January 15, 2004
Ottawa, Ontario

NEWS RELEASE

Prime Minister Paul Martin today announced the appointment of the Honourable William Rompkey, P.C. as Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate and the Honourable Rose-Marie Losier-Cool as Chief Government Whip in the Senate.

Biographical notes attached.


The Honourable William (Bill) Rompkey, P.C.

Senator Rompkey was born May 13, 1936 at Belleoram, Fortune Bay, Newfoundland. He was educated at Bishop Feild College, St. John's, and Memorial University of Newfoundland, where he received his B.A. in 1957, his Diploma in Education in 1958, and his M.A. in 1962. Subsequently he studied at the University of London, England, where he received the Academic Diploma in Education. In May 2000, Mr. Rompkey was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. He is a former Lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Navy (Reserve). Before entering politics, Mr. Rompkey was the principal of a dormitory school at North West River, Labrador (1963 - 1966). He was later named the first Superintendent of Education with the Labrador East Integrated School Board, a position he held until 1971.

In January 1972, Senator Rompkey was studying for his Ph.D. in Adult Education at the University of Toronto when he won the nomination to represent the Grand Falls-White Bay-Labrador riding for the Liberal Party. He was elected to represent that constituency in the 1972 General Election, and was re-elected in 1974, 1979, 1980 and 1984. In the 1988 General Election, he was elected to represent the newly-formed riding of Labrador and was re-elected in the 35th General Election held October 25th, 1993.

He was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment in 1972, and became the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Manpower and Immigration in 1974. In 1975-76, Mr. Rompkey chaired the House of Commons Standing Committee on Labour, Manpower and Immigration.

On March 3, 1980 he was appointed to the Privy Council as Minister of Revenue, and in 1982 was appointed Minister of Small Business and Tourism. In January 1984 he was named Minister of State for Mines and he became Minister of State for Transport in June of that year.

In the 35th Parliament, Senator Rompkey served as Chair of the House of Commons standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs and was Co-Chair of the special Joint Committee on Canada's Defence Policy. He has been involved with both the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association and the North Atlantic Assembly (NAA) for over a decade and has held several positions with these two organizations. In the 34th Parliament be served as Official Opposition Critic for National Defence.

On September 22,1995, William Rompkey was appointed by Prime Minister Chrétien to the Senate of Canada, representing Labrador. He served as Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration from 1997 until February 2001. Subsequently he represented the Senate on the Parliamentary Buildings Advisory Committee. Senator Rompkey was appointed Government Whip in the Senate in September 2001.

Senator Rompkey is married to Carolyn Pike of St. John's. They have two children, Hilary and Peter, and one grandson, Max.


The Honourable Rose-Marie Losier-Cool

Rose-Marie Losier-Cool was born, in Tracadie, New Brunswick, in 1937. She was educated at Académie Ste-Famille in Tracadie, the École normale in Fredericton and the Université de Moncton. For 33 years she taught in New Brunswick schools, the last 20 at École secondaire Népisiguit in Bathurst.

To 1983, she became the first woman president of the Association des enseignantes et enseignants francophones du N.-B. (AEFNB). She sat on the board of directors of the Canadian Teachers Federation (CTF) and has been a member of the Association canadienne d'éducation de langue française (ACELE) and the Commission de la langue française. She has sat on a number of committees working to promote the role of women in education.

In 1991, she led workshops in Togo and Mali for African women teachers on leadership in their profession.

In May 1992, the government of New Brunswick gave Ms Losier-Cool its Teacher of the Year Award for non-sexist teaching.

In 1994-95, she was Vice-President of the New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women. She was a Member of N.B. Museum from 1990 to 1998.

Active in the local community, she has been on a number of hospital foundations and boards.

Rose-Marie Losier-Cool was appointed to the Senate on March 21, 1995. She was Speaker Pro Tempore from November 17, 1999 to September 16, 2002. Her responsibilities in the Senate include: Chair of the Standing Committee on Official Languages; Member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs; Co-Chair of the Canadian Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (CAPPD); Executive Committee Member of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF).

She was made Chevalier de l'Ordre de la Pléiade on March 20, 2002.

Senator Losier-Cool is married to Wilbrod Cool and has two sons, Jacques and Denis, and three grandchildren, Vincent, Céline and Clara-Rose.