Marlene Jennings
Encyclopedia
Marlene Jennings, PC
, MP
(born November 10, 1951) is a Canadian
politician. She was a member of the Liberal Party of Canada
in the Canadian House of Commons
, and represented the riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine
from 1997 to 2011.
Jennings was born in Longueuil
, Quebec
. She is a former lawyer and senior public servant. She is the former Parliamentary Secretary
to the Minister for International Cooperation
, the former Parliamentary Secretary to the Solicitor General of Canada
, and a former Member of Parliament. From 2004 to October 2005, she was Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
with special emphasis on Canada-U.S. relations.
Jennings was the first black
woman from Quebec
to be elected to Parliament in the history of Confederation. She is also one of the few parliamentarians with a physical disability, having become partially blind due to an illness in early 2011; she uses visual aids and a white cane.
, the popular MP for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
, in the reorganized riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine upon its creation in 1997. She was elected five times in the riding with consistent margins of between 10,000 and 20,000 votes, and her riding was considered one of the safest Liberal seats in the country. However, she fell to Quebec's "orange wave" in the Canadian federal election, 2011, losing her seat to Isabelle Morin
of the NDP.
Source: Elections Canada
|align="left" colspan=2|Liberal
hold
|align="right"|Swing
|align="right"| +1.0%
|align="right"|
|align="left" colspan=2|Liberal
hold
|align="right"|Swing
|align="right"| -3.85%
|align="right"|
Note: Conservative vote is compared to the total of the Canadian Alliance vote and Progressive Conservative vote in 2000 election.
Note: Canadian Alliance vote is compared to the Reform vote in 1997 election.
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,...
, MP
Member 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,...
(born November 10, 1951) is a 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. She was a member 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...
in 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...
, and represented the riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997...
from 1997 to 2011.
Jennings was born in Longueuil
Longueuil
Longueuil is a city in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of the Montérégie administrative region and sits on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River directly across from Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census totaled 229,330, making it the third largest city in...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. She is a former lawyer and senior public servant. She is the former Parliamentary Secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to the Minister for International Cooperation
Minister for International Cooperation (Canada)
The Minister for International Cooperation is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing Canadian international development strategy, including responsibility for the Canadian International Development Agency . The current Minister is Bev Oda.-Ministers:Key:...
, the former Parliamentary Secretary to the Solicitor General of Canada
Solicitor General of Canada
The Solicitor General of Canada was a position in the Canadian ministry from 1892 to 2005. The position was based on the Solicitor General in the British system and was originally designated as an officer to assist the Minister of Justice...
, and a former Member of Parliament. From 2004 to October 2005, she was Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
with special emphasis on Canada-U.S. relations.
Jennings was the first black
Black Canadian
'Black Canadians is a designation used for people of Black African descent, who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada. The term specifically refers to Canadians with Sub-Saharan African ancestry. The majority of Black Canadians are of Caribbean origin...
woman from Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
to be elected to Parliament in the history of Confederation. She is also one of the few parliamentarians with a physical disability, having become partially blind due to an illness in early 2011; she uses visual aids and a white cane.
Electoral history
Jennings succeeded Warren AllmandWarren Allmand
William Warren Allmand, is a former Canadian Liberal Party Member of Parliament and was a Cabinet member from 1972 to 1979....
, the popular MP for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (electoral district)
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1949 to 1997.This riding was created in 1947...
, in the reorganized riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine upon its creation in 1997. She was elected five times in the riding with consistent margins of between 10,000 and 20,000 votes, and her riding was considered one of the safest Liberal seats in the country. However, she fell to Quebec's "orange wave" in the Canadian federal election, 2011, losing her seat to Isabelle Morin
Isabelle Morin
Isabelle Morin is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2011 election. She represents the electoral district of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine as a member of the New Democratic Party....
of the NDP.
Source: Elections Canada
|align="left" colspan=2|Liberal
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...
hold
|align="right"|Swing
|align="right"| +1.0%
|align="right"|
|align="left" colspan=2|Liberal
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...
hold
|align="right"|Swing
|align="right"| -3.85%
|align="right"|
Note: Conservative vote is compared to the total of the Canadian Alliance vote and Progressive Conservative vote in 2000 election.
Note: Canadian Alliance vote is compared to the Reform vote in 1997 election.