A former Windsor area MPP is now a Canadian Senator.
Sandra Pupatello was appointed to Senate on Friday along with four others.
She is a former Ontario Liberal MPP and cabinet minister.
Pupatello was first elected in 1995 in the riding of Windsor-Sandwich, which was later renamed to Windsor West and held on to the seat in the until 2011.
Speaking on AM800's Mornings with Mike and Meg, Pupatello says the role of a Senator has dramatically changed since 2015.
"They look at legislation in a way that says what are the unintended consequences of this," says Pupatello. "What did they forget to think about, what should we be saying that needs to be changed here so that it's actually going to work. It's actually quite interesting that you have to take all your experience to bare to this type of decision making around the Senate and then it has to go through senate before it becomes the law which is a significant role for passing legislation in the country."
She says Senators have additional roles.
"It has several committees that I assume I'm going to get assigned to or maybe I get to pick," she says. "I know which ones I'm going to want based on my history and what I've done and what happens in my own community and in Ontario at large which is about the economy."
BREAKING: I am so proud to share that @SandraPupatello has been appointed Senator by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau!
— Irek Kusmierczyk (@Irek_K) March 7, 2025
Windsor-Essex gains another strong voice in Ottawa!
Looking forward to working with you, Senator Pupatello! pic.twitter.com/nkNh46rGYI
Pupatello is the President of Canadian International Avenues Ltd., a management consulting firm she founded.
According to a news release issued by the Prime Minister's Office, it says Pupatello is an experienced businesswoman, and an advocate for Ontario’s economic growth and development.
It goes on to say, as Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development and Trade, she led trade delegations around the world and provided steady leadership through a uniquely challenging economic climate.
The PMO says there have been 100 independent appointments to the Senate made on the advice of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The four other appointees include Dawn Arnold, for New Brunswick. Tony Ince, for Nova Scotia, Katherine Hay, for Ontario and Farah Mohamed, for Ontario.