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Heard on the Hill

Sometimes the best compliments for your work come when people don't know you are listening. At a recent Parliament Hill Breakfast hosted by the Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE), Ottawa Chapter, MPs said some very positive thing about CSMLS.

The breakfast session was a panel of three senior MPs from the Conservatives, the NDP, and the Liberals. The subject of the Panel was "How Associations can work better with Parliament". Over 25 national associations attended the event and asked a series of questions to the MPs. CSMLS members would have been blushing when the subject turned to which associations connect best with MPs. Conservative MP Mike Wallace of Burlington highlighted CSMLS as among the best of over 5000 associations. He talked in detail how CSMLS was doing advocacy the right way. Not only was CSMLS active in Ottawa with members and staff meeting MPs, but CSMLS also made a point to invite MPs to visit local labs and see firsthand the valuable work members do. He also made a point to say that as an MP, he had witnessed the progress CSMLS had made on issues and in creating awareness of a profession that had previously been less well known.

Interestingly, fellow panelist and former Minister, Dr. Carolyn Bennett of the Liberal Party joined in to support Mr. Wallace's view. Dr. Bennett pulled a copy of CSMLS' most recent invitation to MPs out of her portfolio and shared it with the group. She complimented the design of the invitation and the idea behind the event. She then echoed the fact that CSMLS was doing things in a positive and effective way by connecting members with MPs.

It is nice to know that the Society is on track and the compliments came to a neutral audience trying to learn best practices. Let's keep it up! A big thank you to all the volunteers that have met with their MP and joined CSMLS on the Hill for advocacy days!

Email from Huw Williams 
Impact Public Affairs