Martha Hall Findlay
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Martha Hall Findlay (born ca. 1960) is a Canadian lawyer, businesswoman and politician. She is the Liberal's candidate in the Toronto riding of Willowdale in the upcoming federal election and was previously the party's candidate for Newmarket—Aurora in the 2004 federal election, losing narrowly to Conservative candidate Belinda Stronach. She was the first declared candidate for the Liberal Party leadership convention to succeed Paul Martin.
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[edit] Early life and career
Hall Findlay was overall silver medallist in the 1976 Canadian Ski Championship, and was named to the national training squad before retiring from competition to concentrate on her education. She graduated in international relations from the University of Toronto, and in law from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University. Through university, she worked as a waitress, carpenter and ski race coach; while completing law school, she co-owned and operated two retail stores.
In her professional career, she worked for six years practicing corporate and commercial law at the Toronto offices of international law firm Baker & McKenzie, served as general counsel and executive for Bell Mobility and Mobility Canada, and later served as vice-president and general counsel for The Rider Group. After moving to Collingwood, Ontario in 1997, she founded The General Counsel Group, a legal and management consulting firm working primarily in the high-tech and telecommunications fields in Canada and Europe.
[edit] Political aspirant
In the 2004 federal election, the presumptive Liberal Party candidate in the Newmarket—Aurora riding bowed out, not wanting to run against Conservative candidate Belinda Stronach, a wealthy local executive nationally famous for her candidacy in the federal Conservative leadership race earlier that year. Hall Findlay, still resident in Collingwood, was parachuted into the riding at a relatively late date. She came within 689 votes of defeating Stronach.
Hoping to defeat Stronach in the next election, Hall Findlay moved to Newmarket—Aurora and became active in the Liberal party and the local community.
But on May 17, 2005, Stronach crossed the floor to join the Liberal Party caucus, and Hall Findlay, who had already been nominated as the Liberal candidate, stepped down from this post to allow Stronach to run under the Liberal banner. In the 2006 election, she was rumoured as a potential Liberal candidate in Simcoe—Grey (which includes Collingwood) [1], and she told Liberal organizers she wanted to run in a Toronto-area riding, but they did not point her to one. She assisted in the successful Toronto campaigns of Michael Ignatieff, John Godfrey and Carolyn Bennett, and the unsuccessful Barrie campaign of Aileen Carroll. In December 2005, she moved to Toronto.
[edit] Leadership bid
On February 8, 2006, Hall Findlay became the first declared candidate for the Liberal Party leadership convention to succeed Paul Martin. During the convention she was eliminated from the first ballot, and threw her support behind the eventual winner Stéphane Dion. Her support was more influential than simply her number of delegates, due to her status as the only remaining woman in the race, and a perception that she represented a growing liberal grassroots.
On December 18, 2006, Hall Findlay became the Platform Outreach Chair for the Liberal Party of Canada, appointed by Stephane Dion to travel across the country, engaging Canadians on ideas for the upcoming electoral platform.
She was appointed the Liberal candidate in Willowdale for the next federal election by Dion[2], following the retirement of Jim Peterson. [3] She was formally appointed to run in the riding on March 15, 2007. [4]
[edit] Community involvement
Hall Findlay has served as an executive of the Alberta radio network CKUA, the Couchiching Institute on Public Affairs, and the Georgian Bay Association. She is a past President of the Pointe au Baril Islanders' Association and the Georgian Peaks Club, and an active member of the York Region Community Foundation.
[edit] Reference
- "A fresh face for the Liberals", Carol Goar, Toronto Star, February 24, 2006, page A22
[edit] External link
| 2006 Liberal leadership candidates | |
|---|---|
| Brison | Dion | Dryden | Hall Findlay | Ignatieff | Kennedy | Rae | Volpe | |
Categories: 1960 births | Living people | Canadian businesspeople | Canadian lawyers | Candidates for the Canadian House of Commons | Liberal Party of Canada leadership candidates | University of Toronto alumni | People from Toronto | People from Simcoe County, Ontario | People from York Region, Ontario | York University alumni
