Denise Batters
Denise Batters | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Senator for Saskatchewan | |
| Assumed office January 25, 2013 | |
| Nominated by | Stephen Harper |
| Appointed by | David Johnston |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 18, 1970 Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Dave Batters (m. 1997-2009) |
| Profession | Lawyer, politician |
Denise Leanne Batters (born June 18, 1970) is a Canadian senator named to the Senate of Canada to represent Saskatchewan on January 25, 2013.[1] She is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada.[1]
Early life and education
Born in Regina, Batters received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Regina in 1991.[2] In 1994, she obtained her Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Saskatchewan,[citation needed] and was admitted to the bar in 1995.[3]
Legal career
Batters was in private practice until 2007 and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2008.[3] From 2007 to 2012, she served as the Chief of Staff to Saskatchewan Minister of Justice Don Morgan.[3] From 2012 to 2013, Batters worked for Saskatchewan's Crown Investments Corporation as executive director of regulatory affairs.[4]
Mental health advocate
On June 29, 2009, Batters' husband, former Palliser Conservative Member of Parliament Dave Batters, died by suicide at the age of 39.[5] In the wake of his death, Denise Batters became a mental health advocate. She organized a number of Dave Batters Memorial Golf Tournaments, which raised more than $195,000 for mental illness awareness and suicide prevention.[6] Denise directed the proceeds of these fundraisers towards the production of a television commercial aimed at men aged 30–50 struggling with anxiety and depression.[7] In 2012, she testified before the House of Commons Health Committee in support of a national suicide prevention framework.[8] Denise Batters was awarded the Canadian Association on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) Champion of Mental Health Award (Parliamentarian) in 2015.[9] In October 2017, she received a "Difference Maker" award from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) for her work in the area of mental health.[10]
Senator
In January 2013, she was appointed to the Senate of Canada on the advice of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.[11] Senator Batters currently serves as the Deputy Chair of the Senate Standing Committee of Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration.[6] She is also a member of the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, the Senate Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament, and the Subcommittee on Senate Communications.[6]
Personal life
Denise Batters met her future husband, Dave Batters, in 1989, while they were crossing the street at a political convention.[12] They married in 1997. Dave Batters served as the Conservative Member of Parliament for the federal Saskatchewan riding of Palliser from 2004-2008. After a battle with depression and anxiety, Dave died by suicide in 2009.[13]
References
- ^ a b "'Harper majority' now sits in Senate". canoe.ca, January 25, 2013.
- ^ "University of Regina - External Relations". ourspace.uregina.ca. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
- ^ a b c "Senate of Canada - Senator Denise Batters". Senate of Canada. Retrieved 2018-10-08.
- ^ "Stephen Harper appoints five new senators". Toronto Star, January 25, 2012.
- ^ "Former MP Dave Batters takes own life | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 2018-10-08.
- ^ a b c Canada, Senate of. "Senate of Canada - Senator Denise Batters". Senate of Canada. Retrieved 2018-10-08.
- ^ "A Soul Mate Remembers and Fuels the Suicide Prevention Movement in Canada | (collateral damage)". leftbehindbysuicide.org. Retrieved 2018-10-08.
- ^ "Evidence - HESA (41-1) - No. 33 - House of Commons of Canada". Retrieved 2018-10-08.
- ^ "Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health | Champions of Mental Health". www.camimh.ca. Retrieved 2018-10-08.
- ^ "Announcing Mental Health Difference Makers from Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan". Retrieved 2018-10-08.
- ^ "PM Harper appoints 5 new senators | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 2018-10-08.
- ^ "MP's widow pleads for suicide prevention plan | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
- ^ Kozlowski, Joanne (Spring 2013). ""Denise Batters: An Appointment to the Senate"" (PDF). Campion College at University of Regina. Retrieved October 14, 2018.