Carolyn Bennett | |
|---|---|
 Bennett in 2017 | |
| Ambassador of Canada to Denmark | |
| Assumed office May 24, 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | Denis Robert |
| Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Associate Minister of Health | |
| In office October 26, 2021 – July 26, 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Ya'ara Saks |
| Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations[a] | |
| In office November 4, 2015 – October 26, 2021 | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Bernard Valcourt |
| Succeeded by | Marc Miller |
| Minister of State for Public Health | |
| In office December 12, 2003 – February 5, 2006 | |
| Prime Minister | Paul Martin |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Member of Parliament forToronto—St. Paul's St. Paul's (1997–2015) | |
| In office June 2, 1997 – January 16, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Barry Campbell |
| Succeeded by | Don Stewart |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Carolyn Ann Bennett (1950-12-20)December 20, 1950 (age 74) |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse | Peter O'Brian |
| Residence(s) | Forest Hill,[1]Toronto,Ontario, Canada |
| Education | Havergal College |
| Alma mater | University of Toronto (MD) |
| Profession | Physician |
| Website | www |
Carolyn Ann BennettPC (born December 20, 1950) is a Canadian ambassador and retired politician. A member of theLiberal Party, she representedToronto—St. Paul's in theHouse of Commons from 1997 to 2024, and was a cabinet minister in the governments ofPaul Martin andJustin Trudeau. She was theminister of State for Public Health from 2003 to 2006, theminister of Crown–Indigenous Relations from 2015 to 2021 and theminister of Mental Health and Addictions from 2021 to 2023. In 2024, she became theAmbassador of Canada to the Kingdom of Denmark. Prior to entering politics, Bennett worked as a family physician for 20 years.
Carolyn Ann Bennett was born in Toronto on December 20, 1950. She attendedHavergal College.[2][3] She graduated with a degree in medicine from theUniversity of Toronto in 1974[4] and received her certification in family medicine in 1976. In 2004, she was awarded an honorary fellowship from theSociety of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada for her contributions to medicine, especially women's health.[5]
Bennett was a family physician for 20 years before entering politics.[6]
Bennett worked as a family physician atWellesley Hospital andWomen's College Hospital in Toronto from 1977 to 1997 and was a founding partner in Bedford Medical Associates. She was also president of the medical staff association ofWomen's College Hospital and has a clinical adjunct appointment as an assistant professor in the department of family and community medicine at the University of Toronto.[4] Bennett served on the boards of Havergal College,Women's College Hospital, theOntario Medical Association, and the Medico-Legal Society of Toronto.
Bennett co-authoredKill or Cure? How Canadians Can Remake their Health Care System with Rick Archbold, published in October 2000.[7]
Bennett ran for public office in the1995 Ontario provincial election as a candidate of theOntario Liberal Party.[8] Running in theriding ofSt. Andrew—St. Patrick, she lost toProgressive Conservative candidateIsabel Bassett by about 3,500 votes.[9]
Bennett was more successful in the1997 federal election, defeating her closest opponent inSt. Paul's Peter Atkins by almost 15,000 votes.[10] She was re-elected by increased margins in the elections of2000 and2004.[11][12]
On December 12, 2003, afterPaul Martin became Prime Minister, he appointed Bennett as hisMinister of State for Public Health.[13] In her two years as Minister, she set up thePublic Health Agency of Canada, appointed the firstchief public health officer for Canada, and established the Public Health Network.[14]
She was chair of the Canada-Israel Friendship Group from 1999 to 2003 and is a member ofLiberal Parliamentarians for Israel.
In the2006 election, Bennett defeated two main challengers who were both touted asstar candidates,Peter Kent of the Conservatives and Paul Summerville of the New Democratic Party.[15][16] Bennett was re-elected, but lost her cabinet position as the Liberals were defeated.[17] She became only the third opposition MP in the history of St. Paul's. The riding had once been a notedbellwether, but swung heavily to the Liberals along with most other central Toronto ridings.
