liberal Riding Association

Paul Summerville 

Former NDP Candidate, St. Paul’s (now a member of LPC)

The Constitutional Role of National Policy Chair The National Policy Chair is responsible for: (a) facilitating the policy process throughout the Party; (b) sitting on the National Policy and Platform Committee; (c) sitting on the Political Policy Strategy Committee (d) and sitting on the National Management Committee. What do you believe is the primary role of National Policy Chair? Braedan Caley The primary role of the National Policy Chair should be to establish and lead a robust and democratic Liberal policy process, within which the best, boldest, and most innovative ideas of Liberal members and all interested Canadian citizens can be heard, advocated for, tested and developed. Some of my fellow candidates have made it clear they would be coming to the National Board table (or to the role of Chair of the National Policy and Platform Committee) with pre-determined policy agendas, or that they would be pushing their own perspectives. I believe instead that we need a National Policy Chair who will put members‘ voices first and not pre-judge the activism or ideas that our members will hopefully be investing in a rebuilt and re-invigorated Liberal Policy Process. We all have policy ideas – hopefully that is why many of us get involved – but after too many years of their ideas being frustrated or held back by an ineffective or unreliable policy process, members need to have justifiable confidence that every resolution will advance on an equal playing field. That being said, there are a number of ways the next National Policy Chair can contribute to shaping the party‘s general direction based on what we‘ve heard from delegates in this renewal period. I‘ve said we need to emerge from this rebuilding process as a party that is not afraid to make unwavering bold policy and platform commitments - in issue areas including (but by no means limited to) justice, democratic reform, health care, and the environment. I‘ll be working with members, activists, stakeholders and relevant experts to shape the process in such a way that the ideas we adopt as a party are not overly constrained in their ambition or aspiration by bureaucratic caution or political timidity. In short, I do also see the role of National Policy Chair as one of strong internal advocacy for membership-prioritized ideas

when it comes to party renewal, platform development and the day-to-day policy work and activism of our Leader and parliamentary caucus, as opposed to this role being exclusively one of process administration. Maryanne Kampouris

The primary role of the National Policy Chair is give our members a voice in the establishment of the policy direction of our Party This is done through :    

 

 

Leadership of the National Policy and Platform Committee in managing and communicating the policy development processes within the Party Providing Policy Process leadership as a member of the National Board of Directors Identifying areas were capacity needs to be built and developing tools and mechanisms to build that capacity Building Capacity across the country so that policy is a vehicle for community engagement and outreach  Communicating regularly  Providing training  Providing resources through the PTAs and Commissions :  Speakers lists  Event support  catalogue / database of former and current policy initiatives Ensuring that the members' policy direction is reflected in the Platform  exercising power of platform approval judiciously Giving members fora in which they can :  develop policy direction for the party  engage with other liberals and build consensus within the Party  have their say on the processes by which policy is developed within the Party Working as a member of a team that manages the business of the Party on behalf of and in keeping with the direction of its members Leading a team of PTA and Commission Representatives in the coordination and management of the policy development process of the Party

Daniel Lovell

Wilfrid Laurier believed that in order to govern Canada it requires compromise and conciliation; I believe that in order to govern anything you are required to be able to compromise and create an environment that fosters co-operation. I see the role of the National Policy Chair much like a coach of a sports team. Coaches have many goals; one is to motivate the team, while also being able to balance the different player‘s wants and needs. With respect to the party I believe that the Chair needs to balance the wants and needs of the various actors within the party as well providing a voice for the membership to drive the process. Just like many coaches when failures occur they have to take responsibility for the loss, and learn from it and make changes. I would create and provide targeted changes in which would revamp the process. Also, I firmly believe the role of NPC is purely an administrative role, one that should be the voice for the membership. Moreover, the job is about facilitating the process, not to articulate personal points of view. Zach Paikin

I believe the role of the National Policy Chair in a post-2011 Liberal Party is to help create a truly open, inclusive, engaging, accessible policy process. The National Policy Chair needs to go beyond merely overseeing the policy process. We need to rethink the way our party looks at policy and realize that people outside our party might also have something to contribute. We need to realize as well that strategic messaging should be viewed as being an outlet for policy just as important as the platform. Paul Summerville I think that the position of National Policy Chair is to ensure the policy and platform development process is rooted in a dynamic, constant Canadian conversation between members and elected representatives that culminates in member sponsored policy having a defining impact on the policy of the Party.

What volunteer or professional experiences do you have, if any, that make you particularly suited for the position of National Policy Chair? Braedan Caley 

Co-founder of ‗Canadians for Obama‘

Maryanne Kampouris      

Owner of a management consulting firm supporting local business, all levels of government and not-for-profit organizations Chairperson of the Maxville Chamber of Commerce, Women‘s Institute, school advisory committee President of Playtime Pals Co-operative Nursery School President of the Glengarry Place for the Arts Friends of the Library, local anti-Library closure movement Governance support at the Municipality of North Glengarry

Daniel Lovell     

Creator of Liberals Rebuilding the Liberal Party Facebook group Member on various Ryerson University Boards Member of the Canadian Historical Association Member of the Canadian Political Science Association Member of the Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History

Zach Paikin  

Working at Washington-based think tanks Columnist, political commentator and multimedia journal editor

Paul Summerville   

Experience working at a number of prominent financial firms Deutsche Bank, Jardine Fleming, Lehman Brothers, RBC Capital, Richardson Greenshields, TD Securities, Wellington Investment Management LLP in various roles Senior Fellow at the Centre for Global Studies at the University of Victoria Adjunct Professor at the Peter Gustavson School of Business

What roles have you held within the Liberal Party, if any, that give you the required experience to be the ideal candidate for National Policy Chair?

