Carolyn Bennett

Carolyn Ann Bennett is a Canadian physician and politician. She has served as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Toronto—St. Paul's, a constituency located in Toronto, Ontario, since 1997. She is a member of the Liberal Party of Canada and was formerly a candidate for its leadership. During the Paul Martin government, Bennett, who was a family physician for twenty years before entering politics, was Minister of State for Public Health and established the Public Health Agency of Canada. She was appointed Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 29th Canadian Ministry, and retained the position after it was renamed Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs. In 1986, Bennett received the Royal Life Saving Society Service Cross, a Commonwealth award recognizing her more than twenty years of distinguished service.