Summer is coming, so must be time for swishy garden parties in Ottawa…

There are 12 more sitting days left until the House is scheduled to adjourn on June 23, which means the upcoming garden parties will give Hill politicos a small, but much-needed, break from the daily grind. Despite the chilly weather, a number of parties are scheduled in the next two weeks. First up is Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff's garden party for Liberal caucus members and the media on June 8 at Stornoway from 6 to 8 p.m. The party will feature Canadian food from coast to coast, including Quebec cheeses, Ontario wine, Alberta lamb, local bison and organic mushrooms. Jill Fairbrother, Mr. Ignatieff's spokesperson, said the media and caucus party, which is a departure from previous years where the caucus normally has its own party, "is an occasion for Liberal MPs and members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery to have a few laughs and share some stories at the end of a long session." Next up is Prime Minister Stephen Harper's garden party at 24 Sussex Dr. on June 11 for the Conservative caucus. The media garden party takes place on June 13 from 5-7 p.m. The last two years, he's hosted a carnival-themed party, and has extended the invitation to families again this year. Finally, House Speaker Peter Milliken will host his annual garden party at the Farm in Kingsmere, Que. Mr. Milliken, who knows a thing or two about hosting parties, has invited all MPs, Senators, staffers and the media to the barbecue next Wednesday on June 17. Speaking of parties, the Parliamentary Press Gallery is hosting a retirement party for CBC's Don Newman on June 11. Mr. Newman will be leaving his "broaaadcast," after more than 25 years on air. The Politics host is retiring later this month and MPs, Senators, staffers, media and friends are invited to a cash bar cocktail reception in the Railway Room of Centre Block. The party starts at 6 p.m., with speeches from hosts and fellow CBCers Susan Bonner and Daniel Lessard. Representatives of all four parties (most likely veteran Politics guests) will also speak at the party. The after-party will convene at Hy's at around 8 p.m. Broadbent, Lewis, Clarkson, and Keeping receive honorary degrees A number of politicos will receive honorary degrees from Carleton University during this week's convocation ceremonies, including former NDP leader Ed Broadbent, Stephen Lewis, former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, and CJOH's Max Keeping. Mr. Broadbent will be recognized for his "outstanding political career devoted to fairness and equality" on June 10, the same day as Mr. Keeping, "in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the fields of journalism and communication and the Ottawa-Carleton community." Mr. Lewis, Canada's former United Nations special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, will receive his honorary degree on June 9 for "an outstanding contribution to the field of international service and humanitarian assistance." Rick Hansen, Canada's "Man in Motion," will be receiving an honorary degree the same day. On June 12, Ms. Clarkson will receive an honorary degree in recognition of her contribution "to the public life of Canada as a journalist and broadcaster, and as a representative of the Canadian people." Students want to ban asbestos exports, build more bike lanes NDP MP Nathan Cullen held a contest last fall in his Bulkley Valley, B.C., riding for students from grades five to 12, in an effort to engage the students in the legislative process. He asked them to "create your Canada" by writing a piece of legislation to improve the country that he would actually introduce in the House. Last week, the winners, Grade 7 student Luke Santerno and Grade 10 students Hayley McDermid, Claire Hinchliffe and Chloe Staiger, were in Ottawa to see Mr. Cullen introduce their bills. Mr. Cullen introduced Luke's winning bill last Monday, Bill C-400, An Act to Promote the Development of Bicycle Baths. "This young man has realized that with all of the infrastructure development that has either been promised or committed to in the country, there is almost no consideration for those who wish to use bicycles, those who wish to get themselves to and from work by a means of transportation other than the automobile," Mr. Cullen said in the House. "This young man has come forward to say that all future considerations of funding coming from this place must consider the use of bicycle lanes in all of those infrastructure implementations." Mr. Cullen also introduced Bill C-399, An Act to Amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (asbestos) last Monday, to ban asbestos in all its forms. The bill was seconded by NDP MP Pat Martin, who has also been working to ban asbestos. "It presents to Parliament, in all clarity and purposefulness, the vision of what young people in Canada look for, which is leadership from the House to protect the health and welfare of Canadians and also of our trading partners, so we do not export our cancer overseas or we do not export misery to the countries with which we deal," Mr. Cullen said of Ms. McDermid's, Ms. Hinchliffe's and Ms. Staiger's bill. Six of 22 prime ministers non-lawyers: Book of Canadian Trivia Sixteen of Canada's 22 prime ministers have been lawyers, and only Alexander Mackenzie, a stonemason, Mackenzie Bowell a printer and editor, Charles Tupper a physician, Lester B. Pearson a senior public servant and diplomat, Joe Clark a journalist and university lecturer and current Prime Minister Stephen Harper, an economist, do not have legal backgrounds, according to the Big Book of Canadian Trivia by Mark Kearney and Randy Ray. The book, recently released by Dundurn Press, is a compendium about all things Canada. Chapter 17, called "On the Hill: Politicking in Canada," is filled with 13 pages of political fun facts, including how former Conservative Senator E.D. Smith (the same one who founded the jam company) resigned in 1946 because "he felt he wasn't worth the money Canadian taxpayers were paying him." At the time, Senators received $4,000 for sitting 65 days and a $25 per diem for anything more than 65 days. The Big Book also reminds readers that Sir. John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister, was known as "Old Tomorrow" and that when the Centre Block burned down in 1916, MPs met in the auditorium of the Museum of Nature, then known as Victoria Museum. bvongdou@hilltimes.com The Hill Times

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