Braedan Caley        

Organization Chair, Liberal Party of Canada in British Columbia (2009-present) National Vice-President (Communications), Young Liberals of Canada (2009-present) Director, Vancouver South Federal Liberal Association (2009-present) Director, Richmond Federal Liberal Association (2004-2009) Member of the National Policy Committee, Young Liberals of Canada (2008-2009) President, Young Liberals of Canada in BC (2007-2009) Campaign Director, Ujjal Dosanjh for Vancouver South Policy Director, UBC Young Liberals of Canada (2004-2006)

Maryanne Kampouris     

Vice-President Policy, Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario) Policy Chair, Glengarry-Prescott-Russell Federal Liberal Riding Association Past Communications Manager for former MP Don Boudria Director, Maxville Area, Glengarry Prescott Russell Federal Liberal Association Candidate for nomination, Glengarry Prescott Russell

Daniel Lovell          

Volunteer Vaughan Municipal Election (2010) Volunteer Vaughan By-Election (2010) Social Media Coordinator & Policy Advisor Vaughan Campaign, Federal Election (2011) Volunteer Vaughan Campaign, Ontario Provincial Election (2011) Executive Vice-President of a Vaughan Federal Liberal Riding Association (2011 – current) Senior Adviser Ryerson Young Liberals (2011- current) Director Vaughan Liberal Provincial Association (2011-current) Executive Vice-President Federal/Provincial Vaughan Young Liberals (2011- current) Co-Founder of Liberals Rebuilding the Liberal Party Facebook Group (2011 – current) Co-Coordinator of LPC Presidential teletown-hall (Nov 2011)

Zach Paikin 

Director, Mount Royal Federal Liberal Riding Association

Paul Summerville 

Member of the Liberal Party of Canada

What are your plans for increasing the accessibility of the policy process? Braedan Caley    

Require policy to be the primary focus of the next Biennial Re-institute in-person policy workshops where they have been abandoned Consider proposals from the Canmore document such as a minimum of half of national priority resolutions be committed to in the next platform Invite third-party stakeholders to our policy process

Maryanne Kampouris

      

Incorporate the recommendations from members in the rebuilding reports and other sources in policy plans and communication that plan back to members Continue to refine a process that will be better at encouraging member involvement in policy development through open consultation Communicate clearly and regularly with members on the process and policy direction of the Party Provide caucus with survey results on ongoing issues coming from EDAs and find affinities between member driven work and that of caucus As Policy Chair ask for the Policy Action Plan from EDAs in order to provide active assistance with the appropriate PTA VP Policy Have an expectation that EDAs will determine how often they meet per year but that it will at least occur annually so PTAs are able to track and support these face-to-face meetings Hold open discussions on the policy process, summarize proposals and ask for clear direction within 3-4 months of the biennial

Daniel Lovell      

Publish a white paper on the current state of the policy process within the party Allow for 3 month period where members can send in submissions for recommended changes in response to the white paper Institute a Policy Chair tour with round-table meetings where chair, board, caucus and leader listen to first hand issues from the membership about policy Create membership advised Liberal Party Policy handbook available for all members outlining how to write policy and submission deadlines Allow membership to send submissions for improvement on policy conventions after they take place Firm dates for regional and provincial policy conventions at which membership chooses topics of discussion and direction

Zach Paikin 

Hold regular, affordable policy conventions where party members can put issues on the table for caucus to raise in parliament

Paul Summerville    

Elevate the membership‘s role in Platform development by adding the nationally elected Policy Chair as co-coordinator Establish working groups around each nationally prioritized resolution with a view to advocating and communicating policy directions and positions between elections Working groups will act as a mechanism to report back to members about the progress of the resolution posted on a regular basis on liberal.ca Considering using a wiki-style online policy development process

What are your plans for making the policy process more affordable? Braedan Caley 

Increased use of telephone town halls, shown to be effective by the Extraordinary Convention

 

Advocate as a National Board member for lower convention fees while restoring the travel subsidies for delegates from distant regions Work with PTAs, Commissions and Riding Associations to ensure small-scale policy events (lowcost or no-cost) are taking place in local communities and neighborhoods across Canada

Maryanne Kampouris  

 

Encourage more local policy discussions to be held at community halls with little to no costs covered by small participant donations if necessary Create a central bank for a ‗Town Hall in a Box‘ in order to expand participation through technology such as those needed for skyping or teleconferencing meetings that would be made available in key locations Hold regional assembly meetings with a mix of in-person and skyped or teleconferenced participation when necessary Improve on cost-to-benefit ratio of national biennials not by replacing face to face interaction but by providing for real discussion time and offering clear resolutions

Daniel Lovell 

Create an amalgamated Policy Database attached to Liberal.ca to help avoid duplication and promote discussion

Zach Paikin 

Process needs to be more affordable for members and for the party which can be achieved through greater use of teleconferencing

Paul Summerville  

Engaging members at the riding and community level in conversation with Caucus and the Leader

Considering using a wiki-style online policy development process

What are your plans in regards to using available technologies to help improve the policy process? Braedan Caley 

   

Make role of online process in complementing in-person discussion at regional and provincial conventions clear so to avoid duplication of efforts and so we are not discarding one in favour of the other Use telephone town halls to increase affordability and accessibility Increase the number of high-profile events that are live-streamed online for members Re-start and build upon the previous Leader‘s practice of hosting town halls on Facebook, and start the same practice on Twitter and other social media Work to coalesce Liberal online policy development mechanisms into one easily-accessible tool: attached to, hosted on, or directly associated with Liberal.ca

Maryanne Kampouris 

Use the internet as a means to spreading information and hold open discussions but not allow



   

the online policy process to supersede delegated convention workshops Create a central bank for a ‗Town Hall in a Box‘ in order to expand participation through technology such as those needed for skyping or teleconferencing meetings that would be made available in key locations Hold regional assembly meetings with a mix of in-person and skyped or teleconferenced participation when necessary Publish a calendar of events to spread awareness about policy events and to help facilitate scheduling to accommodate provincial cycles Set up an expanded database of policy committee engagement plans, policy initiatives and resolutions with contact information that each PTA VP and EDA policy rep can access Post agendas of meetings

Daniel Lovell    

Create a Policy Database attached to Liberal.ca Post policies passed at the national convention to the party website as finished policies Create a monthly policy newsletter called The Pulse, mandatory for riding level policy VPs which members may subscribe to Use emerging technologies such as telephone town halls, online policy conferences, and effectively using social media

Zach Paikin 

Use teleconferencing

Paul Summerville 

Take advantage of available technologies including possibly using a wiki-style online policy development process

