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Jenna Sudds

Canadian politician (born 1979) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jenna Sudds (born February 8, 1979)[3][4] is a Canadian politician who has been the member of Parliament (MP) for Kanata since 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, Sudds was the minister of families, children and social development from 2023 to 2025. Previously, Sudds was an Ottawa City Councillor, representing Ward 4 Kanata North from 2018 to 2021 and served as a deputy mayor from 2020 to 2021.[5]

Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byKarina Gould
Succeeded bySteve MacKinnon
Preceded byKaren McCrimmon
Quick facts Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Services and Procurement, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State (Defence Procurement) ...
Jenna Sudds
Jenna Sudds in 2021
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Services and Procurement
Assumed office
June 5, 2025
Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State (Defence Procurement)
Assumed office
June 5, 2025
Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
In office
July 26, 2023[1]  March 14, 2025
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byKarina Gould
Succeeded bySteve MacKinnon
Member of Parliament
for Kanata
Kanata—Carleton (2021–2025)
Assumed office
September 20, 2021
Preceded byKaren McCrimmon
Ottawa City Councillor
for Kanata North (Ward 4)
In office
December 1, 2018  September 20, 2021
Preceded byMarianne Wilkinson
Succeeded byCathy Curry (appointed)
Deputy Mayor of Ottawa
In office
December 9, 2020  September 20, 2021
Serving with Laura Dudas and George Darouze
MayorJim Watson
Preceded byMatthew Luloff
Succeeded byVacant
Personal details
Born (1979-02-08) February 8, 1979 (age 47)
PartyLiberal
SpouseTim[2] McDonald[citation needed]
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Career

Sudds grew up in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Sudds attended Brock University in St. Catharines and moved to the National Capital Region in 2001 to complete her master's degree in economics at Carleton University.[6] Sudds worked as an economist in the federal government for twelve years before becoming the inaugural President and executive director of the Kanata North Business Association, after being appointed to the role by a hiring committee that consisted of her predecessor on Council, Marianne Wilkinson.[7] From November 2017 to November 2018, Sudds was the inaugural executive director at the CIO Strategy Council, a national technology council.[8] In March 2018, she announced her decision to run for Ottawa City Council, Kanata North. In December 2020, she was appointed to serve as Deputy Mayor of Ottawa.[9][10]

Sudds has been a longtime volunteer with the Kanata Food Cupboard and the Ottawa Network for Education. She has received a Special Recognition Award from the Kanata Food Cupboard for her leadership and service to those in need in the community. She received a Forty Under 40 Award from the Ottawa Business Journal and the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce in 2015, and was named one of Development Counsellors International's Top 40 under 40 working in economic development in 2017.[11] On March 14, Ottawa MP Jenna Sudds was shuffled out of cabinet.

The removal of Sudds, who was minister of Families, Children and Social Development, came the morning of March 14 as new Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled a leaner cabinet with nearly half the number of ministers.

Politics

Sudds was elected as a Liberal in Kanata—Carleton in the 2021 Canadian federal election, replacing outgoing Liberal Member of Parliament Karen McCrimmon.[12]

44th Parliament

Sudds was appointed to serve as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Women, Gender Equality, and Youth by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on December 3, 2021.[11] Sudds sat on the Standing Committee on the Status of Women as a voting member from December 1, 2021 through September 25, 2023.[13]

Throughout her tenure, Sudds has seconded and voted in favour of legislation which sought to advance women's rights, affordable housing, and worker's rights.[14] She supported legislation to ban the practice of conversion therapy, which passed the House of Commons in a unanimous vote.[15] She is a strong supporter of economic actions to strengthen Canada's technology sector, particularly semiconductor fabrication and critical mineral development.[16]

In foreign policy, she has supported sanctions against Russian political leaders and oligarchs in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, and sanctions against Iran following the Mahsa Amini protests.[17]

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sudds, like many other Canadian Parliamentarians, was sanctioned by government of Russia after the Canadian government sanctioned many Russian officials close to Vladimir Putin over his Ukrainian invasion.[18]

Awards

Electoral record

Federal

More information Party, Candidate ...
2025 Canadian federal election: Kanata
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalJenna Sudds45,24460.76+17.60
ConservativeGreg Kung26,55735.67+1.18
New DemocraticMelissa Simon1,7022.29–12.41
GreenJennifer Purdy8351.12–1.42
CentristMoinuddin Siddiqui1220.16N/A
Total valid votes 74,46099.39
Total rejected ballots 4570.61-0.04
Turnout 74,91778.33+5.82
Eligible voters 95,641
Liberal hold Swing +9.39
Source: Elections Canada[21][22]
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More information 2021 Canadian federal election: Kanata—Carleton, Party ...
2021 Canadian federal election: Kanata—Carleton
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalJenna Sudds26,39441.8−1.5
ConservativeJennifer McAndrew24,37338.6+2.1
New DemocraticMelissa Coenraad8,82214.0+1.5
People'sScott Miller1,8582.9+1.5
GreenJennifer Purdy1,7092.7−3.9
Total valid votes 63,156
Total rejected ballots 372
Turnout 63,52873.52
Eligible voters 86,404
Liberal hold Swing −1.8
Source: Elections Canada[23]
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2018 Ottawa municipal election

More information Council candidate, Vote ...
Council candidate Vote %
    Jenna Sudds5,29846.68
    Matt Muirhead3,63432.02
    David Gourlay2,33520.57
    Lorne Neufeldt560.49
    Philip Bloedow270.24
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Personal life

Sudds is married and has three daughters.[2]

References

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