Susan Kadis
{{Short description|Canadian politician (born 1953)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Susan Kadis
| image =
| riding = Thornhill
| term_start = 2004
| term_end = 2008
| predecessor = Elinor Caplan
| successor = Peter Kent
| party = Liberal
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|1|11}}
| birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| profession = Newspaper publisher, volunteer worker
| residence = Thornhill, Ontario
| honorific_prefix = The Honourable
| office = Member of Parliament
}}
Susan R. Kadis (born January 11, 1953) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. She was the Liberal Member of Parliament for Thornhill in the House of Commons of Canada from 2004-08.
Background
Born in Toronto, Ontario, she received a Bachelor of Sociology from York University. A breast cancer survivor,{{cite web|url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/39-1/house/sitting-41/hansard|title=39th PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION, EDITED HANSARD • NUMBER 041, Thursday, June 15, 2006}}[http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/eppp-archive/100/205/300/liberal-ef/05-05-24/www.liberal.ca/bio_e.aspx@&id=35089 Kadis profile, including breast cancer history], collectionscanada.gc.ca; accessed April 28, 2014. she has served on the board of directors of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
In the late 1980s, Kadis was appointed as co-chair of a community group called Parents Advocating Student Success. She called for a provincial investigation into the practices of the York Board of Education and sought help from Ontario Education Minister Sean Conway.{{cite news|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/472876601.html?dids=472876601:472876601&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jul+15%2C+1987&author=Lynne+Ainsworth+Toronto+Star&pub=Toronto+Star&edition=&startpage=A.7&desc=Angry+Thornhill+parents+ask+ministry+to+probe+school|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001062548/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/472876601.html?dids=472876601:472876601&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jul+15,+1987&author=Lynne+Ainsworth+Toronto+Star&pub=Toronto+Star&edition=&startpage=A.7&desc=Angry+Thornhill+parents+ask+ministry+to+probe+school|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 1, 2007|title=Angry Thornhill parents ask ministry to probe school|date=July 15, 1987}} She claimed the board was anti-Semitic, based on allegations {{clarify|date=April 2014}} that there were a disproportionate number of students of the Jewish faith who failed a grade, including her own son.{{cite news| url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/472885101.html?dids=472885101:472885101&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jul+16%2C+1987&author=Sterling+Taylor+Toronto+Star&pub=Toronto+Star&edition=&startpage=A.7&desc=Racial+bias+said+factor+in+school%27s+failure+rate| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001044947/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/472885101.html?dids=472885101:472885101&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jul+16,+1987&author=Sterling+Taylor+Toronto+Star&pub=Toronto+Star&edition=&startpage=A.7&desc=Racial+bias+said+factor+in+school%27s+failure+rate| url-status=dead| archive-date=October 1, 2007|title=Racial bias said factor in school's failure rate|date=July 16, 1987}} She succeeded in getting the province to investigate. As a result, the province then retested the students that had originally failed a grade.{{cite news|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/472967281.html?dids=472967281:472967281&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Aug+26%2C+1987&author=Lynne+Ainsworth+Toronto+Star&pub=Toronto+Star&edition=&startpage=A.14&desc=23+students+who+flunked+to+be+retested+next+week|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130201004245/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/472967281.html?dids=472967281:472967281&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Aug+26,+1987&author=Lynne+Ainsworth+Toronto+Star&pub=Toronto+Star&edition=&startpage=A.14&desc=23+students+who+flunked+to+be+retested+next+week|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 1, 2013|title=23 Students Who Flunked To Be Retested Next Week|date=August 26, 1987}}
In 1995, she started a local newspaper called the Thornhill Times that published for one year, closing in 1996. She is a cousin of Lorne Michaels, the executive producer and creator of Saturday Night Live.[http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/canada/article.jsp?content=20061120_136750_136750 Maclean's magazine: Capital diary: week starting Nov. 10]{{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
Political career
=Municipal=
In 1988 Kadis was elected as a York School Board Trustee. She served as a school board trustee in Vaughan from 1988 to 1994. From 1997 to 2004, she was a municipal councillor.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vaughan.ca/council/Pages/Past-Council-Members.aspx|title = Past Members of Council}}
=Provincial=
Kadis ran for the provincial Liberal Party nomination for the riding of Thornhill in 2003, but was defeated by fellow municipal councillor Mario Racco.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cjnews.com/news/canada/two-liberals-back-martow-thornhill-race|title = Two Liberals back Martow in Thornhill race}}
=Federal=
She was elected to the House of Commons as a Liberal candidate in the 2004 federal election on June 28, 2004, in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) riding of Thornhill. She officially resigned her position as city councillor after being elected.{{cite web |url=http://www.city.vaughan.on.ca/vaughan/council/minutes_agendas/committee_2004/pdf/CWA0907_27.pdf |title=Minutes of the City of Vaughan Committee of the Whole for September 7, 2004 which contains Susan Kadis' resignation letter |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060921012924/http://www.city.vaughan.on.ca/vaughan/council/minutes_agendas/committee_2004/pdf/CWA0907_27.pdf |archive-date=September 21, 2006 }} During that session of Parliament, Kadis was elected chair of the Liberal Party's GTA caucus as well as chair of the standing committee on the status of women. One of her accomplishments as MP was successfully introducing a bill that created a national Alzheimer's strategy.{{cite web|url=http://www.alzheimer.ca/english/media/nationalstrategy-background.htm|title=Description of National Strategy at Alzheimers.ca|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060927033537/http://www.alzheimer.ca/english/media/nationalstrategy-background.htm|archive-date=2006-09-27}}
