Karen Redman ( Longo; born January 8, 1953) is a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

politician who currently serves as the chair of the

Region of Waterloo The Regional Municipality of Waterloo (Waterloo Region or Region of Waterloo) is a metropolitan area of Southern Ontario, Canada. It contains the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo (KWC or Tri-Cities), and the townships of North Dumfrie ...

. Previously, she was a member of the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...

from 1997 to 2008, representing the riding of Kitchener Centre for the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

. She served as

Chief Government Whip The Chief Whip is a political leader whose task is to enforce the whipping system, which aims to ensure that legislators who are members of a political party attend and vote on legislation as the party leadership prescribes. United Kingdom I ...

in the 2004 to 2005 Parliament, and was the Chief Official Opposition Whip in the 2006 to 2008 parliament. She was defeated in the 2008 federal election. She was elected to

Waterloo Regional Council The Regional Municipality of Waterloo (Waterloo Region or Region of Waterloo) is a metropolitan area of Southern Ontario, Canada. It contains the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo (KWC or Tri-Cities), and the townships of North Dumfrie ...

in the 2014 municipal election and has been the Waterloo Regional Chair since 2018.

Life and career

Redman was born in Kitchener,

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

. After completing high school at

Eastwood Collegiate Institute Eastwood Collegiate Institute is a public high school in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1956. The school teams are known as the "Lions". Eastwood is known for its Provincially ranked soccer teams, as well as its Integrated Ar ...

, Redman went on to graduate from the

University of Waterloo The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo, UW, or Waterloo) is a Public university, public research university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is on of land adjacent to uptown Waterloo and Waterloo Park. The university also op ...

, receiving a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

degree in English in 1974. She subsequently worked as a writer, and was a member of the Kitchener-Waterloo Learning Disabilities Association and the Canadian Federation of University Women. She has been an elder in Kitchener's St. Andrew's

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

Church since 1991.

Politics

Redman served as a trustee on the Waterloo County Board of Education from 1988 to 1994, and was a city councillor for the

Kitchener City Council Kitchener City Council is the governing body for the city of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. The council consists of the Mayor of Kitchener and 10 ward councillors. 2006-2010 Council elected in the 2006 municipal election. 2010-2014 Council elect ...

and the

Regional Municipality of Waterloo The Regional Municipality of Waterloo (Waterloo Region or Region of Waterloo) is a metropolitan area of Southern Ontario, Canada. It contains the cities of Cambridge, Ontario, Cambridge, Kitchener, Ontario, Kitchener and Waterloo, Ontario, Waterl ...

from 1994 to 1997. She was first elected to parliament in the federal election of 1997, defeating former Progressive Conservative MP

John Reimer John Henry Reimer (born July 16, 1936) is a Canadian politician. He served in the House of Commons of Canada from 1979 to 1980, and again from 1984 to 1993, as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party. Reimer was born to a Mennonite fa ...

by over 10,000 votes. She was re-elected by comfortable margins in the elections of

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, and

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

. Redman served as parliamentary secretary to the

Minister of the Environment An environment minister (sometimes minister of the environment or secretary of the environment) is a cabinet position charged with protecting the natural environment and promoting wildlife conservation. The areas associated with the duties of a ...

from 2000 to 2003. She was named

and sworn into the

Queen's Privy Council for Canada The King's Privy Council for Canada (), sometimes called His Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council (PC), is the full group of personal advisors to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs. Practically, ...

on July 20, 2004, an important role in a

minority government A minority government, minority cabinet, minority administration, or a minority parliament is a government and cabinet formed in a parliamentary system when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in ...

situation. Following the Liberal defeat in the 2006 election, she was named Chief Opposition Whip. In the 2008 federal election, she lost to Stephen Woodworth of the

Conservative Party of Canada The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC; , ), sometimes referred to as the Tories, is a Government of Canada, federal List of political parties in Canada, political party in Canada. It was formed in 2003 by the merger of the two main Right-wing ...

by 339 votes. On November 17, 2009, upon a reconstitution of the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition under Chief of Staff

Peter Donolo Peter Donolo (born October 1959) is a Canadian communications and political strategist. From 1993 to 1999, he was the director of communications in the office of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien - the longest tenure of any prime ministerial communica ...

, Redman was named Caucus Liaison, a role drawing on her "strong and deep ties with her former – and future – caucus colleagues." Redman was renominated as the federal Liberal candidate for the riding of Kitchener Centre in the 2011 election, yet lost again to Conservative Stephen Woodworth. She was elected to

in the 2014 municipal election. In 2018 she successfully ran for and became the chair of the Waterloo Regional Council, receiving over 62% of the votes.

Election results

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Redman, Karen 1953 births Canadian Presbyterians Women members of the House of Commons of Canada Kitchener, Ontario city councillors Liberal Party of Canada MPs Living people Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada University of Waterloo alumni Women municipal councillors in Ontario 20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada 20th-century Canadian women politicians 21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada 21st-century Canadian women politicians

Life and career

Politics

Election results

See also

Notes

References