What are your plans for making the policy process more innovative? Braedan Caley    

Use policy as a means to inform our message and strategic communications, engage our grassroots members, and attract fundraising dollars with drives for support on particular ideas and issues Work to replicate the major parts of the Canada 150 conference that were successful by hosting similar events on a regional scale Work with our Parliamentary caucus not just as our representatives, but also our resource in policy development, expert research, outreach, and strategic communications Work to ensure our Liberal policy committees and processes are reflective of Canada‘s gender balance, Canada's diversity of people and regions, and our commitment to official bilingualism

Maryanne Kampouris 



Support the EDA and Commission-based policy development process through innovative consultation methods, tools for policy engagement/outreach activities, training for EDA executives, and consistent chairing of policy rallies Discontinue the practice of behind the scenes blending of similar policy resolutions while instead



encouraging and coordinating discussions between member authors to determine potential blending Expand speakers list used in Ontario so expert advice is available for policy research and events as required

Daniel Lovell 



Institute Lester B. Pearson ‗Thinkers Sessions‘ policy conferences on topics selected by the membership of the host province, involving industry leaders and non-partisan but liberally minded Canadians; conferences will provide policy workshops Work with caucus to determine what is brought to debate in the HOC and Senate

Zach Paikin   

Create an independent Liberal think-tank Link policy to strategic messaging and have the Policy Chair act as Communications Director Create Issues Committees to tackle messaging about policy on specific issues

Paul Summerville  

Remove the Leader‘s veto over the Platform Make the Leader the ―Speaker‖ and chief proponent for the Party through regular endorsement and the power to present resolutions

Candidate Biography: Braeden Caley Website: www.braedencaley.ca Twitter: @braedencaley Born and raised in Richmond BC, Braeden Caley has been an active Liberal since the age of 13. He is now a candidate to be our next National Policy Chair for the Liberal Party of Canada. For more than six years, Braeden has advised a variety of political leaders at both the national and local level – including the Hon. Raymond Chan, the Hon. Ujjal Dosanjh, and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson. This significant experience in government, in opposition and on campaigns has given Braeden substantial familiarity with a diverse array of public policy challenges facing our communities and Canada as a whole. Braeden‟s policy work started in the Young Liberals of Canada with a passionate commitment to bold and creative Liberal activism, fighting hard on issues such as same-sex marriage rights and ballistic missile defence. He also successfully took on the issue of democratic reform within the Liberal Party of Canada, with his challenges leading to a 2006 party review of all commission clubs. He served two terms as President of the Young Liberals of Canada in BC, and then as VicePresident (Communications) for the Young Liberals of Canada. By the end of Braeden‟s second term as YLC(BC) President, the party‟s BC youth membership had nearly tripled. Braeden has also committed himself to years of grassroots campaign organizing in crucial battleground ridings. He served on the Richmond Liberal EDA executive from 2004 to 2009, and on the Vancouver South Liberal EDA executive from 2009-2011. Since 2009, he has also served as Organization Chair for the Liberal Party of Canada in BC. Outside of the Liberal Party, Braeden also co-founded “Canadians for Obama,” with whom he led teams of Canadians to six different states for Barack Obama‟s 2008 presidential campaign. „Canadians for Obama‟ was profiled by CBC, CTV, the Globe and Mail, the National Post, Corus Radio, Voice of America, Radio Canada, and others – and directly facilitated scores of multipartisan Canadian youth getting directly involved on Barack Obama‟s historic campaign.

Candidate Biography: Maryanne Kampouris Website: www.kampouris.ca Twitter: @mkampouris Maryanne Kampouris believes anything is possible with leadership and hard work. Maryanne has been politically active since her teens, at both the local and the federal levels. Since joining LPC, she has been an event organiser, election campaign worker, and Communications Manager for MP Don Boudria. As a member of the Glengarry-Prescott-Russell EDA, Maryanne has knocked on doors for candidates, facilitated meaningful debate on issues of importance to the Association, and brought community concerns to the Party. For five years, Ms. Kampouris has been the elected Chair of the LPC(O) Policy Committee, as which she has worked towards bettering the policy function of 106 Ontario EDAs. She established an approach built upon on a business model involving research, training and grassroots consultation. This has proved very successful in building the EDAs‟ capacity, and as a means of outreach to local communities. It is upon this solid foundation that Maryanne is determined to bring her professional skills, strategy, expertise, and proven performance to the national executive Policy Chair position and contribute as a team player to the rebuilding of the Party. Maryanne Kampouris was born in Sudbury in 1956. She now lives in the village of Maxville, Ontario, where she and her husband have raised four children. Her community involvement has included work as the Chairperson for many organizations. Ms. Kampouris earned an Executive MBA from the University of Ottawa, built a successful business, and is a tireless community activist bringing local issues to the national forefront. Her consulting firm provides support to local businesses, all levels of government, and not-for-profit organizations. She specializes in business development, market research, organizational analysis, and planning and marketing strategy. Maryanne has lived, worked and travelled across the country, thus affording her the opportunity to meet people of different cultures and diverse backgrounds. She can work and communicate fluently in both official languages, and is certified bilingual.

Candidate Biography: Daniel Lovell Website: www.daniellovell.ca Twitter: @IAMDanielLovell Daniel is running for the position of National Policy Chair for the Liberal Party of Canada. Born in Toronto, Ontario he now lives in Vaughan with his family. Currently, Daniel is a fourth year student studying Political Science at Ryerson University. He has been actively involved with the Liberal Party of Canada since 2010, and has held various positions since then. Currently, he serves as Executive-Vice President of the Vaughan Federal Liberal Association, and has managed the Ryerson Young Liberals during the 2011 Ontario Provincial Election. Also, after the last federal election a grassroots group was formed, and created a forum which would provide a place for Liberals to debate and discuss the new party of the future, it became Liberals Rebuilding the Liberal Party, a group which now has almost 1000 members. More recently, his non-Liberal involvement includes sitting on various boards with in Ryerson University, as well sitting on the departmental Course Union. The policies of the Liberal Party are pivotal in keeping Canada pertinent in a changing world. This party has shaped the lives of generations of Canadians through its policy initiatives and has the potential to do so again – however, it needs to change first. Change is not something to fear, for without change this party can no longer survive. Part of the problem is the complex and overbearing system currently in place. Daniel is hopeful through compromise and co-operation with the Provincial and Territorial Associations a simplified policy process can be established. The executive who are elected in January will be the building blocks for the party until a new leader is selected in 2013. This group will need to be dynamic and resourceful, being able to use the tools in place and either change them, or revamp them. Daniel is hopeful that he will be able to be a part of that team and provide a view that is new and innovative. Change will not happen overnight, it is going to take time, and hard work. Daniel might not have all the answers, but he will not stop until the job is done.

