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Senator Carstairs attended Dalhousie University where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political
Science and History. She went on to achieve a Masters of Arts in Teaching at Smith College in
Northampton, Massachusetts in 1963. She has taught in Massachusetts, Alberta and Manitoba in public,
private and Catholic school systems. Her interest and commitment to quality education remains
unwavering.
Political involvement moved from the dinner table to the grassroots in Nova Scotia, Alberta
and Manitoba. She has been a campaign volunteer, candidate and provincial MLA in Manitoba. In 1988,
she led the Liberal Party in Manitoba to a monumental election gain and became the first woman
to lead the Official Opposition in a Canadian Legislative Assembly.
After a very successful run as Leader of the Opposition, Senator Carstairs was appointed to the
Senate by Prime Minister Chrétien on September 15, 1994 to represent the province of Manitoba.
She has served on the Aboriginal Peoples committee as well as the Agriculture and Forestry;
Social Affairs, Science and Technology and the Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration
Committee. She has been the Chair of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee and the
Sub-Committee to update "Of Life and Death" and Deputy Chair of the Special Committee on Illegal
Drugs. Senator Carstairs represented the Senate on the Parliamentary Buildings Advisory Council
from 1997-2001. From 1997 to 1999 Senator Carstairs served as the first woman to be Deputy Leader
of the Government in the Senate.
As Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Carstairs was a member of Cabinet and
was the government's representative in the Upper Chamber. She was also responsible for answering
all questions for the Government during the Senate's Question Period and shepherding government
bills through the Senate.
On March 14, 2001, Prime Minister Chrétien gave Senator Carstairs special responsibility
for palliative care. Palliative care is a cause that Senator Carstairs had championed long
before her appointment. She assisted Health Minister Anne McLellan in supporting the federal
government's interest in the development of palliative care by working with provinces,
territories and non-governmental organizations, to ensure that palliative care is meeting
the needs of Canadian patients, families and care givers. This new appointment was a major
step forward in the federal government's commitment to quality end-of-life care in Canada.
Senator Carstairs is the author of Not One of the Boys, an autobiography
and a contributing author to Dropped Threads, a book of Canadian women's
stories. She is also the co-author with Tim Higgins of Dancing
Backwards: A Social History of Canadian Women in Politics.
Senator Carstairs is married to John Esdale Carstairs, a retired corporate lawyer.
They have two daughters, Catherine and Jennifer. They divide their time between Ottawa
and their Manitoba home.
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