Susan Whelan

Susan Elizabeth Whelan, PC (/ˈhwiːlən/; born May 5, 1963, in Windsor, Ontario) is a former Liberal Member of Parliament (MP). Whelan, a lawyer, first won a seat in the House of Commons in the 1993 election representing Essex—Windsor. In 1997 and 2000 she was elected to represent Essex. In 2002, she was appointed Minister for International Cooperation by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.[1]

In 2004, Whelan was defeated by Jeff Watson of the Conservative Party. She unsuccessfully tried to win back the seat in the elections of 2006 and 2008.[2]

Susan Whelan's late father, the Honourable Eugene Whelan, was an MP for the same area from 1962 to 1984 and served as Minister of Agriculture in the cabinet of Pierre Trudeau from 1972 to 1984.[1] Susan and her father hold the distinction of being the first father-daughter cabinet appointees.[3]

Whelan shares her father's passionate interest in Canadian agriculture, having made Agriculture and Rural Development one of the key elements of policy during her tenure as minister.[4]

After she left parliament in 2004, Whelan instructed part-time at the University of Windsor in the political science department[5] and represented the Ambassador Bridge company when it was opposing construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge.[6]

On June 1, 2009 Whelan was named chief executive officer for the Ontario division of the Canadian Cancer Society. She resigned on September 30 of the same year, following a diagnosis of breast cancer, in order to focus on her recovery.[7]

Whelan was previously the executive director of rare Charitable Research Reserve in Cambridge, Ontario,[8] and maintains a law practice in Windsor.

Electoral record

2004 Canadian federal election: Essex
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jeff Watson 18,755 36.6% -4.9%
Liberal Susan Whelan 17,926 35.0% -9.4%
New Democratic David Tremblay 12,519 24.4% +10.5%
Green Paul Forman 1,981 3.9%
Marxist–Leninist Robert Cruise 105 0.2% -0.1%
Total valid votes 51,286 100.0%

Note: Conservative vote is compared to the total of the Canadian Alliance vote and Progressive Conservative vote in 2000 election.

2000 Canadian federal election: Essex
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Susan Whelan 20,524 44.3% -1.7%
Alliance Scott Cowan 16,019 34.6% +16.7%
New Democratic Marion Overholt 6,431 13.9% -15.7%
Progressive Conservative Merrill Baker 3,175 6.9% +0.4%
Marxist–Leninist Robert Cruise 152 0.3%
Total valid votes 46,301 100.0%

Note: Canadian Alliance vote is compared to the Reform vote in 1997 election.

1997 Canadian federal election: Essex
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Susan Whelan 22,052 46.1% -9.1%
New Democratic Gerry Bastien 14,180 29.6% +1.9%
Reform John Larsen 8,545 17.9% +4.7%
Progressive Conservative Dave Wylupek 3,086 6.4% +3.2%
Total valid votes 47,863 100.0%
1993 Canadian federal election: Essex—Windsor
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Susan Whelan 25,200 55.1% +13.8%
New Democratic Steven W. Langdon 12,650 27.7% -16.4%
Reform John Larsen 6,029 13.2%
Progressive Conservative Brian Payne 1,481 3.2% -11.1%
National George Opacic 194 0.4%
Marxist–Leninist Paul Hawkins 83 0.2%
Commonwealth of Canada Vlado Zugaj 67 0.1%
Total valid votes 45,704 100.0%

References

  1. ^ a b Susan Whelan – Parliament of Canada biography
  2. ^ Federal riding history from the Library of Parliament
  3. ^ "Susan Whelan LLB '88 | Alumni Association - University of Windsor". Archived from the original on 2012-04-16. Retrieved 2011-08-03.
  4. ^ "Susan Whelan '88 named CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society in Ontario". University of Windsor, Faculty of Law. May 12, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  5. ^ "Three new directors join Alumni Association Board". University of Windsor. March 2007. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  6. ^ "Whelan's ties to Ambassador Bridge criticized". Windsor Star. September 17, 2008. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  7. ^ "Cancer society CEO resigns for health reasons". CBC. October 1, 2009. Retrieved 2015-06-04.
  8. ^ "Home". raresites.org.
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