Candidate Biography: Zach Paikin Website: www.votepaikin.ca Twitter: @zpaikin Zach Paikin is a grassroots Liberal activist and is running to be the next National Policy Chair of the Liberal Party. Originally from Toronto, Zach now resides in Montreal. He serves on the board of directors of the Mount Royal Liberal Association and has spent years working on numerous Liberal campaigns across the country and engaging in the policy process. Zach has years of experience in organizing for charitable causes. His work over the past several years with CFL Fans Fight Cancer and the Les Bartley Fund, among other groups, has helped raise tens of thousands for cancer research and treatment centres across Canada, notably the Princess Margaret Hospital, the Wellwood Resource Centre, the Segal Cancer Centre, the Wellspring Cancer Support Network and more. Zach has also spent time advocating and raising funds for global victims of genocide. In recent years, Zach has spent time as a featured columnist and political commentator for various national and international media outlets, defending liberal causes whenever given the opportunity. In particular, he is a regular guest on Toronto‟s Newstalk 1010 and is an editor at Fair Observer, an international multimedia journal. He continues to contribute research to several Washington-based think tanks, focusing on issues related to international security and Canadian and American foreign policy. Rebuilding is going to be a difficult task. Obstacles to grassroots engagement need to be removed. Newer, more effective policy-development tools must be created. Strategic messaging has to become one of our party‟s primary focuses. Together, we can help the Liberal Party of Canada effect real change and embrace the next generation. Contact Zach at [email protected] to get involved in the grassroots Liberal movement for change.

Candidate Biography: Paul Summerville Website: www.excellentfuture.ca Twitter: @paulsummerville Paul Summerville was born in Britain, and has studied and worked in Canada, Israel, Switzerland, Japan, and the United States. He completed a Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo (1988) with a thesis on the Japanese automotive industry, and also studied at universities in Toronto, Jerusalem, Edmonton, Geneva, and Osaka. He is writing a book entitled „The Invisible Hand of Social Justice: The Restoration of a Civil Society on his websitewww.excellentfuture.ca. He writes a blog „Smart Links‟ based on a review of the international media published off ofwww.excellentfuture.ca. Paul worked at a number of prominent financial firms Deutsche Bank, Jardine Fleming, Lehman Brothers, RBC Capital, Richardson Greenshields, TD Securities, Wellington Investment Management LLP in various roles. He has appeared on ABC, BBC, CNN, CBC, CTV, CBS, NBC, NHK, PBS, and TVO, and has published in the Asian Wall Street Journal, Financial Post, Globe and Mail, International Herald Tribune, New York Times, National Post and Nikkei Weekly. Paul ran in the January 2006 Canadian federal election as a member of the New Democratic Party in the Toronto riding of St. Paul‟s. His candidacy was given an unusual level of media coverage in part because of his against-type NDP candidacy. He placed third after Liberal incumbent Carolyn Bennett and Conservative Peter Kent. In October 2006 Summerville joined the Liberal Party of Canada to support the candidacy of Leadership contender Bob Rae and attended the Montreal Liberal Leadership Convention that ultimately elected Stéphane Dion. Paul is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Global Studies at the University of Victoria, and recently was made an Adjunct Professor at the Peter Gustavson School of Business. Paul lives in Victoria with his wife Taeko. Their son is a student at Concordia University.

Candidates for National Membership Secretary Leanne Bourassa 

Vice-President Western Quebec (female), Liberal Party of Canada (Quebec)

Matthew Certosimo 

Credentials chair in federal and provincial leadership conventions

Kyle Harrietha 

Chair for northeastern Alberta, Liberal Party of Canada (Alberta)

Kim Rudd 

2011 federal Liberal candidate for Northumberland-Quinte West

Mitch St. Pierre 

Former legislative advisor to a Liberal Member of Parliament

The Constitutional Role of the National Membership Secretary The National Membership Secretary is responsible to: (a) supervise the maintenance of the national register of members of the Party; and (b) ensure that the Party complies with all its obligations with respect to membership records, including, but not limited to, the provision of timely access to membership information as required by Subsection 7(2). What do you believe is the primary role of the National Membership Secretary? Leanne Bourassa I believe that the primary role of the National Membership Secretary is to provide services to the present and future members of the party. By this, I mean not only is the Membership Secretary responsible to ensure we have strategies in place for recruiting new members and supporting grassroots initiatives to grow the membership, but also to ensure that members are well served in terms of having getting something for their membership and that there are no administrative issues with their memberships or renewals. Matthew Certosimo I believe that the national membership secretary should be the "chief members' advocate", to whom complaints about membership rights can be directed and, even absent complaints, would be duty-bound to assess all Board decisions with a view to protecting, indeed enhancing, members' rights, and to seeking ways to streamline and "de-bureaucratize" the membership process. Kyle Harrietha The Liberal Party of Canada Constitution states that the National Membership Secretary is responsible to supervise the maintenance of the national register of members of the Party; and ensure that the Party complies with all its obligations with respect to membership records, including, but not limited to, the provision of timely access to membership information as required by Subsection 7(2) which outlines access to that information.

However, the role clearly should include more than that as the Membership Secretary sits on the National Board of Directors which deals on a regular basis with number of issues that can have a broad impact on the membership of the Liberal Party and also sits on the National Management Committee. The National Membership Secretary should be involved in developing a comprehensive member recruitment and retention strategy in partnership with PTAs; and ensure the tools required are provided for PTAs in their provincial and territorial organizational work; and EDAs for their local outreach efforts. I also believe National Board Members, and the National Membership Secretary in particular, have a duty to act as an ombudsman of a sort in addressing issues brought forward by the membership and its representatives at various levels. This includes investigating complaints and attempting to resolve them where there is an issue. It also includes identifying systemic issues, as I have done in my platform, which has led to poor service or breaches of a member‘s rights. Kim Rudd One of the key attributes the National Membership Secretary of the Liberal Party of Canada should possess is a demonstrated ability to mentor and partner with the leadership of our party‘s local EDAs. Mitch St. Pierre In addition to what Subsection 7(2) states in the Constitution regarding NMS, I believe the role of NMS must act further. NMS is a big job and requires strong leadership and a personable person who is able to form strong relationships. NMS needs to build relationships with 308 ridings across the country, its current members, past members and future members. Members need to have a listening ear. The NMS must also ensure ease of access to all its members, that means engaging members with policy, events, ideas, town halls, meetings, forums etc. NMS should ensure that all of the 308 ridings are up and running and in action. Young Liberals are vital to this as well. Talented youth are the future of not only the Liberal Party but of this Country. NMS should ensure that community groups across the country know where the party stands on the many issues that affect those communities. Members of Parliament, prominent Liberals, candidates and or EDA and PTA executives must play a bigger role. NMS should take responsibility in arranging campus events, town halls and community events across the country. This will be essential in reaching out to Canadians.

