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Then & Now: Women in Canadian Legislatures


Kim Campbell

The Right Honourable A. Kim Campbell, P.C., Q.C.


First woman Prime Minister of Canada.
First women Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
First woman Minister of National Defence.
First women elected leader of Progressive Conservative Party.


Born in Port Alberni, British Columbia on March 10, 1947.

Photo courtesy of Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell and the National Archives of Canada
Photographer: Denise Grant


Political Affiliation:

Social Credit (provincial); Progressive Conservative (federal)

Legislative Career:

First elected to the British Columbia legislature in the 1986 provincial election as member for Vancouver-Point Grey riding. Served until 1988.

First elected to the House of Commons in the 1988 general election as member for Vancouver Centre. Served until 1993.

Appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of State (Indian Affairs and Northern Development), January 30, 1989 to February 22, 1990; Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Feb. 23, 1990 to January 4,1993 and Minister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs, January 4, 1993 to June 24, 1993

Served as Prime Minister from June 25, 1993 to November 4, 1993.

Honours and Awards: Sworn to the Privy Council, January 30, 1989.


A. Kim Campbell, a longtime student of government and politics, first studied (University of British Columbia; London School of Economics) then lectured (University of British Columbia and Vancouver Community College) in political science. In 1980 she entered the world of elected public office as a trustee of the Vancouver School Board, serving as its Chairperson in 1983 and Vice-Chairperson in 1984, while completing her law degree at the University of British Columbia.

After an early run for the Social Credit party in the provincial election of 1983 she worked in the office of Premier Bill Bennett before running again and winning in the 1986 provincial election. In 1988 she accepted an offer from the federal Progressive Conservative party to run for the nomination in the riding of Vancouver Centre, where she was elected.

In the cabinet of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, as her political career progressed, she accumulated many "firsts": first woman Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada; first woman Minister of National Defence; first woman leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (June 14, 1993 to December 14, 1993), culminating as first woman Prime Minister of Canada. In a report of a recent speech (Canadian Press Newswire May 2, 1997 by Anne-Marie Tobin) she spoke of her breakthrough and was quoted: "It's a matter of some pride and satisfaction for me that I happened to be the one that had the opportunity to at least put a dent in that particular glass ceiling."

Campbell called her own style the "politics of inclusion" and she spoke up for what she believed in on issues of the day, such as abortion and free trade, and as Minister of Justice she led major changes in gun control and sexual assault legislation. After the November 1993 election loss Campbell returned to lecturing and a fellowship, this time at Harvard University prior to her appointment on September 16, 1996 as Canada's Consul General in Los Angeles.

Suggested Readings:

Campbell, Kim. -- Time and chance: the political memoirs of Canada's first woman Prime Minister. -- Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 1996. -- ISBN 0385255276

Gagnon, Lysiane. -- "Le Canada selon Kim". -- l'Actualité. -- Vol. 18, no. 15 (ler octobre 1993). -- P. 23-29.

Gray, Charlotte. -- "Woman of the year: ... Kim Campbell". -- Chatelaine. -- Vol. 67, no. 1 (January 1994). -- P. 28-29, 31-32, 54.

Les premiers ministres du Canada, 1867-1994.=The Prime Ministers of Canada, 1867-1994 -- Présenté par la Chambre des communes et les Archives nationales du Canada. -- Ottawa: les Archives nationales du Canada, 1994. -- ISBN 0662602722

"Living in L.A.: an interview with the Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell Canadian Consul General in Los Angeles".-- Bout de papier. -- Vol. 13, no. 4 (Winter/hiver 1996). -- P. 5-8.

"Member of Parliament for Vancouver Centre; Kim Campbell interview". -- British Columbia Politics & Policy. -- Vol. 2, no. 10 (November 1988). -- P. 12-14.

The Prime Ministers of Canada, 1867-1994=Les premiers ministres du Canada, 1867-1994. -- Presented by the House of Commons and the National Archives of Canada. -- Ottawa: National Archives of Canada, 1994. -- ISBN 0662602722

Vastel, Michel. -- "L'effet Campbell". -- l'Actualité. -- Vol. 18, no. 7 (ler mai 1993) -- p. 20-24.


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