Penny Priddy

Penny Priddy (born March 5, 1944) is a politician from British Columbia (BC), Canada. She served as member of Parliament (MP) from 2006 to 2008, representing the electoral district of Surrey North in the House of Commons of Canada. Prior to that, she was a Surrey city councillor (2002–2005), a member of the BC legislature representing Surrey-Newton (1991–2001), and a trustee with the Surrey School District (1986–1991). She is the only woman in Canadian history to be elected to school board, city council, a provincial legislature and the House of Commons.

During her time in the BC legislature, she served in several cabinet posts in the British Columbia New Democratic Party (BC NDP) governments of Mike Harcourt, Glen Clark, Dan Miller and Ujjal Dosanjh, including as minister of labour, health and education.

Biography Born in Toronto, Ontario, she was originally a nurse before moving to Surrey, British Columbia with her husband in 1981,

After five years as a school trustee, she ran in the 1991 provincial election as a BC NDP candidate in Surrey-Newton, defeating Premier Rita Johnston to win the riding. She was subsequently named to the cabinet that November, serving as Minister of Women's Equality during the premiership of Mike Harcourt.

After Glen Clark took over as premier in February 1996, Priddy was appointed Minister of Labour. She was re-elected in the May 1996 provincial election, and briefly assumed the Small Business, Tourism and Culture portfolio that June. She was re-assigned as Minister of Children and Families in September 1996, before assuming the roles of Minister of Health and Minister Responsible for Seniors in February 1998.

She was named Minister of Education in February 2000 by new Premier Ujjal Dosanjh. With the NDP trailing in the polls, she announced on October 30, 2000 that she would not run in the following year's provincial election, and was dropped from the cabinet a few days later. She returned to politics in 2002 when she was elected to Surrey City Council, serving one term as councillor.

Personal life and other activities She and her husband Robert have two adult children.

She is a member of the Canadian Women Voters Congress, Canadian Women of Municipal Government, and the Heritage Advisory Commission for the City of Surrey. She is a past co-chair of the National Women's Campaign School,