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Penny Priddy
Member of Parliament for Surrey North
In office January 23, 2006 – October 14, 2008
Preceded by	Chuck Cadman
Succeeded by	Dona Cadman
Surrey City Councillor
In office 2002–2005
Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly for Surrey-Newton
In office October 17, 1991 – May 16, 2001
Preceded by	Rita Johnston
Succeeded by	Tony Bhullar
Minister of Women's Equality of British Columbia
In office November 5, 1991 – February 22, 1996
Premier	Michael Harcourt
Preceded by	Joan Smallwood
Succeeded by	Sue Hammell
Minister of Labour of British Columbia
In office February 28, 1996 – June 17, 1996
Premier	Glen Clark
Preceded by	Dan Miller
Succeeded by	Moe Sihota
Minister of Small Business, Tourism and Culture of British Columbia
In office June 17, 1996 – September 23, 1996
Premier	Glen Clark
Preceded by	Bill Barlee
Succeeded by	Jan Pullinger
Minister of Children and Families of British Columbia
In office September 23, 1996 – February 18, 1998
Premier	Glen Clark
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Lois Boone
Minister of Health and Minister Responsible for Seniors of British Columbia
In office February 18, 1998 – February 24, 2000
Premier	Glen Clark Dan Miller
Preceded by	Joy MacPhail
Succeeded by	Michael Farnworth
Minister of Education of British Columbia
In office February 29, 2000 – November 1, 2000
Premier	Ujjal Dosanjh
Preceded by	Gordon Wilson
Succeeded by	Joy MacPhail
Personal details
Born	(1944-03-05) March 5, 1944 (age 80) Toronto, Ontario
Political party	New Democratic Party
Spouse	Robert Priddy
Residence(s)	Surrey, British Columbia
Profession	Nurse

Penny Priddy (born March 5, 1944) is a politician from British Columbia (BC), Canada. She served as member of Parliament (MP) from 2006 to 2008, representing the electoral district of Surrey North in the House of Commons of Canada. Prior to that, she was a Surrey city councillor (2002–2005), a member of the BC legislature representing Surrey-Newton (1991–2001), and a trustee with the Surrey School District (1986–1991). She is the only woman in Canadian history to be elected to school board, city council, a provincial legislature and the House of Commons.

During her time in the BC legislature, she served in several cabinet posts in the British Columbia New Democratic Party (BC NDP) governments of Mike Harcourt, Glen Clark, Dan Miller and Ujjal Dosanjh, including as minister of labour, health and education.

Biography

Born in Toronto, Ontario, she was originally a nurse before moving to Surrey, British Columbia with her husband in 1981, where she worked as a nursing educator. She was first elected to the Surrey School District as a trustee in 1986 under the Surrey Municipal Electors slate, before becoming part of the NDP-affiliated Surrey Civic Electors.

After five years as a school trustee, she ran in the 1991 provincial election as a BC NDP candidate in Surrey-Newton, defeating Premier Rita Johnston to win the riding. She was subsequently named to the cabinet that November, serving as Minister of Women's Equality during the premiership of Mike Harcourt.

After Glen Clark took over as premier in February 1996, Priddy was appointed Minister of Labour. She was re-elected in the May 1996 provincial election, and briefly assumed the Small Business, Tourism and Culture portfolio that June. She was re-assigned as Minister of Children and Families in September 1996, before assuming the roles of Minister of Health and Minister Responsible for Seniors in February 1998. She retained both portfolios during Dan Miller's term as premier and interim NDP leader.

She was named Minister of Education in February 2000 by new Premier Ujjal Dosanjh. With the NDP trailing in the polls, she announced on October 30, 2000 that she would not run in the following year's provincial election, and was dropped from the cabinet a few days later. She returned to politics in 2002 when she was elected to Surrey City Council, serving one term as councillor.

Following the death of independent Surrey North MP Chuck Cadman, Priddy entered the race for the riding as a federal NDP candidate in the 2006 election. Priddy had been friends with Cadman and his wife Dona for many years despite their sharp political differences, and later received Dona Cadman's endorsement for the Surrey North seat. Priddy went on to defeat Conservative candidate David Matta and became the riding's MP, serving as the NDP's health critic from 2006 to 2007, then as the party's public safety critic and assistant justice critic from 2007 to 2008. She declined to run in the 2008 federal election.

Personal life and other activities

She and her husband Robert have two adult children. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 1995, and underwent surgery and radiation therapy shortly thereafter. She then went through chemotherapy after the 1996 provincial election, and made a full recovery.

In 2001, Priddy was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Law degree from Kwantlen University College for her service to the people of BC.

She is a member of the Canadian Women Voters Congress, Canadian Women of Municipal Government, and the Heritage Advisory Commission for the City of Surrey. She is a past co-chair of the National Women's Campaign School, and served for three terms as a municipal representative to the board of directors for the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority from 2011 to 2020.

Notes

1. Priddy took a temporary leave of absence while fighting breast cancer from June to September 1996. Dan Miller served as acting Minister of Small Business, Tourism and Culture during this time.

References

1. ^ Diakiw, Kevin (March 15, 2011). "Penny Priddy honoured for public work". Peace Arch News. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
2. ^ "Profile - Priddy, Penny". Library of Parliament. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
3. Bucholtz, Frank (May 12, 2011). "Column: Hard to dent the Watts machine". Surrey Now-Leader. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
4. ^ MacGregor, Roy (December 8, 2005). "Cadman's friend in NDP's embrace". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
5. "Harcourt Cabinet: 35th Parliament 1991–1996" (PDF). Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
6. ^ "Glen Clark Cabinet: 35th Parliament (5th Session) 1996; 36th Parliament (1st–3rd Session) 1996–1999" (PDF). Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
7. "BC child protection system overhauled". Government of British Columbia. September 23, 1996. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
8. "Miller Cabinet: 36th Parliament (3rd Session) 1999–2000" (PDF). Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
9. "Dosanjh Cabinet: 36th Parliament (3rd–5th Session) 2000–2001" (PDF). Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
10. "New B.C. cabinet". CBC News. February 29, 2000. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
11. "Priddy and Sawicki won't run again". CBC News. October 30, 2000. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
12. "NDP cabinet gets a major shake-up". CBC News. November 1, 2000. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
13. ^ "NDP's Penny Priddy says she won't run again". Vancouver Sun. July 16, 2008. Archived from the original on September 16, 2008.
14. "Minutes: Board Regular Meeting" (PDF). Kwantlen University College. February 28, 2001. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
15. "Penny Priddy Re-Appointed to Vancouver Fraser Port Authority Board of Directors". Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. May 19, 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
16. "Appointment of Municipal Representative to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority Board of Directors". Metro Vancouver Regional District. April 2, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2023.

External links

• Media related to Penny Priddy at Wikimedia Commons
• Legislative Assembly Profile
• Penny Priddy – Parliament of Canada biography

• 1944 births
• Living people
• 20th-century Canadian women politicians
• 21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada
• 21st-century Canadian women politicians
• British Columbia New Democratic Party MLAs
• British Columbia school board members
• Canadian women nurses
• Ministers of education of British Columbia
• Ministers of health of British Columbia
• Members of the Executive Council of British Columbia
• Members of the House of Commons of Canada from British Columbia
• New Democratic Party MPs
• Politicians from Toronto
• Surrey, British Columbia city councillors
• Ministers of tourism of British Columbia
• Women MLAs in British Columbia
• Women municipal councillors in Canada
• Women government ministers of Canada
• Women members of the House of Commons of Canada
• Canadian nurses
• 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
• 21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia