Sheila Copps Biography | Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Journalist

Major Notes:

Sheila Copps was the first appointed female Canadian Deputy Prime Minister.
She came from a political family where both her father and mother served on the City of Hamilton municipal council.
Her father achieved much respect carrying out his duties as the Mayor of Hamilton.
Copps qualified for her BA degree from the University of Western Ontario and took further post-graduate courses at McMaster University and the University of Rouen.
Prior to entering politics, she worked as a journalist in the Hamilton and Ottawa areas.
In her first election, Sheila Copps ran unsuccessfully for the provincial Liberal party in 1977 but still served the next four years helping the party leader Stuart Smith.
In 1981, Copps won her first provincial election serving in the Liberal official opposition to William Davis.
Smith resigned as Liberal leader and Copps finished second to David Peterson in the leadership race to replace Smith.
She changed to federal politics and won a Liberal opposition seat in the sweeping 1984 Brian Mulroney PC victory.
Copps became a strong voice in the opposition against Mulroney and other PC members and again won a seat in the 1988 federal election.
The party had a leadership convention in 1990 in which Copps finished third behind Jean Chretien and Paul Martin.
In the 1993 election, Chretien became Prime Minister and quickly appointed Copps as his Deputy Prime Minister and made her a cabinet minister as well.
Copps resigned her seat briefly in 1996 as she felt Chretien had not kept his election promise to do away with the GST tax but she easily won the seat again in a bye-election.
Chretien appointed her to her previous posts with some reservation because of her resignation play.
When Chretien announced he would resign in 2004, Copps was the first declared leadership candidate but Paul Martin had already a very strong support team in place.
Copps efforts to unite the women and minority groups support to overcome Martin's lead proved frutile.
In fact, Copps gave a speech at the leadership convention throwing her support to Martin.
When the ridings in and around Hamilton were re-drafted, Copps found herself facing another Liberal incumbent, Tony Valeri, for the right to represent the "new" riding.
Valeri, who had advantage over Copps because of the way the new riding was formed, won the nomination and won the riding in the 2004 federal election.
When another federal election took place in 2006, Valeri lost the election and the riding went to an NDP candidate.
Meanwhile, Copps returned to work as a journalist, radio host, and author.
Sheila Copps is regarded as having been one of Canada's foremost female politicians.

Major Notes:

Sheila Copps was the first appointed female Canadian Deputy Prime Minister.

She came from a political family where both her father and mother served on the City of Hamilton municipal council.

Her father achieved much respect carrying out his duties as the Mayor of Hamilton.

Copps qualified for her BA degree from the University of Western Ontario and took further post-graduate courses at McMaster University and the University of Rouen.

Prior to entering politics, she worked as a journalist in the Hamilton and Ottawa areas.

In her first election, Sheila Copps ran unsuccessfully for the provincial Liberal party in 1977 but still served the next four years helping the party leader Stuart Smith.

In 1981, Copps won her first provincial election serving in the Liberal official opposition to William Davis.

Smith resigned as Liberal leader and Copps finished second to David Peterson in the leadership race to replace Smith.

She changed to federal politics and won a Liberal opposition seat in the sweeping 1984 Brian Mulroney PC victory.

Copps became a strong voice in the opposition against Mulroney and other PC members and again won a seat in the 1988 federal election.

The party had a leadership convention in 1990 in which Copps finished third behind Jean Chretien and Paul Martin.

In the 1993 election, Chretien became Prime Minister and quickly appointed Copps as his Deputy Prime Minister and made her a cabinet minister as well.

Copps resigned her seat briefly in 1996 as she felt Chretien had not kept his election promise to do away with the GST tax but she easily won the seat again in a bye-election.

Chretien appointed her to her previous posts with some reservation because of her resignation play.

When Chretien announced he would resign in 2004, Copps was the first declared leadership candidate but Paul Martin had already a very strong support team in place.

Copps efforts to unite the women and minority groups support to overcome Martin's lead proved frutile.

In fact, Copps gave a speech at the leadership convention throwing her support to Martin.

When the ridings in and around Hamilton were re-drafted, Copps found herself facing another Liberal incumbent, Tony Valeri, for the right to represent the "new" riding.

Valeri, who had advantage over Copps because of the way the new riding was formed, won the nomination and won the riding in the 2004 federal election.

When another federal election took place in 2006, Valeri lost the election and the riding went to an NDP candidate.

Meanwhile, Copps returned to work as a journalist, radio host, and author.

Sheila Copps is regarded as having been one of Canada's foremost female politicians.