Hedy Fry, Canada's oldest MP, is running for reelection. She got her start by taking down a PM
Among the grand old men and women of world politics, Paul Biya stands out as a record holder, the oldest serving state leader at age 92, and president of Cameroon since 1982.
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In America, where electoral politics is typically fairer, Chuck Grassley has been in office even longer, senator for Iowa since 1981, and he is chasing the late Strom Thurmond's astonishing record of having made it to age 100 in office, and the late Robert Byrd's record of serving in the Senate for more than 51 years.
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Canada, as usual, is not out there at the extremes of global politics, with neither the oldest politicians nor the youngest. (South Africa elected 20-year-old Cleo Wilskut to the National Assembly last year.)
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Hedy Fry is not even the longest serving Canadian MP up for re-election today. That honour is held by Louis Plamondon, 81, Canada's Dean of the House as the MP with the longest unbroken record of service, and his is the longest ever.
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But Plamondon represents the Bloc Québécois in Bécancour–Nicolet–Saurel–Alnôbak on the rural South Shore of the St. Lawrence River across from Trois-Rivières, as he has done since 1984. As a Liberal in central Vancouver, Fry's riding is arguably more vulnerable to changing political fortunes on the national scale, which makes her longevity as the longest serving female Member of Parliament all the more notable. Over the years, she has faced serious challengers from both the left and the right.
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Fry was a doctor when she ran against short-lived Progressive Conservative prime minister Kim Campbell in 1993, beating her by 31 per cent of votes to 25, marking the end of Campbell's time in elected office.
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She was named to cabinet in 1996 as minister for multiculturalism and the status of women. She came to the greatest public notice across Canada for inflammatory and false comments in the House of Commons, while speaking in 2001 to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
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'We can just go to British Columbia in Prince George, where crosses are being burned on lawns as we speak,' Fry said. That prompted an RCMP denial, general outrage, and an apology delivered in Parliament the next day.
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Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the country would meet its commitment in this fiscal year of hitting the two per cent of gross domestic product mark that was agreed upon by NATO countries more than a decade back. 'It's very encouraging that the prime minister has come out this early in his mandate and made such a strong commitment to defence,' said Vincent Rigby, a former top intelligence adviser to former prime minister Justin Trudeau, who spent 14 years with Canada's Department of National Defence. 'You've gone from the former prime minister talking about the two per cent as a crass mathematical calculation to the current prime minister saying, no, this is actually a serious commitment. We committed to it 10 years ago and even before that. And we have to do it because we owe it to our allies. But we also owe it to the Canadian people. He made it quite clear this is about protecting Canada, protecting our national interests and protecting our values.' Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. New spending could do a lot to improve crumbling military infrastructure, said Michel Maisonneuve, a retired Canadian Army lieutenant-general who has served as assistant deputy chief of defence staff, and chief of staff of NATO's Allied Command. 'The housing on bases is horrible,' Maisonneuve said. He's keen on Carney's plan to participate in the $234-billion ReArm Europe program. 'This will bolster our ability to produce stuff for ourselves' while also helping the Europeans to do the same, Maisonneuve said. 'All the tree huggers are going to hate that, but that's where we are today in the world.' Carney's cash injection includes $2.6 billion to recruit and retain military personnel. The military is short about 13,000 people. It aims to boost the regular force to 71,500 and the reserves to 30,000 by the end of this decade. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'There is no way we can protect Canada and Canadians with the strength that we have now,' Maisonneuve said. Carney promised investment in new submarines, aircraft, ships, vehicles and artillery. He also talked about adding money to the defence budget for new radar, drones, and sensors to monitor the seafloor and the Arctic. 'All in all, great promises; we'll just have to see what actually comes through,' Maisonneuve said. 'You can have as many drones as you want, if you want to hold terrain, if you want to protect yourself, you're going to need boots on the ground.' Prime Minister Mark Carney is flanked by Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan, left, and National Defence Minister David McGuinty during an announcement the Fort York Armoury in Toronto on June 9, 2025. Photo byCarney promised pay raises for those in uniform, but a technical briefing after his speech was short on details about who might get them. 'Corporal Bloggins needs a lot more than General Smith does,' said defence analyst David Perry, who heads the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'The senior ranks are pretty well compensated. The military has got an affordability cost-of-living issue in the lower ranks.' For people who have to move regularly, like many in uniform, 'the total compensation package hasn't kept pace with changing cost pressures,' Perry said. 'The military is having a difficult time both getting people in and keeping them there once they do join. So, I think depending on how the pay measures are actually structured, it could have quite a significant impact.' Canada spent about 1.45 per cent of its GDP on defence last year. If Canada's defence spending does hit two per of GDP by March of 2026, 'by then the target probably will have moved,' Rigby said. 'So, we've hit two per cent just as the target's likely to go to 3.5 per cent or even right up to five per cent if you throw in extra security capabilities … beyond pure defence.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. That will leave Canada 'playing serious catch up,' he said. NATO leaders are meeting later this month to discuss boosting military spending. 'Two per cent is not going to cut it in terms of where the rest of the alliance is,' Perry said. 'Pretty clearly there is a discussion about getting to a number much higher than that at the upcoming NATO summit. But given that we have been falling short of this now … 11-year-old target, I do think it's a good first step to help regain some Canadian credibility by putting the money in the window to actually get to the two per cent mark this fiscal year.' The other question is whether Canada be able to spend all of the promised money by next March, Rigby said. 'We all know that one of the problems over the last number of years is National Defence can't spend the money quickly enough.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) returns between hundreds of millions and over a billion dollars annually to central treasury, Perry told National Post earlier this year. Carney is creating a defence procurement agency to help in that respect, Rigby said. 'It's not easy setting up new agencies. There are big machinery issues. It costs money. You've got to find the people.' Read More Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here. Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks News News Sports