She announced on April 24, 2006 that she would pursue theleadership of the party.[18] On September 15, 2006, she withdrew from the leadership race and threw her support behind former Ontario PremierBob Rae.[19]
In the39th Parliament, Bennett was theOfficial Opposition critic for social development, social economy, seniors, persons with disabilities, and public health.[2]
She was re-elected in 2008.[20] In the40th Parliament, Bennett was the Official Opposition critic for health.[2]
She was re-elected in 2011.[21] In the41st Parliament, Bennett was the Liberal critic forIndian Affairs and Northern Development, Aboriginal Affairs, Northern Development, and theCanadian Northern Economic Development Agency.[2]
On November 4, 2015, Bennett was appointed theMinister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, which was later renamed the position of Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.[22] In May 2016, regarding theDeclaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which Canada voted against in 2007,[23] Bennett stated that "we intend nothing less than to adopt and implement the Declaration".[24] She was re-elected in 2019.
On June 24, 2021, Bennett was forced to apologize toJody Wilson-Raybould for her response to a tweet by Wilson-Raybould concerningJustin Trudeau and his government's response to the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves atMarieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan. Referencing her tweet, Bennett texted Wilson-Raybould the single-word message "Pension?". Wilson-Raybould called it "racist and misogynistic", posting a screenshot of the message on Twitter.[25]
On October 26, 2021, Bennett was sworn in as Canada's first ever Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, with Marc Miller taking her place as Minister for Crown-Indigenous Relations.[26]
On July 24, 2023, Bennett announced she would not be running in the next general election, and in the Cabinet shuffle two days later, she was demoted from her position as Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.[27][28] She resigned her seat on January 16, 2024, the same day it was reported she would be appointedCanada's Ambassador to Denmark.[29][30] Thefederal by-election to replace her was held on June 24, 2024.[31] The riding was succeeded by Conservative Party candidateDon Stewart.[32]
She is married to Canadian film producerPeter O'Brian. They have two sons.[33]
| 2021 Canadian federal election:Toronto—St. Paul's | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Carolyn Bennett | 26,429 | 49.22 | -5.09 | $88,807.52 | |||
| Conservative | Stephanie Osadchuk | 13,587 | 25.30 | +3.69 | $26,751.24 | |||
| New Democratic | Sidney Coles[36] | 9,036 | 16.83 | +1.05 | $31,250.09 | |||
| Green | Phil De Luna | 3,214 | 5.99 | -0.77 | $30,817.63 | |||
| People's | Peter Remedios | 1,432 | 2.67 | +1.12 | $1,412.77 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 53,698 | 98.93 | – | $112,245.61 | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | 580 | 1.07 | +0.43 | |||||
| Turnout | 54,278 | 65.48 | -4.91 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 82,891 | |||||||
| Liberalhold | Swing | -4.39 | ||||||
| Source:Elections Canada[37] | ||||||||
| 2019 Canadian federal election:Toronto—St. Paul's | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Carolyn Bennett | 32,494 | 54.31 | -0.95 | $88,263.67 | |||
| Conservative | Jae Truesdell | 12,933 | 21.61 | -5.37 | $95,161.27 | |||
| New Democratic | Alok Mukherjee | 9,442 | 15.78 | +1.06 | $48,947.09 | |||
| Green | Sarah Climenhaga | 4,042 | 6.76 | +3.72 | $447.10 | |||
| People's | John Kellen | 923 | 1.54 | - | $0.00 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 59,834 | 99.04 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 384 | 0.64 | +0.20 | |||||
| Turnout | 60,218 | 70.39 | -2.15 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 85,544 | |||||||
| Liberalhold | Swing | +2.21 | ||||||
| Source:Elections Canada[38][39] | ||||||||
| 2015 Canadian federal election:Toronto—St. Paul's | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Carolyn Bennett | 31,481 | 55.26 | +15.34 | – | |||
| Conservative | Marnie MacDougall | 15,376 | 26.99 | -5.43 | – | |||
| New Democratic | Noah Richler | 8,386 | 14.72 | -7.91 | – | |||
| Green | Kevin Farmer | 1,729 | 3.03 | -1.45 | – | |||
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | 56,972 | 100.0 | $208,833.75 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 252 | – | – | |||||
