Judith Jacobson Erola (born January 16, 1934 in Sudbury, Ontario) is a former Canadian politician, who represented the riding of Nickel Belt in the Canadian House of Commons from 1980 to 1984. She was a member of the Liberal party.

She defeated incumbent New Democrat MP John Rodriguez in the 1980 election. She was named to Pierre Trudeau's final cabinet, holding the positions of Minister of State for Mines, Minister of State for Social Development, Minister responsible for the Status of Women and Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs. She was also the first woman ever appointed to the cabinet's priorities and planning committee, which debates and decides on the direction of government policy.

After Trudeau's retirement, Erola continued to serve in the cabinet of John Turner. However, in the 1984 election, which saw the governing Liberals reduced to just 40 seats, Erola was defeated as Rodriguez reclaimed Nickel Belt for the NDP.

Prior to her career in politics, she worked as a radio and television broadcaster in Sudbury, where she made history as the first woman employed by a Canadian television station as a weather reporter. She later became an account executive for a radio station in the city, and entered politics after her husband passed away.

In 1987, Erola became president of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Association of Canada , a position she held until her retirement in 1998.

External link

• A biography of Judy Erola from the Canadian Communications Foundation