McLaughlin, Audrey (1936–)

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McLaughlin, Audrey (1936–)

Canadian politician. Born Nov 7, 1936, in Dutton, Ontario, Canada.

Worked as a caseworker for Children's Aid Society of Metropolitan Toronto; was a teacher in Ghana, West Africa; moved to Yukon (1979); elected to House of Commons (July 20, 1987), the 1st New Democrat to represent Yukon, serving until 1997; became chair of the party caucus (1988), the 1st woman chair of the parliamentary caucus of any federal party in Canada; elected leader of the NDP (Dec 2, 1989), the 1st woman in Canadian history to lead a federal political party; sworn to the Privy Council (1991).

See also memoir, A Woman's Place: My Life and Politics (Macfarlane, c. 1992).

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