Maria Emma Chaput CM[1] (born May 7, 1942) is a former member of the Senate of Canada representing the Senatorial Division of Manitoba. She is the first franco-Manitoban woman to be appointed to the upper house of the Parliament of Canada.
Maria Chaput | |
|---|---|
 Senator Maria Chaput | |
| Senator from Manitoba | |
| In office December 12, 2002 – March 1, 2016 | |
| Appointed by | Adrienne Clarkson |
| Succeeded by | Marilou McPhedran |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 7, 1942 Ste. Anne, Manitoba, Canada |
| Political party | Liberal (until 2014) Independent Liberal (2014-present) |
| Residence | Sainte-Anne-des-Chênes, Manitoba[1] |
On January 29, 2014, Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau announced all Liberal Senators, including Chaput, to be removed from the Liberal caucus, and would continue sitting as Independents.[2] The Senators continued to refer themselves as the Senate Liberal Caucus even though they were constitutionally no longer members of the parliamentary Liberal caucus.[3]
Chaput announced her retirement from the Senate on February 4, 2016, effective March 1, 2016, due to kidney health issues that she had been managing for "a few years." Despite her doctor's recommendation, she held off retirement until the Liberals won the 2015 federal election saying: "I just didn't want to give my seat to Stephen Harper. That's what I told my doctor and he said, 'Well, that's your decision,' and I said 'Exactly.'"[4] She supported Trudeau's move to a non-partisan senate appointment process.
Chaput was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2022.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b c "Order of Canada appointees – December 2022". The Governor General of Canada. 29 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ Cudmore, James (January 29, 2014). "Justin Trudeau removes senators from Liberal caucus". CBC News. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
- ^ "Trudeau's expulsion catches Liberal senators by surprise". Globe and Mail. January 29, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ "Manitoba Senator Maria Chaput resigns, says kept seat to fight Harper". CBC News. February 4, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
- "Senators - Detailed Information - Maria Chaput". Parliamentary Internet Site. Archived from the original on June 9, 2003. Retrieved June 6, 2005.
External links edit
- Senator Maria Chaput (copy archived December 25, 2013)