I should post this...

Martha who?

Smart, accomplished, bilingual, Hall Findlay is a winner, but in the race to succeed Paul Martin, she's clearly the underdog

Alan Kellogg
The Edmonton Journal
Friday, June 09, 2006


CREDIT: Chris Schwarz, The Journal
Martha Hall Findlay, right, meets with local Liberals on Thursday.


She's smart, accomplished, bilingual, socially progressive but fiscally prudent, a fresh-faced mother of three and former star athlete. She has no political baggage and has lived in Alberta and Ontario. In important ways, her story is the story of Canada in its fullness.

You figure these are the very qualities the Liberal Party of Canada would be looking for in a new leader as it seeks to redefine itself. She was first off the mark, announcing her candidacy as the presumed heirs apparent took a pass on succeeding Paul Martin. Parachuted into the Ontario riding of Aurora-Newmarket in 2004 to run against then-Tory (and homey) Belinda Stronach, she came within an astonishing 689 votes of beating the Fabulous Ms. S.

And yet Martha Hall Findlay continues to fight an uphill battle to avoid being tagged by pundits and politicos as "Martha Who Who," a dreamer without a hope in Hades, not to mention Halifax. If so, the youthful 46-year-old lawyer is turning heads in the party just the same -- as a serious candidate whose pluck, determination and sheer chops are not to be dismissed.

There's an appealing underdog vibe to the Hall Findlay campaign, which made a stop in Edmonton Thursday in the final days of a western swing. No chartered planes, fancy schmancy hotel suites or legions of minders for Martha. She's crossing the nation with her son and another aide in a trippy crimson RV, her smiling face -- which owes something to a younger Sally Fields -- emblazoned on the side.

The bus is a hit, she says over a morning decaf. "It has turned out to be a double benefit. On one hand, it's a response to the need for renewal in the party. On the other, it's Liberal red, pretty hard to miss. People are drawn to it. And it's allowed us to visit places in the country other campaigns simply don't get to. You can read all the literature available, and I do. But there is no substitute for being there, to listening to people. On aboriginal affairs and agricultural issues in particular, it's been invaluable."

She's got her policy positions, of course, and cautions against the party moving too far to the left, countering recent quotes from Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae.

"I'm pretty (leftie) on social and some other issues, that's for sure," she says, pointing to her support of same-sex marriage and opposition to the Tories' recent quickie Afghanistan resolution. She's been using solar power in her houses for years. In her Calgary years, she served on the board of CKUA.

"But recognizing economic realities, especially as things become more global, is essential. So is paying down the debt. I've been interested in the global governance movement and have time for what leaders like Tony Blair and Bill Clinton (represent). Without a sound economy, we can't pay for the social safety net we value. We have to be very careful in the party and understand why we lost. It's the voters we lost to the Conservatives we need to appeal to again, not the NDP. I'm in the middle of the party, and I think that is the place to be."

In fact, Hall Findlay comes very close to publicly assigning the defeat of the Martin government as a godsend, even though she admits there were unfortunate casualties, such as Anne McLellan.

"It happened to the Conservatives too. Twelve years in power is a long time, and we lost our way. In fact, if it wasn't for (the Liberals') outstanding economic record the defeat could have been far greater. We lost our confidence, we stopped listening. It's infuriating that thousands of good, honest, principled Liberals were tarred by the (sponsorship scandal), that we did little to defend ourselves. Being decisive is key. I'm proud to be a Liberal, of what we stand for."

A champion skier who won a silver medal in the 1976 national championships, she says competitive sports have been an effective teaching aide, and inspirational at that.

"When you're in the start gate, you're there alone, competing against everyone, including your best friends. And yet it is all done finally as a team, and success depends on working together. It's a dual experience, invaluable when it comes to pursuing goals of any kind."

The odds on Hall Findlay successfully negotiating the Liberal leadership slalom in first place are daunting, to understate it. A lawyer whose own firm specializes in the rough and tumble telcom biz, she says she developed a tough hide years ago. Poised to win her riding, she moved aside when Belinda Stronach crossed the floor a year ago. Yes, it can get frustrating. No, she didn't campaign for Stronach, but for other Liberals.

"This is my party. We have good policies, great principles. Whatever happens, this has already been worth it. If I listened to everyone who told me I was crazy, I never would have achieved anything.

"Yesterday a farmer north of Sexsmith came up to me with an open chequebook and told me he thought I should be the next prime minister. How encouraging is that? I believe if you offer something substantive and sincere, people will respond."

And if Hall Findlay comes up short for the leadership, it will be Liberals who are crazy if they don't nominate her for a Toronto riding run. New faces with a passion for public service are to be treasured, not trashed.

akellogg@thejournal.canwest.com
© The Edmonton Journal 2006