McLaughlin, << muhk LAHK lihn, >> Audrey Marlene (1936-…), was leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) from 1989 to 1995. She was the first woman to head an important national political party in Canada. As a social democrat, she supported a welfare state and a mixture of public and private enterprise in the economy.
McLaughlin was born on Nov. 7, 1936, in Dutton, Ontario. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Western Ontario (now called Western University) in 1964. In 1970, she received a master’s degree from the University of Toronto and became a social worker. McLaughlin moved to Yukon in 1979. From 1987 to 1997, she represented Yukon in Canada’s House of Commons. Under McLaughlin’s leadership, the NDP lost many votes and seats in the House in the 1993 federal election. Alexa Ann McDonough succeeded McLaughlin as NDP leader in 1995.