In May 2005, the Liberal Women's Caucus criticized some opposition Conservative members for making sexist remarks regarding Belinda Stronach's defection to the Liberal party. Kadis said "...criticism is expected, understandable. Sexism is not. The bottom line is that Ms. Stronach's statements were not gender-based, but the response, disappointingly, was very much overtly gender-based."{{cite web|url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1116429952346_14/?hub=TopStories|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129040438/https://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1116429952346_14?hub=TopStories|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 29, 2021|title=CTV article "Women's caucus calls Belinda backlash 'sexist.'"}} She also appeared in an interview, defending Governor General Michaëlle Jean against allegations of separatism.{{cite web |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20050817_jean_comments_050816/?hub=TopStories |title=CTV interview with Susan Kadis about Michaëlle Jean's separatist tie |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060211150338/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20050817_jean_comments_050816/?hub=TopStories |archive-date=2006-02-11 }}
Kadis had announced that she would be endorsing MP Michael Ignatieff for the 2006 Liberal leadership election and had been appointed as his GTA co-chair for his campaign. However, on October 11, Kadis, a member of both the Liberal Parliamentarians for Israel and Canada Israel Friendship Group, withdrew her support over comments made by Ignatieff on the war in Lebanon.{{cite web|url=http://michaelignatieff.ca/MiCommunity/blogs/ontherecord/archive/2006/05/04/345.aspx|title=Kadis's endorsement of Ignatieff}}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/mp-withdraws-support-for-ignatieff-over-war-crimes-comment/article20415530/ MP withdraws support for Ignatieff over 'war crimes' comment], Scott Deveau, Globe and Mail, October 11, 2006 She later endorsed Bob Rae{{cite news |author= |date=October 27, 2006 |title=Former Ignatieff co-chair throws support behind Rae |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/former-ignatieff-co-chair-throws-support-behind-rae-1.627453 |work=CBC News |location= |access-date=February 17, 2024}} and, following Rae's loss on the 3rd ballot, she endorsed Stéphane Dion.
In the 2006 federal election, Kadis was re-elected as the MP in Thornhill with 53% of the vote. Kadis obtained 29,934 votes, achieving about 11,000 votes over any other candidate. During her time in opposition, she served as associate critic for infrastructure and communities and later as critic for science and research. She served as Vice-Chair of the Public Safety and Security Committee.{{cite web|url=http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/membersofparliament/ProfileMP.aspx?Key=78361&SubSubject=1003&Language=E|title=Member of Parliament Profile (current)}}
Kadis was appointed to the Caucus Committee on Economic Prosperity and Vice Chair of the Health Committee after Stéphane Dion's election as party leader. In addition, she was appointed the chair of a Task Force on Cultural Communities-at-Risk. She was not included in Dion's Shadow Cabinet until January 23, 2008, when she was appointed Critic for National Revenue.[http://www.liberal.ca/story_13505_e.aspx Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion Shuffles Critics in Anticipation of Upcoming Session] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080205052629/http://www.liberal.ca/story_13505_e.aspx |date=2008-02-05 }} In the 2008 federal election, she was defeated by Conservative candidate Peter Kent by more than 5,200 votes.
=Endorsements=
Kadis endorsed Vaughan, Ontario Mayor Michael Di Biase in his unsuccessful bid for re-election during the 2006 Vaughan municipal election.[http://www.michaeldibiase.ca/endorsements.html Michael DiBiase Campaign endorsements]
Kadis endorsed a number of candidates in the 2007 Ontario general election. She endorsed former Thornhill Liberal MPP Mario Racco in his unsuccessful bid for re-election[http://raccoliberal.ca Mario Racco Campaign endorsements] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070925040026/http://www.raccoliberal.ca/ |date=2007-09-25 }} and successful Richmond Hill Liberal candidate Reza Moridi.[http://www.rezamoridi.com Reza Moridi 'What People Say"] She endorsed successful Progressive Conservative candidate Gila Martow in the 2014 provincial by-election and again endorsed her in her successful bid for re-election in the 2014 Ontario general election.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cjnews.com/news/canada/two-liberals-back-martow-thornhill-race|title = Two Liberals back Martow in Thornhill race}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Wikinews|CanadaVOTES: Liberal incumbent Susan Kadis running in Thornhill}}
- {{Canadian Parliament links|ID=15021}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060215195702/http://www.howdtheyvote.ca/member.php?id=147 How'd they Vote? Voting record and statements in the House of Commons] (javascript video)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kadis, Susan}}
Category:Women members of the House of Commons of Canada
Category:Jewish Canadian politicians
Category:Liberal Party of Canada MPs
Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario
Category:Politicians from Toronto
Category:Women municipal councillors in Ontario
Category:York University alumni
Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada
Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians