Susan Barnes, (born September 8, 1952) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) 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 ...

former politician. Barnes represented the riding of London West from 1993 (following her election in 1993) until 2008 as a Liberal member of the House of Commons of Canada. She was the first Maltese-born Member of Parliament. She is the longest-serving MP to represent the riding of London West and was also the first woman to be elected as a federal MP in London, Ontario.

Early life

Barnes was born in Rabat,

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

, and immigrated to Canada with her family in 1957. She received

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

s in literature and law from the

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thames Ri ...

in 1974 and 1977, respectively. She was admitted to The Law Society of Upper Canada in 1979 and practiced law full-time until 1993.

Political career

She was the Official Opposition critic for the

Minister of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a Ministry (government department), ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of ju ...

, and served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and

Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians The Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians was a title and role in the Canadian Cabinet that provided a liaison (or, interlocutor) for the federal Canadian government, and its various departments, to Métis and non-status Abori ...

, the Minister of National Revenue and the

Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada The minister of justice and attorney general of Canada () is a dual-role portfolio in the Canadian Cabinet. The officeholder in the role of Minister of Justice () serves as the minister of the Crown responsible for the Department of Justice a ...

with special emphasis on Judicial Transparency and Aboriginal Justice.

Electoral record

References

External links

Official website (archived)

How'd They Vote?: Sue Barnes' voting history and quotes
* 1952 births Living people Canadian women lawyers Women members of the House of Commons of Canada Lawyers in Ontario Liberal Party of Canada MPs Maltese emigrants to Canada Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada Members of the United Church of Canada People from Rabat, Malta Politicians from London, Ontario Women in Ontario politics 21st-century Canadian politicians 21st-century Canadian women politicians {{Liberal-Ontario-MP-stub