Audrey McLaughlin

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Audrey Marlene McLaughlin, PC, OC, MSW BA, LL.D (born November 7, 1936) was leader of Canada's New Democratic Party, and the first woman leader of a major Canadian federal party.

Born in Dutton, Ontario, she worked as a social worker in Toronto, Ontario and in Ghana. In 1979, McLaughlin moved to the Yukon and set up a consultancy business. In 1987, she ran in a by-election and won, the first federal NDP candidate to win in Yukon. In 1988, she was appointed caucus chair, and in 1989, she won the NDP leadership convention, replacing the retiring Ed Broadbent.

McLaughlin had taken over the NDP at its height. However, the party began a steady decline in the polls for several reasons. One was the NDP's provincial affiliates in British Columbia and Ontario, whose unpopularity reflected badly on the federal party. The rise of the Reform Party also sapped much NDP support in Western Canada. In the 1993 election, the NDP lost badly, and was left with only nine seats in Parliament. McLaughlin won her seat in the Yukon, but resigned as leader in 1994, and was succeeded by Alexa McDonough. McLaughlin did not run for re-election in the 1997 election.

In 1991, she was sworn in as a member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada so that she could access classified documents during the Gulf War. In August 2003 she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

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