Has anyone ever told you are about to lose a campaign but that it's ok because they think you should run for something else, something even bigger? That's what happened to Carla Qualtrough, Member of Parliament for Delta and Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion in the lead up to the 2015 federal election. Hear from Minister Carla Qualtrough about how she got into politics, her work in her portfolio, even about some of the changes being made in the renovation to Centre Block and the House of Commons in Ottawa more accessible and how barriers and biases in and out of politics are harmful to people with disabilities and why it has to change.
More about Minister Carla Qualtrough:
The Honourable Carla Qualtrough was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Delta in 2015. She has served as Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion since 2019. Minister Qualtrough has previously served as Minister of Accessibility, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities.
A successful lawyer, dedicated volunteer, and Paralympic swimmer, Minister Qualtrough is a strong advocate for Delta, with a commitment to addressing inequality and championing diversity.
Committed to equity and inclusion, Minister Qualtrough has practised human rights law at the federal and provincial levels. She chaired the Minister’s Council on Employment and Accessibility in British Columbia, and was an adjudicator with the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Tribunal. Minister Qualtrough has been visually impaired since birth.
Passionate about the power of sport and physical activity to change lives, Minister Qualtrough has volunteered locally, nationally, and internationally, including with the International Paralympic Committee and for the Toronto 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games. She has been President of the Canadian Paralympic Committee and Chair of the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada. She was also on the Board of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, and was Vice-Chair of the Delta Gymnastics Society.
As an athlete, Minister Qualtrough won three Paralympic and four World Championship medals.
Minister Qualtrough has degrees in political science from the University of Ottawa and in law from the University of Victoria. Among many awards for her work, she has been named one of Canada’s Most Influential Women in Sport numerous times, and received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
More about Sarah Elder-Chamanara:
Sarah Elder-Chamanara is the founder, creative director, designer and owner of Madame Premier, a feminist, political and activist clothing company and community based in Calgary, Alberta. With the underlying principle of seeing more women and diversity in politics, elected and in backrooms, at every level, Sarah and Madame Premier create opportunities for conversations about how politics works, why it needs to change, who it needs to change for and how the time for that is now.
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