What volunteer or professional experiences do you have, if any, that make you particularly suited for the position of National Membership Secretary? Leanne Bourassa  

Professional experience as a lawyer Volunteer work with self-funded synchronize swimming teams

Matthew Certosimo  

Adjunct professor, University of Toronto and University of Western Ontario Lawyer

Kyle Harrietha 

Administrator, Reclamation Working Group



Call Supervisor, St. Francis Xavier University‘s Annual Giving Program

Kim Rudd      

Executive Director, Association of Ontario Private Colleges Trainer, Volunteer Leadership Development Program of the United Way President of the Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce President and owner, Willis College President and owner, NC Training Inc Co-founder, Cook‘s School Day Care

Mitch St. Pierre 

Barack Obama‘s 2008 Presidential Campaign in North Carolina and Chicago

What roles have you held within the Liberal Party, if any, that give you the required experience to be the ideal candidate for National Membership Secretary? Leanne Bourassa  

Vice-President Western Quebec, Liberal Party of Canada (Quebec) National Membership Working Group

Matthew Certosimo 

Credentials chair in federal and provincial leadership conventions

Kyle Harrietha                      

Chair, Northeast Region, Liberal Party of Canada in Alberta, Executive Committee Membership Secretary, Fort McMurray—Athabasca Federal Liberal Association Communications Chair, Fort McMurray—Athabasca Federal Liberal Campaign Campaign Co-Chair, Liberal Party of Canada in Alberta Presidential Election President, Fort McMurray—Athabasca Federal Liberal Association British Columbia & Alberta Representative, Liberal Party Council of Presidents Working Group Executive Assistant, Office of Newton—North Delta MP Sukh Dhaliwal Operations Manager, 2008 Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River Campaign, Saskatchewan Campaign Manager, 2008 Fort McMurray—Athabasca Federal Election Campaign Operations Manager, 2007 Saskatoon—Meewasin Campaign, Saskatchewan Provincial Election Operations Director and Sign Chair, 2007 Ottawa Centre Campaign, Ontario Provincial Election Candidate Aide, 2006 Ottawa Centre Federal Election Campaign Legislative Assistant, Office of York South-Weston MP Alan Tonks Director, Ottawa Centre Federal Liberal Association Director, Ottawa Centre Provincial Liberal Association Candidate Aide, 2004 York South-Weston Federal Election Campaign Organizer, 2004 Ottawa Centre Federal Liberal Nomination and By-Election Volunteer, 2000 Markham–Unionville Federal Election Campaign President, St. Francis Xavier University Young Liberal Association President, St. Francis Xavier University Debating Society University Campaign Manager, 1997 Nova Scotia Provincial Election Campaign Youth Director, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough Federal Liberal Association

 Youth Director, Antigonish Provincial Liberal Association Kim Rudd   

Past Candidate, Northumberland—Quinte West Executive Member, Northumberland—Quinte West Federal Liberal Riding Association Member, Shadow Women‘s Caucus of the Liberal Party

Mitch St. Pierre   

Legislative Assistant at Parliament Hill I've worked on several provincial, federal campaigns, leadership campaigns Volunteering at the Liberal Party of Canada's Headquarters in Ottawa

What will you do to make membership more meaningful and encourage new members to join? Leanne Bourassa      

Immediately contact and welcome new members Give new members contact information for their EDA, PTA and Commissions they may wish to be involved in Make information about the party structure and processes immediately available Provide EDAs, PTAs and Commissions with notice of new members so they can reach out and engage them, encouraging them to become active participants in local Party activities Ensure members are receiving regular communication of information or opportunities to engage with other members of the party through social, policy based or other gatherings Ensure that before conventions, General assemblies or other events where members have the right to vote or stand for office, members are clearly advised of the membership rules and deadlines that will affect their rights

Matthew Certosimo     

Make membership open by removing fees and making it free to join the Party Create a welcome package celebrating the new member‘s arrival, defining what it means to be a Liberal and communicating how to fully engage in our Party Find practical ways to connect our membership at every level, ensuring all 308 riding membership chairs, the Commissions, and the Young Liberals are prominent going forward Consider whether members could be rewarded with discounted delegate fees for signing up target numbers of new members Look into recognizing volunteer time as we do with financial contributions

Kyle Harrietha  

Seek out the ideas of Liberal activists on how to build a Party where we can all be proud to say ‗I am a Member‘ Create a Liberal ‗Red Book‘ for members that would serve as a plain-language guide to the Party and include: o The values and principles of the Liberal Party as outlined in our Constitution

  

o An overview of the long and proud history of our Party o Outline the structure of the Party in simple terms o List the rights and responsibilities of Liberal members o Clearly outline the responsibilities of those who hold elected office in the Liberal Party o Provide contact information for Liberals to make inquiries on various issues o Outline donation options and what those donations are used for Consider the creation of a small ‗l‘ liberal response to the Manning and Broadbent Institutes Establish an online forum for sharing leading practices across the country Use the PTAs to effectively implement the new programs without increased costs in Ottawa

Kim Rudd 

Orient new members from all EDAs with a Q&A session run as an online webinar each month

Mitch St. Pierre   

Engage young Canadians on campuses across the country, and ensure campuses in every region of Canada have a Young Liberals Club driven by determined youth Give members ease of access to party policy, structure and processes as well as their EDA and PTA president and officers Better utilization of Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, mobile apps, SMS (text) campaigns, teletown halls and online surveys as the latest ―must haves‖ in reaching out and engaging members and potential supporters

