Biography

Senator Pierrette Ringuette is an INDEPENDENT.

Ms. Ringuette was educated at the Université de Moncton, Edmundston Campus; where she obtained a B.A in administration and social sciences. She went on to attend Laval University, where she completed her course work towards a Masters of Industrial Relations. She received a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Ottawa in June 2000.

Ms. Ringuette worked as supervisor and customer services relations officer for numerous businesses in Northern Quebec. Later, she worked as the manager of the Edmundston Chamber of Commerce. She was also an associate lecturer at the Université du Québec at Rimouski, and, later, a professor of Continuing Education at the Université de Moncton, Edmundston Campus teaching labour economics.

In her community, Ms. Ringuette was involved with numerous organizations. In 1986, she served as the first female President of La Foire Brayonne; in 1986-87, she was the Honourary president of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Madawaska Inc.; served as a director of the board of Cie des Jeunes Travailleurs du Nord-Ouest Inc. and a member of the board of Family Enrichment; was a member of the Cercle de Presse Internationale de la République and a member of the disciplinary committee of the New Brunswick Nurses Association. She is currently Honourary Co-Chair of the “Centre Aster”, an organization that promotes science to young Canadians.

In the course of her political career, Ms. Pierrette Ringuette has enjoyed the distinction of being the first Francophone woman in New Brunswick to be elected to the provincial Legislative Assembly having represented the provincial constituency of Madawaska-South from 1987 to 1993. She also enjoyed the distinction of being the first Francophone woman from New Brunswick to be elected to the federal Parliament having represented the federal constituency of Madawaska-Victoria from 1993 to 1997.

During her legislative career in the New Brunswick legislature, she served as deputy speaker from March 1988 until October 1991 and she was also a member of the Standing Committee on Crown Corporations, a member of the Standing Committee on Privileges, a member of the Special Committee on Economic Policy Development, Vice-President of the International Association of French-speaking Parliamentarians – New Brunswick Chapter, a member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and was also appointed to the New Brunswick Commission on Canadian Federalism.

Throughout her mandate as Member of Parliament, she was elected Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Official Languages, elected Chair of the Sub-Committee responsible for revising Communications for different House of Commons Committees, elected Chair of the Standing Committee on Official Languages and appointed Assistant Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Whole House. She was also a member of the Liaison Committee and was appointed Vice-Chair of the Policy Development Committee for the Liberal Party of Canada.

In 1997, Ms. Ringuette joined the Canada Post Corporation as Manager of the international trade development unit, taking part in a number of trade missions promoting Canadian expertise among foreign postal administrations.

On December 12, 2002, she was appointed to the Senate by the Rt. Honourable Jean Chrétien to the Senatorial Division of New Brunswick. As a Senator, she has been or still is: member of the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce, member of the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance, member of the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, member of the Joint Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations, member of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration, member of the Standing Committee on Energy, Environment and Natural Resources, member of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, member of the Standing Committee on Transport and Communications and a member of the Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament. She is also a Counselor of The Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas, Co-Chair of the Canada-Cuba Inter-Parliamentary Group. She was also Vice-Chair of the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Seasonal Work from 2003 to 2004.

On June 6, 2007, she received the grade of Officer of the Ordre de la Pléiade from the New Brunswick section of the Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie in recognition of her contribution to the development of francophone and Acadian culture.

On February 2nd, 2016, Senator Ringuette advised the Speaker that she will sit as an Independent Senator for New Brunswick.

Ms. Ringuette was born in 1955. She has one daughter.