Marie-Paule Poulin
Encyclopedia
Marie-Paule Poulin, née Charette (born June 21, 1945) is a Canadian
senator and was the president of the Liberal Party of Canada
from 2006 to 2008. She is married to international portrait artist Bernard Poulin
.
Diane Marleau
in high school; Poulin and Marleau have remained friends throughout their careers.
She was educated at Laurentian University
, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1966, and the Université de Montréal
, obtaining her Master's of Social Science in 1969. In 1995, Laurentian awarded her an honorary Doctor of Laws. Poulin received an LL.B. from the University of Ottawa in 2007.
, and established the network's French language
service in Northern Ontario (CBON
).
, representing the senate division of Northern Ontario
for the Liberal Party of Canada
. She was appointed to succeed Jean Noël Desmarais
following his death in office.
As a senator, she is a member of the Senate committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration, and the Senate committee on National Security and Defense. As well, she is a past member of the committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce. She chaired the Senate committee on Transport and Communications and the subcommittee on Communications; leading the review of Canada's national and international position in communications and telecommunications.
She was the first woman to chair the Senate Liberal caucus, and the first senator to chair the Northern Ontario Liberal caucus.
Poulin ran for the presidency of the party at the party's leadership convention in 2006. She defeated former MP Tony Ianno
and party activist Bobbi Ethier
to win the election. She is the second woman and first francophone woman to hold this position.
Poulin suffered a mild stroke in April 2008 and subsequently announced her resignation as Liberal Party president as she felt she was no longer able to devote the required amount of time to the position.
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...
senator and was the president of the Liberal Party of Canada
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...
from 2006 to 2008. She is married to international portrait artist Bernard Poulin
Bernard Poulin
Bernard Aimé Poulin cipaportrait painter, authorNative of Windsor, Ontario. Born : January 4, 1945For the past 44 years, Bernard Poulin has specialized in corporate and private portraiture as well as commissioned exhibitions. A Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Portrait Artists he was its...
.
Education
Poulin was raised in Sudbury and Haileybury. She was a classmate and friend of MPMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Diane Marleau
Diane Marleau
Diane Marleau, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. She represented the riding of Sudbury in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 2008, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Jean Chrétien...
in high school; Poulin and Marleau have remained friends throughout their careers.
She was educated at Laurentian University
Laurentian University
Laurentian University , was incorporated on March 28, 1960, is a mid-sized bilingual university in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada....
, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1966, and the Université de Montréal
Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
, obtaining her Master's of Social Science in 1969. In 1995, Laurentian awarded her an honorary Doctor of Laws. Poulin received an LL.B. from the University of Ottawa in 2007.
Professional life
In her career, Poulin was a deputy minister in the government of Canada and a broadcast executive. She was the founding chair and CEO of the Canadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations Tribunal, a federal agency for self-employed workers in the arts. She was also a vice-president of the Canadian Broadcasting CorporationCanadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
, and established the network's French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
service in Northern Ontario (CBON
CBON-FM
CBON-FM is a Canadian radio station. It broadcasts the Société Radio-Canada's Première Chaîne network at 98.1 FM in Sudbury, Ontario. The station also serves much of Northern Ontario through a network of relay transmitters.-History:...
).
Political life
Poulin was appointed to the Senate in 1995 by Jean ChrétienJean 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....
, representing the senate division of Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
for the Liberal Party of Canada
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...
. She was appointed to succeed Jean Noël Desmarais
Jean Noël Desmarais
Jean Noël Desmarais was a Canadian physician, radiologist, and politician.Born in Sudbury, Ontario, the brother of Louis Desmarais, he wasn't involved in politics before being appointed to the Senate of Canada representing the senatorial division of Sudbury, Ontario in 1993.The Jean-Noël Desmarais...
following his death in office.
As a senator, she is a member of the Senate committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration, and the Senate committee on National Security and Defense. As well, she is a past member of the committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce. She chaired the Senate committee on Transport and Communications and the subcommittee on Communications; leading the review of Canada's national and international position in communications and telecommunications.
She was the first woman to chair the Senate Liberal caucus, and the first senator to chair the Northern Ontario Liberal caucus.
Poulin ran for the presidency of the party at the party's leadership convention in 2006. She defeated former MP Tony Ianno
Tony Ianno
Tony Ianno, PC is a businessman and a former Canadian politician. He served as a Liberal Party of Canada MP representing Trinity-Spadina and Minister of Families and Caregivers .-Personal life:...
and party activist Bobbi Ethier
Bobbi Ethier
Bobbi Éthier is a politician in Manitoba, Canada.Éthier holds a Masters in Education Administration, a diploma in Law and Economics from France and a Human Resources certificate from Cornell University in New York. She has been a principal and French immersion high school teacher in Winnipeg School...
to win the election. She is the second woman and first francophone woman to hold this position.
Poulin suffered a mild stroke in April 2008 and subsequently announced her resignation as Liberal Party president as she felt she was no longer able to devote the required amount of time to the position.