| Turnout | 57,224 | – | – | |||||
| Eligible voters | 77,433 | |||||||
| Source:Elections Canada[40][41][42] | ||||||||
| 2011 Canadian federal election:St. Paul's | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Carolyn Bennett | 22,409 | 40.6 | -9.9 | ||||
| Conservative | Maureen Harquail | 17,864 | 32.4 | +5.8 | ||||
| New Democratic | William Molls | 12,124 | 22.0 | +8.7 | ||||
| Green | Jim McGarva | 2,495 | 4.5 | -4.6 | ||||
| Libertarian | John Kittredge | 303 | 0.5 | -0.1 | ||||
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | 55,195 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 276 | 0.5 | – | |||||
| Turnout | 55,471 | 68.2 | – | |||||
| Eligible voters | 81,288 | – | – | |||||
| 2008 Canadian federal election:St. Paul's | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Carolyn Bennett | 26,326 | 50.5 | +0.2 | $69,331 | |||
| Conservative | Heather Jewell | 13,800 | 26.6 | +0.8 | $53,617 | |||
| New Democratic | Anita Agrawal | 6,880 | 13.3 | -5.9 | $13,606 | |||
| Green | Justin Erdman | 4,713 | 9.1 | +4.3 | $3,526 | |||
| Libertarian | John Kittredge | 313 | 0.6 | – | $182 | |||
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | 52,032 | 100.0 | $86,488 | |||||
| 2006 Canadian federal election:St. Paul's | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Carolyn Bennett | 29,295 | 50.3 | -8.1 | ||||
| Conservative | Peter Kent | 15,021 | 25.8 | +5.4 | ||||
| New Democratic | Paul Summerville | 11,189 | 19.2 | +3.5 | ||||
| Green | Kevin Farmer | 2,785 | 4.8 | -0.7 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 58,290 | 100.0 | ||||||
| 2004 Canadian federal election:St. Paul's | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Carolyn Bennett | 32,171 | 58.4 | +4.1 | ||||
| Conservative | Barry Cline | 11,226 | 20.4 | -13.1* | ||||
| New Democratic | Norman Tobias | 8,667 | 15.7 | +6.3 | ||||
| Green | Peter Elgie | 3,031 | 5.5 | +3.9 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 55,095 | 100.0 | ||||||
*Comparison to total of Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance vote in 2000.
| 2000 Canadian federal election:St. Paul's | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Carolyn Bennett | 25,110 | 54.3 | 0.0 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Barry Cline | 10,035 | 21.7 | -2.0 | ||||
| Alliance | Theo Caldwell | 5,415 | 11.7 | +4.4 | ||||
| New Democratic | Guy Hunter | 4,372 | 9.7 | -2.7 | ||||
| Green | Don Roebuck | 759 | 1.6 | +0.4 | ||||
| Marijuana | Andrew Potter | 221 | 0.5 | |||||
| Canadian Action | Mark Till | 125 | 0.3 | -0.1 | ||||
| Marxist–Leninist | Barbara Seed | 88 | 0.2 | -0.1 | ||||
| Natural Law | Ron Parker | 83 | 0.2 | -0.3 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 46,208 | 100.0 | ||||||
Note: Canadian Alliance vote is compared to the Reform vote in 1997 election.
| 1997 Canadian federal election:St. Paul's | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Carolyn Bennett | 26,389 | 54.3 | -0.1 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Peter Atkins | 11,520 | 23.7 | -0.7 | ||||
| New Democratic | Michael Halewood | 6,028 | 12.4 | +7.3 | ||||
| Reform | Francis Floszmann | 3,564 | 7.3 | -3.8 | ||||
| Green | Don Roebuck | 597 | 1.2 | +0.3 | ||||
| Natural Law | Neil Dickie | 221 | 0.5 | -0.2 | ||||
| Canadian Action | Daniel Widdicombe | 182 | 0.4 | |||||
| Marxist–Leninist | Fernand Deschamps | 135 | 0.3 | +0.1 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 48,636 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes[43] | Vote % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive Conservative | Isabel Bassett | 13,092 | 40.4 | |
| Liberal | Carolyn Bennett | 9,413 | 29.1 | |
| New Democratic | David Jacobs | 9,231 | 28.5 | |
| Green | Hamish Wilson | 271 | 0.8 | |
| Natural Law | Bruce Hislop | 237 | 0.7 | |
| Libertarian | Mark Scott | 141 | 0.4 | |
| Total | 32,385 |
| 29th Canadian Ministry (2015-2025) – Cabinet ofJustin Trudeau | ||
| Cabinet post (1) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Predecessor | Office | Successor |
| Bernard Valcourt | Minister of Crown Indigenous Relations November 4, 2015 – October 26, 2021 | Marc Miller |
| 27th Canadian Ministry (2003-2006) – Cabinet ofPaul Martin | ||
| Cabinet post (1) | ||
| Predecessor | Office | Successor |
| Minister of State (Public Health) 2003–2006 | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
