orig. Avril Phaedra Campbell
born March 10, 1947, Port Alberni, B.C., Can.
Prime minister of Canada (1993).
She taught political science at the University of British Columbia and practiced law for two years before turning to politics. In 1988 she was elected to the federal parliament as a Progressive Conservative. Under Prime Minister Brian Mulroney , she became minister for Indian affairs (1989), attorney general (1990), and defense minister (1993). Upon Mulroney's retirement in June 1993, she became Canada's first female prime minister and the first prime minister from the West Coast. Her tenure was brief; in November her party suffered a heavy defeat, and she resigned as party leader.