High Time for a Female Lieutenant-Governor
in Newfoundland and Labrador

October 11, 2007

The federal government is preparing to appoint our province’s twelfth Lieutenant-Governor. The Provincial Advisory Council on the Status of Women is calling on Prime Minister Harper to break the lengthy tradition of appointing only men to this position.

“Since joining Canada in 1949, this province has had 11 male Lieutenant-Governors. That is almost 60 years of exclusive male leadership,” says Leslie MacLeod, President of the Advisory Council. “It’s time to open the door for the other half of our population.”

According to a recent UN report, Canada lags behind when it comes to women in leadership positions. Our country ranks a shabby 47^th against other nations in terms of proportional numbers of women in government. That’s because only 20 per cent of Canadian MPs are female. Our province is only a sliver better with women making up 21 per cent of Newfoundland and Labrador’s newly elected MHAs.

“Our province needs more women in leadership,” says MacLeod. “We have a number of women who are more than capable of fulfilling the role of Lieutenant-Governor. It is time for the Prime Minister to recognize the contribution of women in Newfoundland and Labrador and appoint a woman to this important government post,” says MacLeod.

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Media Contact:

Leslie MacLeod
President/CEO
709 753 7270
lesliemacleod@pacsw.ca