Peter Penashue facts for kids

Peter Penashue (born April 9, 1964) is a Canadian politician. He comes from Newfoundland and Labrador. He was chosen as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Conservative Party of Canada. He represented the area called Labrador. This happened in the 2011 Canadian federal election.

Peter Penashue was the first Innu person from Labrador to become an MP. He was also the first Innu person to be a cabinet minister in Canada. A cabinet minister is a senior member of the government. He was also one of the few centre-right MPs elected from Labrador.

After some issues with his election campaign funding, Peter Penashue decided to step down on March 14, 2013. He then tried to win his seat back in a special election called a by-election. This by-election happened on May 13, 2013. However, he lost to Yvonne Jones from the Liberal Party. He tried to win the seat again in the 2015 federal election but was not successful.

Early Life and Education

Peter Penashue was born in Sheshatshiu, a community in Newfoundland and Labrador. His mother, Elizabeth, is a writer. He went to elementary and high school in Sheshatshiu. Later, he continued his studies in St. John's. He graduated from Brother Rice High School there. He also studied at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Leadership in the Innu Community

Peter Penashue took on many important roles in the Innu community of Labrador. He worked as a director for land claims. He was also an executive director and financial administrator for the Naskapi Montagnais Innu.

He became the President of the Innu Nation when he was 26 years old. He served as the Grand Chief of the Innu Nation for twelve years. This was from 1990 to 1997 and again from 1999 to 2004. During this time, he helped create an important agreement. This agreement was between the Innu Nation and the Voisey's Bay Nickel Company. He was also chosen as the Deputy Grand Chief of the Innu Nation in 2007. He stepped down from this role on March 9, 2010.

Time in Federal Politics

Peter Penashue was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 2011 Canadian federal election. He won the seat for the Labrador area. At first, it looked like the Liberal candidate, Todd Russell, would win. But after all the votes were counted, Peter Penashue won by a small number of votes. His win was confirmed after a recount.

Peter Penashue was one of two Innu people in the Canadian Parliament at that time. The other was Jonathan Genest-Jourdain. He was a New Democratic Party MP from a nearby area in Quebec.

Serving as a Cabinet Minister

Peter Penashue was a Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. He was also the President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada. He held these important positions from May 18, 2011, until he resigned on March 14, 2013.

Election Campaign Issues

During his 2011 election campaign, there were issues with how it was funded. His campaign received money and services that were not allowed by election rules. These contributions came from a company called Provincial Airlines.

Because of these issues, Peter Penashue's campaign had to pay back money. They paid $26,850 in November 2012 and $18,710 in March 2013 to the Canadian government. Also, his campaign had an interest-free loan from a company managed by his brother-in-law. Interest-free loans are not allowed under Canadian election law. The Conservative Party later helped his campaign pay off this loan.

On March 14, 2013, Peter Penashue resigned from Parliament. He then tried to win his seat back in a special election. This election happened on May 13, 2013. However, he lost to Yvonne Jones from the Liberal Party.

In July 2015, several companies admitted they had made illegal donations to his 2011 campaign. Peter Penashue's campaign manager from 2011 faced charges related to accepting these contributions. Peter Penashue said he felt bad for his former campaign manager.

On September 3, 2015, Peter Penashue ran again as the Conservative candidate for Labrador. He ran against Yvonne Jones once more in the 2015 Canadian federal election. He lost this election by a large margin. He finished in third place.

After his time in federal politics, Peter Penashue continued to be involved in his community. He served on a committee that looked into health concerns. This committee was related to the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project.