Carolyn Bennett

Dr. Bennett has represented the Toronto riding of St. Paul's in Parliament since 1997, and presently serves as the Liberal Party's Critic for Democratic Renewal.

In December 2003, in the wake of the SARS epidemic, Paul Martin asked Dr. Bennett to become Canada's first Minister of State for Public Health. During her two years as Minister, she set up the Public Health Agency of Canada, appointed the first Chief Public Health Officer for Canada and oversaw the establishment of a true Public Health Network for Canada, through which all 13 provinces and territories would be able to plan together in protecting the health of Canadians.

As a member of the House sub-committee on the Status of Persons with Disabilities, Dr. Bennett was responsible for significant changes in the Disability Tax Credit, as well as the innovative e-consolation on the necessary changes to the Canada Pension Plan for Persons with Disabilities.

One of Canada's most influential women MPs, she has chaired the Liberal Women's Caucus and the All-Party Women's Caucus. She is also a former chair of the Canada-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group.

Dr. Bennett is very proud of the St. Paul's model she has built in her community - a real democracy between elections, with Town-Hall meetings, neighbourhood checkups and weekly MSN chats that have resulted in a 75% voter turnout in one of the youngest ridings in the country.

Prior to her election, Dr. Bennett was a family physician and a founding partner of Bedford Medical Associates in Downtown Toronto. She was President of the Medical Staff Association of the Women's College Hospital and Assistant Professor in the Development of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Bennett obtained her degree in Medicine from the University of Toronto in 1974, and received her certification in Family Medicine in 1976. She and her husband, Canadian Film Producer Peter O'Brian, have two sons, Jack and Ben, and a lovely chocolate Lab named Marley.