{{Short description|Canadian lawyer, professor, and politician}} '''Penny Dorothy Collenette''' {{postnom|CM|OOnt}} (born May 20, 1950, in Oakville, Ontario) is a Canadian lawyer, adjunct professor and political figure of the Liberal Party of Canada.
== Biography == The wife of former Liberal Member of Parliament and cabinet minister David Collenette,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/penny-collenette-to-seek-liberal-nomination-in-ottawa-centre-1.576077 |title=Penny Collenette to seek nomination in Ottawa Centre |accessdate=2007-08-26 }}{{dead link|date=July 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
She was vice-chair of the human rights committee for Liberal International in 1987, and director of volunteers for Jean Chrétien’s leadership race in 1984 and campaign director in the successful 1990 bid, as well as national director and director of legal services for the Liberal Party of Canada in the 1993 election.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.media.uottawa.ca/mediaroom/news-details_175.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140530220643/http://www.media.uottawa.ca/mediaroom/news-details_175.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2014-05-30 |title=Penny Collenette appointed Executive-in-Residence at the University of Ottawa |accessdate=2007-08-26 }}</ref> She was subsequently named Director of Appointments for the Prime Minister's office, making hundreds of appointments over four years on the job.<ref>[http://74.125.45.104/search?q=cache:eZ_D3YkfGQUJ:www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm%3FPgNm%3DTCE%26Params%3DM1ARTM0011008+penny+collenette+appointments+patronage&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5] {{dead link|date=May 2014}}</ref> she sought, and won, the 2008 Liberal nomination over community activist and businessman Scott Bradley for the riding of Ottawa Centre, which was held by Paul Dewar of the New Democratic Party.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pennycollenette.ca/home/home_en.asp |title=Penny Collenette: Your Ottawa Centre Federal Liberal Candidate |accessdate=2007-08-26 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006200453/http://www.pennycollenette.ca/home/home_en.asp |archivedate=October 6, 2007 }}</ref> She came in second to Dewar in the election.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elections.ca/scripts/OVR2008/31/7419.html|accessdate=2014-05-30|title=FORTIETH GENERAL ELECTION 2008 — Poll-by-poll results - ONTARIO - Ottawa Centre}}</ref>
In 2013, Collenette was admitted to the Order of Ontario for her work in ethics and human rights.<ref name=OoO>{{cite news|url=http://globalnews.ca/news/1103558/david-cronenberg-paul-henderson-among-those-named-to-order-of-ontario/|title=David Cronenberg, Paul Henderson among those named to Order of Ontario|author=The Canadian Press|date=2014-01-23}}</ref>
She was made a Member of the Order of Canada on December 31, 2025.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gg.ca/en/appointments-order-canada-december-2025|title=Order of Canada Appointees – December 31, 2025}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collenette, Penny}} Category:1950 births Category:Canadian Anglicans Category:Carleton University alumni Category:Candidates in the 2008 Canadian federal election Category:Living people Category:Members of the Order of Ontario Category:Ontario candidates for Member of Parliament Category:People from Oakville, Ontario Category:Spouses of Canadian politicians Category:Academic staff of the University of Ottawa Category:Women in Ontario politics Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians Category:Liberal Party of Canada candidates for the Canadian House of Commons Category:Members of the Order of Canada Category:Lawyers from Ottawa Category:Politicians from Ottawa