Worldwide Guide to Women in
Leadership
Female Leads of
Canada Parties
1948-? National Vice-President of Co-operative
Commonwealth Federation Party Marie-Thérèse Forget Caesarian
In 1951-57 Leader of the Quebec Wing. Independent senator 1970-71. Her party was
the forerunner for the New Democratic Party. She lived (1896-1981).
1971-75 National Secretary of Progressive
Conservative Party Jeane Rowe Casstelman Wadds
She was MP 1958-68, Parliamentary Secretary 1962 and Ambassador to United
Kingdom 1980-83 (b. 1920).
1975-85 Chairperson of Liberal Party Caucus
Lorna R. Marsden
Senator 1984-92.
1980 Leader of Libertarian Party of Canada Linda Cain
1983-ca. 85 President of Liberal Party of Canada Iona Campagnolo
1984-90
Deputy Chairperson of National Liberal Caucus (Parliamentary Group) Senator
Joyce Fairbarn
Leader of the Government in the Senate and Minister with Special Responsibility
for Literacy 1993-97. Senator since 1984 (b. 1939-).
1985-87 President of New Democratic Party
Marion Dewar
Alderman 1972-75 and Mayor of Ottawa 1978-85.
1987-89 President of New Democratic Party Johanna A. Den Hertog
1989-94 Leader of New Democratic Party Audrey McLaughlin
Ca. 1988 Chairperson of Board of the Un-party
Mary Lou Gutscher
1989-95 Leader of National Democratic Party Sandra Mitchell
1989-? National Director of the Liberal Party Sheila Gervais
1990s Chairperson of the Reform Party Diane
Ablonczy
Later candidate for Leader of the Alliance in 2002. She was generally expected
to join the Conservative cabinet in 2006, but was left out.
1990-96 Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party
Sheila Copps
Former Deputy Premier and Minister in the government until 2003.
Candidate for the Leadership of a party in the 1980s and of the Liberal Party in
2003.
1991-92 Leader of Social Credit Party Rita
Johnston
Former Premier of British Columbia.
1991-95 President of New Democratic Party Nancy Riche
1991-93
Deputy Opposition Whip (Liberal Party) Diane Marleau
Minister in the Government 1993-99.
1992-94 Leader of Social Credit Party Grace McCarthy
1993 Leader of Progressive Conservative Party
Kim Campbell
She was Prime Minister of Canada June-December 1993 but resigned as
party-leader after her party lost the elections.
1993-2000 Chairperson of the Caucus and Deputy
Leader of the Reform Party
2000 Acting Leader of the Official Opposition and Acting Leader of the Canadian
Alliance
2000-04 Chair of the Opposition Caucus and Deputy Leader of the Opposition (Canadian
Alliance) Deborah Gray
In 2000 she was also elected Deputy Leader and Canadian Alliance Caucus Chair (CA
was a newly formed alliance of a number of opposition parties) (b. 1952-).
1993-97 Deputy Leader of the Official
Opposition Suzanne Tremblay
1997 Opposition House Leader
1997-2000 Deputy Leader of Bloc Québécois
The first female opposition leader in Canada.
1994-96 Chairperson of The National Liberal Caucus Jane Stewart
Minister in the Government since 1996.
1995-2004 Leader of new Democratic Party Alexa
McDonough
She was leader of NDP in Nova Scotia 1980-93 (b. 1944-).
1996-97 Whip of the Official Opposition
in the House of Commons
1997-2000 Deputy Whip of Bloc Québécois Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral
1996-98 Caucus Chair of Bloc Québécois Christiane Gagnon
1996-? President of Social Credit Party Donna Barnett
1996 Vice-President of the National Executive of Parti Québécois Monique Simard
1997-98 Deputy Leader of Conservative Party
Elsie E. Fairweather Wayne
1997-98 Caucus Chairperson
1998 Interim Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party
1998-2004 Deputy Leader of the Progressive
Conservative Party
2004 Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party. (b.
1933-).
1997-2001 Deputy Whip of New Democratic Party
Michelle Dockrill
MP since 1997. (b. 1959-).
1997- Leader of the
Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada
Sandra L. Smith
1999-2001 Opposition Whip in the Senate
(Progressive Conservatives) Hon. Mable DeWare
1999-2000 Secretary of Liberal Caucus Marlene Jennings
2000 Acting Deputy Leader and Canadian Alliance Caucus Chair Val Meredith
2000- Vice-President of Parti Québécois Marie Malavoy
2000-04 Deputy House Leader of Bloc Québécois
Caroline St. Hilaire
(b. 1969-).
2001-02
Canadian Alliance Deputy House Leader (The Official Opposition) Cheryl Gallant
2002- National Vice-Chairperson of the National
Liberal Caucus Senator Isobel Finnerty
2002-04 Chairperson of the Bloc
Québécois Caucus Monique Guay
2004- Deputy House Leader of the BQ
2002-03 Secretary of Liberal Caucus Diane St.
Jacques
Later Parliamentary Secretary and Deputy Whip.
2002-03 Vice-President of the Canadian Alliance Nancy Jahn
2002-04 Deputy Parliamentary Leader of the
Canadian Alliance (Deputy Leader of the Official
Opposition)
2004-06 Deputy House Leader of the Conservatives (the Official Opposition) Carol Skelton
In 2004 she was on of 10 female members of the Conservative
shadow cabinet with a total of 40 members and many women at key posts and in
2006 she was named Minister of Revenue as one of only 6 women in the 27-member
cabinet.
2003- NDP House Leader Libby
Davies
Deputy Whip of the N.D.P. 2000-05.
2004-
Leader of the Canadian Action Party/parti
action Canadienne
Connie Fogal
2004-
Chairperson of the NDP Parliamentary Caucus Judy
Wasylycia-Leis
She was the Vice-Chair 2002-04.
2004- Chairperson of the Bloc
Québécois Caucus Agnes Maltais
The Parliamentary Group of Parti Québécois in the federal House of
Representatives is known as the Bloc.
2004-06 Government
Whip in the House of Commons (Liberal)
Karen Redman
2006-
Chief Oppostition Whip
Liberal MP from 1997 and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the
Environment 2000-03. (b. 1953-)
2004-06 Opposition Whip in the Senate
(Conservative) Marjory LeBreton
2006- Leader of
the Government in the Senate
Conservative Senator from 1993 (b. 1940-).
2005-06 Interim Leader of
the Parti
Québécois Louise Harel
2005- Opposition Leader in the Quebec National
Assembly
President of the Quebec National
Assembly 2001-03. (b. 1946-).
2005- National President of Parti Québécois Monique Richard
2005- Leader of the Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada Liz White
2005- Leader of the New Democratic Party in New
Brunswick Allison Brewer
The party did very bad in the 2006-elections and she did not manage to win a
seat. A Lesbian activist.
2006- Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the
Senate (Liberals) Joan Cook
2006-Deputy Opposition Leader of the House (Liberal) Marlene Jennings
Liberal MP from 1997,
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation 2001-03,
Parliamentary Secretary to the Solicitor General of Canada
2003 and Parliamentary Secretary to the
Prime Minister with special emphasis on Canada–U.S. Relations 2004-06
(b. 1951-).
2006- Leader of the Federal Greens Elizabeth May
Last update 22.10.06