Conservatives show up at Ladies Learning Code, Merit receptions Tuesday night

Yes, there was an historic election in Alberta last Tuesday night, but there were also lots of receptions here in Ottawa both on and off the Hill and Party Central managed to make it to a couple where there was a liberal showing of Conservative MPs and Cabinet ministers. Ladies Learning Code, a non-profit advocating for digital literacy and female involvement in the tech sector, hosted a gathering for their sponsors, fellow coders and Parliamentarians at Shopify’s new office digs on Elgin Street, which has an impressive view of the Ottawa courthouse and the Duffy trial media setup below. The gathering got off to a slow start, and throughout the night Party Central only saw a smattering of Parliamentarians, including Heritage Minister Shelley Glover and Treasury Board President Tony Clement who tried their hand at some of the new technologies that coding has helped to create. As an interactive element of the reception, stations were set up throughout the space, including a 3D printer, a how-to-Tumblr hacking station, and a version of Pac-Man. Snacks were set out along the bar inside (yes, Shopify has a bar in their office) and included sushi, kettle chips, and a cheese plate. There was also pre-poured wine served and mini grilled cheeses with a dollop of tomato jam on top, and little fishbowls of lobster salad, which were both pretty yummy. Co-executive director of Ladies Learning Code Melissa Sariffodeen said a few words and announced the group’s goal to teach 200,000 women to code by 2020, in an effort to continue bridging the gender gap in STEM. The reception was also held in part to announce that Telus will be partnering with Ladies Learning Code in their efforts to reach their goal. Mr. Clement then said a few words, followed by a few more in French, and then a few more, and more, and well … you understand. He looked nerdily excited to be able to talk tech with a room predominantly filled with millennials. He talked about government initiatives, such as hackathon and the open data file. Among the attendees at the reception were: NDP MPs Irene Mathyssen and Laurin Liu; Conservative MP Dean Allison, and Russ Hiebert staffer Rachel Song; Head of Public Policy and Government Relations at Google Canada Colin McKay; and Mary-Anne Carter from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce; and a handful of Capital Comms Group staff. Meanwhile, over at the Métropolitain Brasserie, Merit Canada held its annual shindig. Merit Canada is the voice for a handful of construction companies and a powerful lobby when it comes to union issues. The visit to town was aptly timed, to coincide with Bill C-377, an Act to Amend the Income Tax Act (requirements for labour organizations), which is currently being studied by a Senate committee after sitting on the Order Paper for a while. There has been speculation that the controversial anti-union bill has been sitting on the Order Paper for so long because passing it would cause unions to fill out an encyclopaedia-sized stack of financial paperwork and be subject to a constitutional challenge. But if you asked any of the Merit people in the room on Tuesday night, they said they’re confident it will pass this time. Party Central also noticed two of the witnesses who were set to testify later last week mingling: John Mortimer, the president of the Canadian Labour Watch Association, and Aaron Wudrick, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. The gathering featured an open bar for wine and beer and servers offered a refreshing new line of appetizers. Conservative MP Blaine Calkins was there. He had trouble with a tall glass and ice and asked Party Central if he had stained his collar. Labour Minister Kellie Leitch was also there along with Conservative MPs Patrick Brown, junior Cabinet ministers Bal Gosal and Candice Bergen, Conservative MPs Garry Breitkreuz, Ray Boughen, and Joyce Bateman. From the Parliamentary Press Gallery were: Rebel Media’s Brian Lilley; Vice’s Justin Ling; CBC’s Kady O’Malley; The Hill Times Mark Burgess, yours truly; and The Lobby Monitor’s Yael Berger. As well, a handful of Temple Scott Associates were there, including Joshua Matthewman, and Don Moors. Worth noting as well, as Party Central was headed for the door, a pack of Liberal staffers popped in, and spotted on the patio having a drink and deep in conversation were Liberal MP Scott Brison, and NDP MP Murray Rankin. raiello@hilltimes.com The Hill Times

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Conservatives show up at Ladies Learning Code, Merit receptions Tuesday night

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