What will you do to maintain the satisfaction of current members as meaningful contributors to the Liberal Party? Leanne Bourassa   

Provide opportunities to effectively implement the new programs without increased costs in Ottawa Resolve administrative issues such as delay for receipt of membership cards, rapid response to membership related questions and easy access to expiry dates. Filling in the gaps‖ by trying to provide information and opportunity to members who are not served by active EDAs

Matthew Certosimo 

Explore the facilitation of an alternative dispute resolution process to provide members a way to settle internal disputes

Kyle Harrietha  

Undertake a comprehensive review of all in-house training documents



Development of an online Canada-wide schedule of yearly events that have national, provincial and local significance and are updated by riding association, PTAs and the national office for forward planning of



Review approaches and best practices of the PTAs and other political parties, across Canada and around the world

outreach efforts by MPs and Senators. MPs and Senators increasing communication across the country as part of a comprehensive and consistent plan that can be aligned with micro-targeting data, Liberalist and critic responsibilities



A detailed review and consultation on the LPC management structure including National Election Readiness



Committee Increased involvement and accountability of PTAs and EDAs as part of the planning and decision making in



a focused election readiness effort Thorough lists of the elements required for a comprehensive election readiness effort with the flexibility needed to adapt election readiness efforts to the local and regional political realities of Canada

Kim Rudd 



Ask for more involvement from members and recognize multiple levels of support where increased financial contribution leads to increased membership benefits

Membership Cost Level

Benefits

Payable

Youth – 14 to 25 years old

$5.00/year

Same as a contributing member

Annual

Basic

$10.00/year

Able to vote in elections at Annual all levels, eligible to be a delegate at conventions, eligible to run for office at all levels.

Supporting

$30/year to $300/year

Same as Basic Member plus eligible to join one National Issues Task Group (NITG)

Sustaining

$300/year to $1099/year

Same as Supporting Annual or Member plus eligible to Monthly join more than one NITG; able to join quarterly online meetings with various hosts (Executive/MP‘s/Senators)

Laurier Club

$1100/year

Same as Sustaining Annual Member, plus invitations to events with the leader, conference discounts, and Laurier Club receptions and newsletters.

Annual or Monthly

Allow ‗Supporting‘ members or higher to join a National Issues Task Group (NITGs), meeting

   

quarterly and chaired by the critic or their representative, when they become a member NITG members will receive press releases and statements about the issues they are working on from the Liberal critic responsible for their issue from the Party Ask Members what they want from the Party through polls and surveys Create a recognition program for contributions to the Party at all levels – certificates, awards and recognition letters from the Leader or President Create a recognition program for existing members who bring a new member into the party

Mitch St. Pierre  

Members of the party should have ease of access to party policy, structure and processes as well as their EDA and PTA president and officers EDA and PTA officers should reach out to their members through events, meetings, forums, fundraisers, town halls, and debates with prominent Liberals are great ways to engage members

What will you do to streamline the member registration and renewal process? Leanne Bourassa   

Support the transition from the National Membership Registry to exclusive use of Liberalist for managing membership data Work with EDAs and PTAs to develop guides and training programs for the use of Liberalist in membership recruitment and management Review membership rules and administrative processes to find ways to streamline those processes, clarify responsibilities, reduce errors, do away with redundancies, and increase the efficiency of membership management

Matthew Certosimo 

Find practical ways to connect our membership at every level, ensuring all 308 riding membership chairs, the Commissions, and the Young Liberals are prominent going forward

Kyle Harrietha          

Provide a downloadable membership form for printout from the LPC website Reduce by half the cost for signing up for the Liberal Party online in recognition of the reduced administrative cost versus submitting a hard copy form Consider instituting a free membership Automatic membership in youth clubs where a student has signed up for a riding and indicates the Post-Secondary Institution they are attending Automatic membership in Women‘s Clubs where a member who meets the requirements has signed up in a riding and an accredited women‘s club is active Advise Riding Presidents and Membership Secretaries via email as new Members join a Riding Association Send call lists and template scripts every September for local membership renewal activities Allow presidents to download emails lists for their riding without approval from the National Office Begin to integrate different databases in use by the National Office Investigate automatically updating the NMR when a president or membership secretary makes a change in their own riding

Kim Rudd



To convert a first-time new member into a recurring member, the Liberal Party needs to institute a membership renewal system Month

First time members to be converted to recurring multiyear members

Multi-year recurring members

Welcome e-mail or letter

Acknowledgement of renewal by e-mail or letter

New membership package sent by e-mail or post on how to get involved with the party

Membership toolkit sent to membership chairs of each EDA, for action in each association

Online survey of Party goals available to all members – questions on how member is getting involved with Party

Online survey of Party goals available to all members – questions on how member is getting involved with Party

Special appeal to new members who are not involved. Calls from members of EDAs inviting new member to get involved or to attend an event.

E-mail to recurring members about getting involved.

Special survey on skills and abilities of each member that can be used in future elections – build volunteer rosters

Special survey on skills and abilities of each member that can be used in future elections – build volunteer rosters

6

Pre-renewal e-mail reminder to all members

Pre-renewal e-mail reminder to all members

7

Renewal letter to all members

Renewal letter to all members

Special personal contact appeal when membership is about to expire

Special personal contact appeal when membership is about to expire

1

2

3

4

5

8

9

 



 

Phone call to expired Phone call to expired member to see if they have member to see if they have forgotten to renew forgotten to renew

10

Expired member e-mail appeal

Expired member e-mail appeal

11

Expired member appeal letter from president

Expired member appeal letter from president

Use Liberalist as a key tool for membership development – all members of the executive should have Level 2 access, in addition to at least 2 members of the executive with top level access Better coordination between national membership campaigns and local membership efforts to reduce the sense of harassment that some prospective members feel when they are repeatedly phoned or emailed Use information technology to reduce paper – all EDA membership chairs should have an email address and have special access to the national membership chair o Ecommerce should be used where possible for processing membership fees o Develop apps and not paper manuals o Develop a mobile ecommerce app to make it possible to join the party with a smartphone or tablet computer Create up- to-date email lists of members and former members for each EDA to better facilitate local and national communications with members Email lists can be consolidated under one group name, and then membership chairs can email out to the group name instead of a large list

