Pana Merchant

Pana Merchant
Senator for Saskatchewan
In office
December 12, 2002 – March 31, 2017
Nominated byJean Chrétien
Appointed byAdrienne Clarkson
Personal details
Born
Pana Papas Merchant

(1943-04-02) April 2, 1943 (age 81)
Greece
NationalityCanadian
Political partySenate Liberal Caucus
Other political
affiliations
Liberal (until 2014)
SpouseAnthony Merchant
Children3
ResidenceSaskatchewan
Alma materUniversity of Saskatchewan
University of Regina
OccupationSenator
Professionteacher, businessperson

Pana Pappas Merchant (born April 2, 1943) was a Liberal Senator from the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. She held the position since her appointment to the Senate by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien in 2002 until her retirement in 2017.[1]

On January 29, 2014, Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau announced all Liberal Senators, including Merchant, were removed from the Liberal caucus, and would continue sitting as Independents.[2] The Senators refer to themselves as the Senate Liberal Caucus even though they are no longer members of the parliamentary Liberal caucus.[3]

Pana Merchant was a longtime member of the Board of Directors of The Parliamentary Network, a founding and long term member of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, and a longtime member of the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association.

Senator Pana announced her resignation from the Senate on March 31, 2017, approximately a year ahead of her mandatory retirement date.[4]

  1. ^ "Pana Merchant". Senator Biography. Senate of Canada. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  2. ^ "Justin Trudeau removes senators from Liberal caucus | CBC News".
  3. ^ "Trudeau's expulsion catches Liberal senators by surprise". Globe and Mail. January 29, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  4. ^ "Debates of the Senate of Canada". The Speaker of the Senate. 30 March 2017.