Carla Qualtrough

Carla Qualtrough
Qualtrough in 2023
Minister of Sport and Physical Activity
Assumed office
July 26, 2023
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byPascale St-Onge
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion
In office
November 20, 2019 – July 26, 2023
Preceded byPatty Hajdu
Succeeded byRandy Boissonnault (Employment and Workforce Development)
Kamal Khera (Persons with Disabilities)
Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility
Receiver General for Canada
In office
August 28, 2017 – November 20, 2019
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byJudy Foote
Succeeded byAnita Anand
Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities
In office
November 4, 2015 – August 28, 2017
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byBal Gosal
Succeeded byKent Hehr
Member of Parliament
for Delta
Assumed office
October 19, 2015
Preceded byRiding established
Personal details
Born (1971-10-15) October 15, 1971 (age 52)
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Political partyLiberal
SpouseEron Main
ResidenceDelta, British Columbia
Alma mater
ProfessionLawyer
Sports career

Carla Dawn Qualtrough PC MP (/ˈkwɒltroʊ/; born October 15, 1971) is a Canadian politician and former Paralympic swimmer who has served as the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity since July 2023. A member of the Liberal Party, Qualtrough has represented the riding of Delta in the House of Commons since 2015.

She previously served as the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion from 2019 to 2023, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility from 2017 to 2019, and the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities from 2015 to 2017. Qualthrough was also the Receiver General for Canada from 2017 to 2019.

Early life and education

Qualtrough was born in Calgary, Alberta, on October 15, 1971, to parents Patricia and Harry Qualtrough, and was raised in Langley, British Columbia. Qualtrough has been visually impaired since birth and only sees 10 percent with her glasses on. She graduated from Brookswood Secondary School and studied political science at the University of Ottawa before earning a law degree from the University of Victoria in 1997. Her parents separated when she was a teenager and her father died in 2007.

Paralympic career

Qualtrough's visual impairment qualified her to compete in the Paralympic Games. She earned three bronze medals in swimming at the 1988 and 1992 Summer Paralympics, as well as four world championship medals for Team Canada. During the Paralympics, she swam in the 4x100 medley relay and 4x100 freestyle relay.

Legal career

After earning her law degree, Qualtrough served on the governing board of the Americas Paralympic Committee. She also served as president of the Canadian Paralympic Committee from 2006 to 2011. During this time, she also directed Sport Initiatives for 2010 Legacies Now and Chaired the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada, leading to her election as one of Canada's Most Influential Women in Sport of 2009.

As a lawyer, Qualtrough primarily focused on human rights matters. She served as counsel to the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal and the Canadian Human Rights Commission, and prior to her election to the House of Commons, she was the vice-chair of British Columbia's Workers' Compensation Appeal Tribunal. In recognition of her work, she was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. During the 2012 Summer Paralympics, she was the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) legal officer and later received the IPCs International Women's Day Recognition in 2016. In 2021, Qualtrough became part of the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame.

Political career

On November 4, 2015, Qualtrough was named minister of sport and persons with disabilities in the 29th Canadian Ministry, headed by Justin Trudeau. As a result, she became the first Paralympic athlete to be elected to Canadian Parliament. During her tenure, Qualtrough was inducted into the Canadian Paralympic Committee's Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame in 2017.

In a cabinet shuffle triggered by the resignation of Judy Foote, Qualtrough succeeded Foote as minister of public services and procurement on August 28, 2017; Kent Hehr then took over as minister of sport and persons with disabilities. After the cabinet shuffle on July 18, 2018, Qualtrough retained her ministerial position but gained the added portfolio of accessibility, styled as "minister of public services and procurement and accessibility".

The November 20, 2019, cabinet shuffle had Qualtrough become minister of employment, workforce development and disability inclusion, building on her work in the accessibility portfolio.

Personal life

Qualtrough is married to the former secretary-general of the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation, Eron Main, and they have four children together.

Electoral record

2021 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Carla Qualtrough 22,105 42.26 +1.03
Conservative Garry Shearer 17,695 33.83 +0.84
New Democratic Monika Dean 9,591 18.33 +2.04
People's Paul Tarasenko 1,291 2.47 +0.71
Green Jeremy Smith 1,244 2.39 -3.89
Independent Hong Yan Pan 379 0.72 -
Total valid votes 52,305 99.43
Total rejected ballots 300 0.57 -0.09
Turnout 52,605 67.54 -3.15
Eligible voters 77,892
Liberal hold Swing +0.10
Source: Elections Canada
2019 Canadian federal election: Delta
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Carla Qualtrough 22,257 41.2 -7.92
Conservative Tanya Corbet 17,809 33.0 +0.22
New Democratic Randy Anderson-Fennell 8,792 16.3 +1.38
Green Craig DeCraene 3,387 6.3 +3.13
People's Angelina Ireland 948 1.8 -
Independent Amarit Bains 398 0.7 -
Independent Tony Bennett 385 0.7 -
Total valid votes/expense limit 53,976 100.0
Total rejected ballots 361
Turnout 54,337 70.7
Eligible voters 76,871
Liberal hold Swing -4.07
Source: Elections Canada
2015 Canadian federal election: Delta
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Carla Qualtrough 27,355 49.12 +30.55 $72,634.16
Conservative Kerry-Lynne Findlay 18,255 32.78 -15.17 $174,408.46
New Democratic Jeremy Leveque 8,311 14.92 -13.13 $59,352.24
Green Anthony Edward Devellano 1,768 3.17 -1.57
Total valid votes/expense limit 55,689 100.00 $206,935.20
Total rejected ballots 200 0.36
Turnout 55,889 74.47
Eligible voters 75,044
Liberal notional gain from Conservative Swing +22.86
Source: Elections Canada

This page was last updated at 2024-02-23 10:33 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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