Overview
Susan Sullivan is a Canadian politician in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. She represented the electoral district of Grand Falls-Windsor-Buchans in Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 2007 to 2015. She was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.
She served in the provincial cabinet as Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural Development, Minister of Health and Community Services, Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development and Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment. Prior to her entrance into provincial politics Sullivan had a 30-year teaching career and was the Deputy Mayor of Grand Falls-Windsor.
Background
Sullivan was born and raised in Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland and Labrador. She studied at Memorial University of Newfoundland, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in French, and a Bachelor of Education. She received her Masters of Education from Mount St. Vincent University, in Halifax, as well she was awarded a French immersion diploma from Université Laval, in Quebec City. Sullivan had a 30-year teaching career and retired in June 2007. In her last seven years as an educator she was French Department Head for the Centre for Distance Learning and Innovation, during this time she taught senior high French to all parts of the province via the Internet. In 2005, she was elected Deputy Mayor of Grand Falls-Windsor and held this post until entering provincial politics.
Provincial politics
In June 2007, Sullivan defeated two others to win the Progressive Conservative Party nomination for the district of Grand Falls-Windsor-Buchans. In the three-person race, Sullivan captured 53 per cent of the 1,700 votes cast. The provincial election was set for October 9, 2007, but during the campaign Sullivan's Liberal opponent died suddenly. The election in the district was postponed due to the death and was held on November 6, 2007. After a big victory by the Progressive Conservatives in the general election, Sullivan took 72 per cent of the vote in the deferred election. On October 31, 2008, Premier Danny Williams appointed Sullivan to cabinet as the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment and Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs.
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