Marilyn Gladu (''née'' McInerney; born 1962) is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
politician who has been the
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...
for
Sarnia—Lambton
Sarnia—Lambton (formerly known as Sarnia) is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968.
It is located in the area of the city of Sarnia, in the southwest corner of ...
since 2015. She was elected to the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...
in the
2015 Canadian federal election
The 2015 Canadian federal election held on October 19, 2015, saw the Liberal Party, led by Justin Trudeau, win 184 seats, allowing it to form a majority government with Trudeau becoming the next prime minister.
The election was held to elect ...
and served in
Andrew Scheer
Andrew James Scheer (born May 20, 1979) is a Canadian politician who has served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Regina—Qu'Appelle since 2004. Scheer served as the 35th speaker of the House of Commons from 2011 to 2015, and was the lead ...
's Official Opposition in the
42nd Parliament of Canada.
Career
Gladu was a professional
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...
who worked for
Dow Chemical for 21 years, in a variety of roles locally and globally. She then became engineering manager and subsequently the director of engineering at
Suncor
Suncor Energy (french: Suncor Énergie) is a Canadian integrated energy company based in Calgary, Alberta. It specializes in production of synthetic crude from oil sands. In the 2020 Forbes Global 2000, Suncor Energy was ranked as the 48th-lar ...
before taking a consultant role at
WorleyParsons
WorleyParsons Limited, branded as Worley after completing the acquisition of Jacobs' Energy, Chemicals & Resources (ECR) division, is an American Australian engineering company which provides project delivery and consulting services to the ...
. During her career, Gladu was the chair for the Canadian Society of Chemical Engineers locally, and the national director of science and industrial policy for the same organization. She has been on the dean's advisory council for the Faculty of Engineering at
Queen's University.
In 2016, she sponsored a
private member's bill (C-277), "An Act providing for the development of a framework on palliative care in Canada" which became law in December 2017.
She currently serves as both the Official Opposition's critic for health and as chair of the
Standing Committee on the Status of Women. Under the previous leadership of
Rona Ambrose
Ronalee Ambrose Veitch ( , Name at birth, née Chapchuk; born March 15, 1969) is a Canadian former politician who was Interim leader (Canada), interim leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Conservative Party and the Leader of the Official ...
, Gladu was the Official Opposition critic for science.
She was a "vocal adversary" of the Liberal government's
plan to legalize cannabis, and read a poem to that effect, urging MPs to "keep our great country safe from all the weed."
In the October 2019 election, she was elected for a second term for the
Sarnia—Lambton
Sarnia—Lambton (formerly known as Sarnia) is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968.
It is located in the area of the city of Sarnia, in the southwest corner of ...
riding. In January 2020, she declared her intention to run in the
2020 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election. She dropped out on March 25, 2020.
In February 2020, she suggested that the Canadian government should send in the military to end the
pipeline protests along railways.
In April 2020, Gladu sparked controversy in an interview with Melanie Irwin of
Blackburn Radio
Blackburn Radio, Inc. is a Canadian radio broadcasting group, which owns several radio stations in Southwestern Ontario. Headquartered in London, Ontario, the company is owned by 2061302 Ontario Limited, which is majority owned by Cogent Invest ...
by promoting a controversial and unproven treatment for COVID-19. At that time, Gladu referred to the treatment of “
hydroxychloroquine
Hydroxychloroquine, sold under the brand name Plaquenil among others, is a medication used to prevent and treat malaria in areas where malaria remains sensitive to chloroquine. Other uses include treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, an ...
, with
azithromycin
Azithromycin, sold under the brand names Zithromax (in oral form) and Azasite (as an eye drop), is an antibiotic medication used for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections. This includes middle ear infections, strep throat, pneumo ...
and
zinc sulphate” as having a “nearly 100 per cent recovery rate”. She then refused further comment on the matter. Sarnia Mayor
Mike Bradley called Gladu's comments "surprising, disappointing and not reflective of what medical experts in Canada and the United States have been saying."
In June 2021, Gladu publicly opposed and voted agains
Bill C-6 an act that would end the practice of
conversion therapy
Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to align with heterosexual and cisgender norms. In contrast to evidence-based medicine and cl ...
in Canada. The Bill passed in the House of Commons but did not pass through the Senate.
In November, 2021, Gladu created a "civil liberties" caucus of Conserative MPs and Senators "to raise the concerns of the unvaccinated in Canada".
In addition to English, Gladu speaks French.
Awards and recognition
In 2016, Gladu was honored by ''
Maclean's
''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian persp ...
'' as the most collegial MP of 2016, "Increasingly known for her pragmatic approach, the rookie MP for
Sarnia–Lambton is a loyal Conservative who consistently works across party lines."
Electoral record
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gladu, Marilyn
Year of birth uncertain
1960s births
Living people
Conservative Party of Canada MPs
Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario
Women members of the House of Commons of Canada
Canadian chemical engineers
Canadian women engineers
Dow Chemical Company employees
Sunoco LP people
Canadian management consultants
People from Lambton County
Women in Ontario politics
21st-century Canadian politicians
21st-century Canadian women politicians