Pana Merchant | |
|---|---|
| Senator for Saskatchewan | |
| In office December 12, 2002 – March 31, 2017 | |
| Nominated by | Jean Chrétien |
| Appointed by | Adrienne Clarkson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Pana Papas Merchant April 2, 1943 Greece |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Political party | Senate Liberal Caucus |
| Other political affiliations | Liberal (until 2014) |
| Spouse | Anthony Merchant |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Saskatchewan |
| Alma mater | University of Saskatchewan University of Regina |
| Occupation | Senator |
| Profession | teacher, 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]