December 2, 1989 - Audrey McLaughlin - a podcast by Stephen Hammond

Audrey McLaughlin becomes Canada’s first woman to lead a national political party. Audrey McLaughlin was born in Dutton, Ontario on November 7, 1936. The first in her family to earn a university degree, she took a varied career path from there. McLaughlin served as the executive director of the Metro Toronto Canadian Mental Health Association, taught in Ghana and, in 1979, opened up her own consulting firm in Whitehorse of the Yukon Territory. In 1987, a by-election put her into the House of Commons, making her the first New Democratic party (NDP) member to represent the Yukon. She was re-elected in 1988, and when party leader Ed Broadbent stepped down, she stepped up to the plate. On December 2, 1989, she became the leader of the federal NDP and the first woman in Canada to lead a national political party. She presided over a tumultuous time in Canadian politics, marked by the formation of the Free Trade Agreement and attempts by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney to change the constitution. In 1993, when the country threw out the Progressive Conservative party, the NDP also took a hit. Although McLaughlin retained her seat, her party elected only nine MPs, three less than allowed for official party status. The following year, she stepped down as party leader and did not seek re-election in 1997.

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