Mitch St. Pierre 

Better use of Liberalist as the core organizational and fundraising apparatus of the Party; require every Member of Parliament, EDA and PTA President and officers of the party to utilize the database

How will you help support the membership at the local level? Leanne Bourassa 



Use social media and networking tools to pursue outreach strategies tailored to attracting specific groups such as youth and cultural communities, relying on input from active members on the ground who know their communities best Keep EDAs and PTAs informed about renewal and recruitment projects initiated at the national level, and provide support and resources for grassroots lead recruitment and involvement initiatives

Matthew Certosimo 

Find practical ways to connect our membership at every level, ensuring all 308 riding membership

chairs, the Commissions, and the Young Liberals are prominent going forward Kyle Harrietha 

        

   

    

Develop an updated and far more comprehensive training curriculum for the various aspects of riding association administration and campaign planning and management based on the 36-3636 approach Develop an ongoing schedule for initiating a revised training program using a mix of online tools and in-person meetings that occur annually Acquire the necessary tools and data for training such as micro-targeting and predictive voter modeling Review, revise and develop templates for every aspect of campaign and riding management Implement a program of continuous voter research, including brand research Undertake a systematic analysis of opponent intelligence and learn best practices from foreign parties and non-profit organizations Begin the process of green lighting candidates on an ongoing and timely basis once members decide they are planning to stand and submit the requisite paperwork Establish clearer guidelines for nomination candidates, apply the rules consistently and transparently across all ridings The Green Light committee should approve applicants to be candidates for the Party in whatever riding they choose to stand in and not for a designated riding Nomination dates should be set at least three months in advance with a published nomination form, submission deadline and membership cut-off deadline with rules that are applied consistently across Canada Provide training opportunities and mentorship to green lit candidates on an ongoing basis over the next three years Undertake an aggressive candidate recruitment campaign while promoting the fairness and transparency of a reformed process Review the process for setting nomination dates and ensure those undertaking candidate recruitment are not the same people overseeing the nomination contest Review the power of appointment of a candidate to a riding and, at a minimum, seek a commitment from the Leader of the Party that appointments will not be made once a nomination process has been formally initiated undertake election readiness and voter outreach activities with an increasing intensity over the 36 months, the 36 weeks and the 36 days preceding Election Day Advocate for an online Canada-wide schedule of yearly events that have national, provincial and local significance and are updated by riding association, PTAs and the national office Push for a detailed review and consultation on the LPC management structure including National Election Readiness Committee Increased involvement and accountability of PTAs and EDAs as part of the planning and decision making in a focused election readiness effort Thorough lists of the elements required for a comprehensive election readiness effort with the flexibility needed to adapt election readiness efforts to the local and regional political realities of Canada.

Kim Rudd  

Create a Liberal Speakers Bureau using prominent Liberals who will speak at EDA events Train and support local EDAs through their membership chairs to drive membership recruitment

 

 

through the EDA Use the on-line Liberal University to provide low-cost courses for training volunteers, and executives of EDAs Develop and deliver a membership kit for the membership chairs of all the EDAs containing templates for various membership organizational tasks in the form of a smartphone or tablet computer app, or it can be delivered via a website As National Membership Secretary hold an online meeting of membership chairs across the country once each quarter to discuss problems and celebrate successes Celebrate and publicly recognize the successes of EDA‘s in their membership drives

Mitch St. Pierre  

Every EDA must have a centralized website on the national site National and local coordination will ensure websites and its social media tools are updated with appropriate contact information, local town halls, campus events and community events so members and local members of the community are able to connect hassle free

Candidate Biography: Leanne Bourassa Website: www.leannebourassa.ca Twitter: @LeaMTL Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Leanne Bourassa moved to Antigonish, Nova Scotia where she studied French Language and Literature at St. Francis Xavier University, earning her Honours BA. Leanne then completed her Common and Civil Law degrees at McGill University in Montreal. Leanne now lives in Montreal with her husband Matthew and works as legal counsellor at National Bank Financial. A proud member of the Liberal Party of Canada since 1997, Leanne first volunteered with James Maxim‟s campaign in Calgary Nose Hill. When she moved to Montreal she joined the Westmount Ville-Marie Riding Association, then represented by the Hon. Lucienne Robillard. She became an avid volunteer in the Association, serving in the Association‟s Executive Committee originally as Secretary. In the 2008 by-election and general election Leanne served as Assistant to the Campaign Manager for Marc Garneau. She continued to support Mr. Garneau as Official Agent for his 2011 general election campaign. Her volunteer work for the Riding Association continues and she and currently holds the position of Financial Agent for the Westmount EDA. Throughout her years in the Party Leanne has been an ardent supporter and dedicated participant of the LPC(Q) Women‟s Commission. In 2009 Leanne managed Brigitte Garceau‟s campaign for National Vice-President Francophone. Later that same year she joined the LPC(Q) Board of Directors as Vice-President Western Quebec (female). In her capacity as VP Western Quebec, Leanne has represented Quebec on the National Membership Working Group, an excellent experience to prepare for the post of National Membership Secretary which she now seeks. She was also been active with the LPC(Q) committee mandated to draft a code of conduct for the LPC(Q). Leanne is an avid synchronized swimmer and continues to be is a proud member of the 2006 FINA Master World Championship Gold medal winning team. She is also an enthusiastic photographer, and is usually the one behind the camera at Liberal events.

Candidate Biography: Matthew Certosimo Website: www.mattcertosimo.ca Twitter: @mcertosimo Husband, proud “dance” dad, respected lawyer, leader, community volunteer and passionate Canadian. Now that‟s a Liberal! For 25 years, Matt has been engaged with the Liberal Party of Canada. He hit the streets as a canvasser in 1987, and helped on sign crews and as an e-day organizer in the 1988 federal election. In every subsequent campaign, Matt has been there, volunteering his time, energy, and growing experience. Recognized for his integrity, and with a reputation for fairness, Matt serves as credentials chair in leadership conventions, Party AGM‟s and high-profile nomination contests. His experience ranges from being the local membership secretary to being candidate‟s chief agent, during leadership campaigns. Matt has traveled across the country with leadership candidates, engaging with Liberals in discussions about their concerns and aspirations for their families, their communities, their nation. He has been inspired by the openness and passion of Canadians for this great country, and their willingness to work for their shared values. These meetings, whether in large halls or at kitchen tables, reinforced Matt‟s belief that uniting Liberals from coast to coast to coast requires a respect for the differences between our rural and urban communities. Having grown-up in what was then the small town of Bradford, having lived and worked in Waterloo, Winnipeg, Halifax and Toronto, Matt understands, first-hand, that the rebuild/renewal must be founded on principles that reflect Canada. A Partner and National Practice Group Leader of the Labour and Employment Group at Borden Ladner Gervais, Matt was recognized by Lexpert®/American Lawyer as one of the top 500 lawyers in the country. An author, frequent speaker at conferences, and adjunct professor at the University of Toronto and University of Western Ontario, his book, Just Cause: The Law of Summary Dismissal in Canada, is frequently cited by Canadian courts. Educated at Wilfrid Laurier (he now sits on the Board of Governors) and Dalhousie Universities, living in rural Ontario with his wife Dawn and their twin daughters, while commuting to Toronto, Matt knows only too well that the Party must accommodate our diversity, while building on what unites us.

Candidate Biography: Kyle Harrietha Website: www.kyleharrietha.ca Twitter: @KyleHarrietha Kyle is seeking the support of Liberals as a candidate for National Membership Secretary of the Liberal Party of Canada. As a member for 15 years, Kyle has been involved as an activist in the service of Liberalism across Canada. Kyle has been a Board member and President of a riding association, a University club President, a political assistant to Liberal MPs, and active on campaigns at the federal, provincial and municipal level. Kyle grew up in Scarborough, Ontario and became involved in the Liberal Party in 1996 while earning a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from St. FX University in Nova Scotia. During that time Kyle served two terms as President of the University Liberal club; as Treasurer of the Nova Scotia Young Liberals; and on the Board of the local provincial and federal Liberal associations. Following graduation, Kyle lived in several communities across Northern Ontario and Nova Scotia working and volunteering. In 2001, he moved to Ottawa, where he dedicated seven years serving as Legislative Assistant to Liberal MPs Paul Bonwick (Simcoe-Grey, ON), Alan Tonks (York SouthWeston, ON) and as Executive Assistant to Sukh Dhaliwal (Newton-North Delta, BC). He also worked extensively for the Federal and Provincial Liberals including the boards of the Ottawa Centre federal and provincial Liberal associations. In 2007, Kyle left Parliament Hill and worked on the provincial election campaign for MPP Yasir Naqvi, in Saskatchewan for former Liberal Leader David Karwacki, and on a Federal by-election campaign in Northern Saskatchewan. In March 2008, Kyle moved to Fort McMurray, Alberta to work as a Program Administrator for a multi-stakeholder NGO dealing with oil sands environmental issues. Shortly thereafter he became involved in the Liberal Party of Canada in Alberta serving two terms as President of the Fort McMurray-Athabasca Federal Liberal Association. He is currently serving on the LPCA Executive Committee as Chair for northeastern Alberta. This past summer in Canmore, Alberta, Kyle helped organize a small summit of Liberal party activists from across Canada which looked at practical solutions for moving the Liberal Party forward. A comprehensive report is available to interested Liberals.

Candidate Biography: Kim Rudd Website: kimrudd.ca Twitter: @RuddKim Kim Rudd and her husband Tom have lived and worked in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. In 1978, they moved to the rural Ontario riding of Northumberland-Quinte West, where they raised their two daughters, Alison (now a school teacher) and Stefanie (studying law at Queen‟s University). Making their home in Cobourg, Kim is an avid and accomplished cook, Tom an equally avid golfer and hockey referee, and both enjoy spending time with their three grandchildren, Avery, Hobbie and Morgan. As president and owner of both Willis College – Cobourg, and NC Training Inc., and as co-founder of Cook‟s School Day Care in Cobourg, Kim has created over 50 jobs in the riding, and has helped thousands retrain for new careers. She has also mentored and provided start-up assistance to a number of women who have gone on to become successful entrepreneurs. Early on in her career Kim made a strong commitment to volunteering. She has served her community as President of the Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce and as Chair of that organization‟s Advocacy Committee. She has been a volunteer and a board member of many local organizations, some from inception, including the Cobourg Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee. In October 2009, an article in Chatelaine Magazine featured Kim and the role she played in recruiting eight new doctors to her community. Kim‟s service commitments extend well beyond her local community. She has held executive positions on many provincial and federal boards including: Co-Chair of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care; Ontario board member and Chair of the Human Resources Committee for the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada; past board Member and Vice-President of the Ontario Association of Career Colleges; founding Executive Director of the Association of Private Colleges; board member of Kinark Child and Family Services; and Vice-Chair of the Ontario Training Completion Assurance Fund (TCAF) Secretariat. Kim was the Liberal candidate for Northumberland-Quinte West in the 2011 federal election and is an active Rotarian. Most recently she has been named a finalist for the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards.

Candidate Biography: Mitch St. Pierre Website: www.votemitch.ca Twitter: @mitchstpierre Documentary film-maker, community leader, public speaker, and former legislative advisor to a Liberal Member of Parliament….Mitch St.Pierre is a progressive political advocate. Following Mitch‟s graduation from his studies in Business & Marketing, he then started his journey in politics. He has worked as a volunteer for the Liberal Party, participated in high profile campaigns for members of parliament and party leaders, and even worked on Barack Obama‟s 2008 Presidential Campaign. He has been a driving force for a number of social justice groups including the Canadian Friends of Burma, The Congolese Congress, The Canadian Friends of Sudan, Leadership Ottawa and a unique Youth Advisory Council to engage youth to develop and design solutions for the challenges they face in their schools and in the community. Mitch also played a critical role in starting the Parliamentary Friends of Burma and the HIV/AIDS & Tuberculosis Parliamentary Caucus. A prominent advocate for mobility issues, Mitch has spoken internationally at conferences, colleges, high schools, and had the opportunity to speak alongside Canadian icon, Rick Hansen. He is a firm believer that people of all abilities are able to participate and contribute as productive members of their communities. As a filmmaker, his films have played in film festivals and have aired on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Current TV in the United States. In one of his films, Mitch studied the human impact of Burmese refugees fleeing the oppressive military government to Thailand.