Judy Lamarsh Quotes
December 20, 1924 – October 27, 1980
More Judy Lamarsh Quotes
I have served the Liberal cause for twenty-two years. That ought to be long enough for anyones lifetime.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 1, In the beginning, p. 3
( I was the first, and to date, the only woman veteran ever elected, and there is a surprisingly low percentage of veterans in Parliament.)
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 2, N.A.T.O., p. 13
A government may only govern so long as the people, through their representatives, vote it the money to carry on.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 2, N.A.T.O., p. 32
One of the things that has always been my undoing in politics is my readiness to do whatever job has to be done.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 3, The truth squad, p. 36
Pity the Party without enough woman power - there will always be dreamers and leaders, but the dreams won't come true, nor will the leaders reach their goal, without the ready doers.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 3, The truth squad, p. 36
Being a part of a political party is something like being a partner in a marriage - work at it and stay loyal to it, and when you can't stomach it any longer, leave it.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 3, The truth squad, p. 37
I had always assumed that if I made it to Parliament I would not remain a back bencher.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 4, Sixty days of decision, p. 46
We had thought Mike the greatest; now we began to discover he was only human and, worse, we had our first dismaying confrontation with the fact that he would not back up his ministers.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 4, Sixty days of decision, p. 63
We were always expected to see Quebec's side of things, but there was damned little reciprocity.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 4, Sixty days of decision, p. 68
Whenever Canada moves to protect its own industries and people, it is subjected to violent attacks in the U.S. Congress and to threats of economic retaliation.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 4, Sixty days of decision, p. 69
" I have always thought that one of the signs of natural leaders of men (and women) was their readiness to take the necessary pains to keep their followers with them."
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 5, The Canada Pension Plan, p. 92
I suppose, as a politician, I should be content, for the Canada Pension Plan certainly put my name in Canada's history books, and in italics.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 5, The Canada Pension Plan, p. 99
One of the most helpful things I introduced (and of very considerable consequence to Canadians) was my ultimate success in persuading my colleagues (after continuing battle)to reduce the qualifying age for aged pensioners from seventy to sixty-five over a five year period.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 6, The crisis of Confederation, p. 119
I had, in my legal practice, often encountered really shocking examples of the devastating impact of the costs of long-term medical care on meagre incomes. And, just before I was elected, I had my own personal experience in paying very considerable bills for my mother's terminal illness.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 6, The crisis of Confederation, p. 120-121
Most women have a distaste for guns, and I am no exception.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 6, The crisis of Confederation, p. 125
Out of near disaster, came real progress.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 6, The crisis of Confederation, p. 127
The year 1967 gave us the feeling of the one-ness of Canada, until it was rudely jolted by de Gaulle and his insensate call for a "free" Quebec. That visit robbed the Centennial year of its high shine and made the people of the other nine provinces aware as never before of the crisis of Confederation.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 6, The crisis of Confederation, p. 128
Pearson had a good grasp of French, although his accent was terrible.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 7, The Favreau tragedy, p. 134
It will be, I suppose, a foolhardy Government that tries to push through legislation making knowledge of both official languages one of the qualifications for election to the House of Commons or appointment to the Senate, but maybe it will have to come to this as a price we must pay for equality of the two great language groups of our founding fathers.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 7, The Favreau tragedy, p. 134
The unexpressed aim of every politician is to influence events that history books will record his name - and spell it right.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 8, Centennial summer, p. 174
It is a magnificent country, lonely, grand in scale, stretching for mile upon mile,the clear blue air stabbed with peaks of snow, where the sun glints on the ice surfaces, green as sea ice, breath taking in its scope.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 8, Centennial summer, p. 196 (On Canada...)
It was one of the greatest thrills of my life to stand there, waist high in crusty snow, on a peak never before trod by human kind, surrounded by the great ghostly shadows of other individual peaks in this range. I practised my yodel which echoed and re-echoed with no human to hear. It was glorious, a sense of peace and freedom such as I never known before.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 8, Centennial summer, p. 196
Whenever it was necessary to have a large entourage, we used military vehicles or, as for the two state funerals and our state swearing in, we hired every spare Cadillac from every undertaking firm in Ottawa. It's a make-shift way to operate a country of the size and rank of Canada.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 8, Centennial summer, p. 204
Perhaps in the long view, de Gaulle was more responsible with his troublesome interventions into our domestic politics, for unifying our country than we will ever give him credit for.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 8, Centennial summer, p. 226
Had it not been for Centennial, with its gaiety and its essential Canadianness, there could never have been a Trudeau as Prime Minister.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 8, Centennial summer, p. 228
Everyone is an expert on T.V., just as he is on education; everyone has some education and a T.V. set.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 9, C.B.C., p. 250
I cannot say that I have been hindered all my life by the permutation of genes that resulted in me being born a woman.
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 10, Twenty-five to one, p. 278
My uncertain temper is cooling, as is my sense of racing against time to accomplish the things I want to. I don't have to go anywhere or see anyone I don't want to now, and it is a glorious feeling!
Judy Lamarsh— CHAPTER 11, The leadership scramble, p. 351
