Barbara Sullivan

Sullivan was educated at the Carleton University School of Journalism, and worked as a journalist and later as a public affairs consultant.^[1] She lived in Hamilton, Ontario. Prior to her election to the Ontario Legislature, she was Principal Secretary to the Treasurer (Minister of Finance) in Ontario, serving both as chief of staff and lead policy advisor to the Minister. She was past director and vice-chair of Bird Studies Canada, chaired the Board of Directors of the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, patron of Sheridan College's Performing Arts program, and Commissioner and Acting Chair of the Commission on Election Finances in Ontario.^{[citation needed]}

She was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1987 provincial election, defeating her Progressive Conservative opponent in Halton Centre by over 6,000 votes amid a landslide Liberal majority at the provincial level.^[2] Sullivan served in the government of Premier David Peterson as the government caucus chair, parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Labour from 1988 to 1989, and chair of the Select Committee on Energy in the Ontario legislature. She also represented the elected members of the governing Liberal Party on the legislature's Board of Internal Economy.^{[citation needed]}

The Liberals were defeated by the New Democratic Party in the provincial election of 1990. Sullivan retained her riding by 1,215 votes over a challenger from the Progressive Conservatives,^[3] and served as her party's Environment Critic and Health Critic from 1990 to 1995.^{[citation needed]}

Sullivan lost her riding to PC candidate Terence Young in the provincial election of 1995.^[4] Sullivan attempted to return to the legislature in the 2003 provincial election but lost to Progressive Conservative incumbent Ted Chudleigh in the newly redistributed riding of Halton.^[5]