Carla Qualtrough

Qualtrough was born in Calgary, Alberta, on October 15, 1971, to parents Patricia and Harry Qualtrough, and was raised in Langley, British Columbia.^[1] Qualtrough has been visually impaired since birth and only sees 10 percent with her glasses on.^[2] She graduated from Brookswood Secondary School^[3] and studied political science at the University of Ottawa^[4] before earning a law degree from the University of Victoria in 1997.^[5][6] Her parents separated when she was a teenager and her father died in 2007.^[7]

Paralympic career

Qualtrough's visual impairment qualified her to compete in the Paralympic Games. She earned three bronze medals in swimming at the 1988 and 1992 Summer Paralympics, as well as four world championship medals for Team Canada.^[8] During the Paralympics, she swam in the 4x100 medley relay and 4x100 freestyle relay.^[1]

After earning her law degree, Qualtrough served on the governing board of the Americas Paralympic Committee.^[9] She also served as president of the Canadian Paralympic Committee from 2006 to 2011.^[8] During this time, she also directed Sport Initiatives for 2010 Legacies Now and Chaired the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada, leading to her election as one of Canada's Most Influential Women in Sport of 2009.^[10][11]

As a lawyer, Qualtrough primarily focused on human rights matters. She served as counsel to the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal and the Canadian Human Rights Commission, and prior to her election to the House of Commons, she was the vice-chair of British Columbia's Workers' Compensation Appeal Tribunal.^[1] In recognition of her work, she was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.^[12] During the 2012 Summer Paralympics, she was the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) legal officer and later received the IPCs International Women's Day Recognition in 2016.^[13] In 2021, Qualtrough became part of the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame.^[14]

Qualtrough was first elected as Member of Parliament for Delta on October 19, 2015. She was the first Paralympic athlete to be elected to Canada's Parliament.^[1] On November 4, 2015, she was named minister of sport and persons with disabilities in the 29th Canadian Ministry, headed by Justin Trudeau.^[15] During her tenure, Qualtrough was inducted into the Canadian Paralympic Committee's Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame in 2017.^[16]

In a cabinet shuffle triggered by the resignation of Judy Foote, Qualtrough succeeded Foote as minister of public services and procurement on August 28, 2017; Kent Hehr then took over as minister of sport and persons with disabilities.^[17][18] After the cabinet shuffle on July 18, 2018, Qualtrough retained her ministerial position but gained the added portfolio of accessibility, styled as "minister of public services and procurement and accessibility".^[19]

After Jane Philpott's resignation from cabinet on March 5, 2019, Qualtrough was appointed Acting President of the Treasury Board, filling the role until the appointment of Joyce Murray on March 18.^[20] The November 20, 2019, cabinet shuffle had Qualtrough become minister of employment, workforce development and disability inclusion, building on her work in the accessibility portfolio.^[21]

Qualtrough returned to the sport portfolio in the July 26, 2023, cabinet shuffle, replacing Pascale St-Onge as minister of sport and physical activity.^[22]

On October 17, 2024, she announced her retirement at the 2025 Canadian federal election.^[23] She left Cabinet in the December 20, 2024, cabinet shuffle.^[24] She stood down at the 2025 Canadian federal election and was succeeded by fellow Liberal candidate Jill McKnight.^[25]

Qualtrough is married to the former secretary-general of the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation, Eron Main, and they have four children together.^[26]