Maria Chaput
| The Honourable Maria Chaput | |
|---|---|
| Senator from Manitoba | |
|
In office December 12, 2002 – March 1, 2016 | |
| Appointed by | Adrienne Clarkson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 7, 1942 Ste. Anne, Manitoba |
| Political party | Liberal |
Maria Chaput (born May 7, 1942) is a former member of the Canadian Senate representing the Senatorial Division of Manitoba. She is the first franco-Manitoban woman to be appointed to the upper house of the Parliamenof Canada.
On January 29, 2014, Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau announced all Liberal Senators, including Maria Chaput, were removed from the Liberal caucus, and would continue sitting as Independents.[1] According to Senate Opposition leader James Cowan, the Senators will still refer to themselves as Liberals even if they are no longer members of the parliamentary Liberal caucus.[2]
Chaput announced her retirement from the Senate on February 4, 2016, effective March 1, 2016, due to kidney health issues she'd 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.'"[3] She supported Trudeau's move to a non-partisan senate appointment process.
References
- ↑ http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/justin-trudeau-removes-senators-from-liberal-caucus-1.2515273
- ↑ "Trudeau's expulsion catches Liberal senators by surprise". Globe and Mail. January 29, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ↑ http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/maria-chaput-resigns-1.3433295
- "Senators - Detailed Information - Maria Chaput". Parliamentary Internet Site. Retrieved June 6, 2005.