Christine Stewart
Encyclopedia
Christine Susan Stewart, PC
(born January 3, 1941, in Hamilton
, Ontario
) is a former Canadian
politician. A Liberal Party
Member of Parliament for the riding of Northumberland
, she was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
as an Opposition member by a margin of 27 votes in 1988
. She was elected twice more in 1993
and 1997
with substantive majorities and served in the cabinets of prime minister Jean Chrétien
first as Secretary of State
(Latin America and Africa) from 1993 to 1997, and then as Minister of the Environment
from 1997 to 1999. She announced her resignation from politics for personal reasons before the election of 2000.
With a degree in nursing
(BScN) from the University of Toronto
, she practiced nursing for a short time before becoming involved in international development work first as a volunteer with her husband in Honduras
in 1971-72. She co-founded a non-government organization, Horizons of Friendship, of which she was co-executive director until 1988. Additionally, she raised her family of three children, served as a school board trustee and on several community church, social and arts bodies in Cobourg, Ontario
.
As Secretary of State, Latin America and Africa, she made official visits to most countries on those continents, many of those visits representing the first visit of a Canadian minister, although many of those countries visited had received significant Canadian official development assistance for many years.
As Minister of the Environment, Stewart headed the Canadian delegation to the Kyoto climate change negotiations and signed the Kyoto Accord on behalf of Canada. She pushed for action on the Kyoto Accord, improvements in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act
, the Species at Risk Act
, and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
.
After leaving Canadian politics, Stewart acted as special envoy to Cameroon
for the Commonwealth Secretary General until 2006, and continues her interest in addressing social issues in her community and work on good governance internationally.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(born January 3, 1941, in Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
) is a former Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician. A Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Member of Parliament for the riding of Northumberland
Northumberland (Ontario electoral district)
Northumberland was a federal and provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1968 and from 1987 to 2003, ad in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2007....
, she was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
as an Opposition member by a margin of 27 votes in 1988
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
. She was elected twice more in 1993
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
and 1997
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
with substantive majorities and served in the cabinets of prime minister Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
first as Secretary of State
Secretary of State (Canada)
Secretary of State was a title given to some Ministers of State in the Government of Canada sitting outside Cabinet from 1993 to 2003 and again from 2007 to 2008. Secretaries of State were members of the ministry and the Queen's Privy Council for Canada...
(Latin America and Africa) from 1993 to 1997, and then as Minister of the Environment
Minister of the Environment (Canada)
The Minister of the Environment is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's environment department, Environment Canada...
from 1997 to 1999. She announced her resignation from politics for personal reasons before the election of 2000.
With a degree in nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
(BScN) from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, she practiced nursing for a short time before becoming involved in international development work first as a volunteer with her husband in Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
in 1971-72. She co-founded a non-government organization, Horizons of Friendship, of which she was co-executive director until 1988. Additionally, she raised her family of three children, served as a school board trustee and on several community church, social and arts bodies in Cobourg, Ontario
Cobourg, Ontario
Cobourg is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario 95 km east of Toronto. It is the largest town in Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is located along Highway 401 and the former Highway 2...
.
As Secretary of State, Latin America and Africa, she made official visits to most countries on those continents, many of those visits representing the first visit of a Canadian minister, although many of those countries visited had received significant Canadian official development assistance for many years.
As Minister of the Environment, Stewart headed the Canadian delegation to the Kyoto climate change negotiations and signed the Kyoto Accord on behalf of Canada. She pushed for action on the Kyoto Accord, improvements in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act
Canadian Environmental Protection Act
The Canadian Environmental Protection Act of 1999 is "An Act respecting pollution prevention and the protection of the environment and human health in order to contribute to sustainable development."...
, the Species at Risk Act
Species at Risk Act
The Species at Risk Act is a piece of Canadian federal legislation which became law in Canada on December 12, 2002. It is designed to meet one of Canada's key commitments under the International Convention on Biological Diversity. The goal of the Act is to protect endangered or threatened...
, and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, S.C. 1992, c. 37 is an Act of Parliament that was passed by the Government of Canada in 1992...
.
After leaving Canadian politics, Stewart acted as special envoy to Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
for the Commonwealth Secretary General until 2006, and continues her interest in addressing social issues in her community and work on good governance internationally.