Noël Kinsella

**Hon. Dr. Noël A. Kinsella**
Speaker of the Senate

Incumbent
Summoned on	September 12, 1990
Appointed by	Brian Mulroney
Province	New Brunswick
Senatorial Division	Fredericton-York-Sunbury
Born	November 28, 1939 (age 67) Saint John, New Brunswick
Political party	Conservative
Profession(s)	Professor, senior public servant
Religion	Roman Catholic
Spouse	Ann Conley Kinsella

Noël A. Kinsella, BA, Ph.D, STD (born November 28, 1939) is Speaker of the Canadian Senate.

[edit] Education

Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, he received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from University College in Dublin, Ireland. He received a L.Ph. and Ph.D. from St. Thomas Aquinas University in Rome, Italy. He received a Licentiate of Sacred Theology and a Doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. He is Professor and Chair of the Atlantic Human Rights Commission at St. Thomas University.

Kinsella was appointed to the Canadian Senate on the recommendation of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney on September 12, 1990, as a Senator for New Brunswick. He sat as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party caucus until 2004 when he joined most of the Tory caucus in becoming a Conservative Senator.

The Honourable Noël Kinsella was Opposition Whip (1994 - 1999) and as Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (1999 - October 1, 2004) when he became Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. On February 8, 2006, he was named Speaker of the Senate by the Governor General on the advice of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Kinsella is considered a Red Tory and supported Peter MacKay in his bid to become leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in 2003.

Government offices
Preceded by Dan Hays	Speaker of the Canadian Senate 2006 – present	Incumbent
Preceded by John Lynch-Staunton	Leader of the Opposition in the Senate of Canada 2004-2006	Succeeded by Dan Hays