Diane St-Jacques

Last updated

Diane St-Jacques (born May 16, 1953) is a Canadian businessperson and former politician. St-Jacques served in the House of Commons of Canada from 1997 to 2004.

Contents

History

St-Jacques was born in Granby, Quebec. She was a promotional coordinator for Agropur in Granby and an advertising consultant for a radio station in Sherbrooke. St-Jacques was involved in the community in a variety of volunteer roles. Involved in politics since 1979, St-Jacques first stood for office in the 1997 federal election as the Progressive Conservative candidate for Shefford. With Sherbrooke's Jean Charest as a national leader, the party experienced a resurgence in Quebec's Eastern Townships, and St-Jacques was elected to the House of Commons, taking her seat from the Bloc Québécois.

Until she left the PC caucus, she was its designated parliamentary critic for International Cooperation, La Francophonie, and children and youth. She was also identified as the PC "family critic."[ citation needed ]

In 1999, St-Jacques joined MPs Svend Robinson (NDP) and Réal Ménard (Bloc), both openly gay, and Toronto Liberal MP Bill Graham, in a "pink caucus" across party lines. The group advocated that the legal definition of spouse include same-sex couples. The social conservative Campaign Life Coalition decried St.-Jacques as "a married mother of one, who says she isn't a lesbian but who supports the gay agenda."[ citation needed ]

St-Jacques spoke in Parliament in favour of medical marijuana rights.[ citation needed ]

In April 1998, Charest left federal politics to seek the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party, and Tory support in Quebec declined under Joe Clark's leadership. On September 12, 2000, with an election increasingly close, St-Jacques, with fellow Tory MP David Price and independent, formerly Tory MP André Harvey, joined the Liberal Party of Canada and the Liberal caucus. St-Jacques and Price reportedly told Clark they would leave the party months earlier.

In the 2000 election, St-Jacques retained her Shefford seat as a Liberal.

She served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources Development in the government of prime minister Jean Chrétien from January 13 until December 11, 2003, and as Deputy Government Whip under Chrétien's successor Paul Martin from February 2, 2004, until she left office.

In the 2004 federal election, she lost her seat to Robert Vincent of the Bloc Québécois. She ran again in the 2006 federal election, placing third place behind Vincent and the Conservative candidate Jean Lambert. She received 23.4% of all votes cast.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloc Québécois</span> Canadian federal political party active only in Quebec

The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to Quebec nationalism and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was formed by Members of Parliament (MPs) who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative Party and Liberal Party during the collapse of the Meech Lake Accord. Founder Lucien Bouchard had been a cabinet minister in the federal Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Progressive Conservative Party of Canada</span> Canadian centre-right political party from 1942 to 2003

The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a centre to centre-right federal political party in Canada that existed from 1942 to 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Charest</span> Premier of Quebec from 2003 to 2012

John James "Jean" Charest is a Canadian lawyer and former politician who served as the 29th premier of Quebec from 2003 to 2012 and the fifth deputy prime minister of Canada in 1993. Charest was elected to the House of Commons in 1984 and would serve in several federal cabinet positions between 1986 and 1993. He became the leader of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party in 1993 and remained in the role until he entered provincial politics in 1998. Charest was elected as the leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, and his party went on to form government in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reform Party of Canada</span> Former federal political party in Canada

The Reform Party of Canada was a right-wing populist and conservative federal political party in Canada that existed under that name from 1987 to 2000. Reform was founded as a Western Canada-based protest movement that eventually became a populist conservative party, with strong Christian right influence and social conservative elements. It was initially motivated by the perceived need for democratic reforms and by profound Western Canadian discontent with the Progressive Conservative Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Canadian federal election</span>

The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect members to the House of Commons of Canada of the 37th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party won a third majority government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1997 Canadian federal election</span>

The 1997 Canadian federal election was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members to the House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party won a second majority government. The Reform Party replaced the Bloc Québécois as the Official Opposition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1993 Canadian federal election</span>

The 1993 Canadian federal election was held on October 25, 1993, to elect members to the House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Considered to be a major political realignment, it was one of the most eventful elections in Canada's history. Two new regionalist parties emerged and the election marked the worst defeat for a governing party at the federal level. In a landslide, the Liberal Party, led by Jean Chrétien, won a majority government.

André Bachand is a Canadian politician, who represented the riding of Richmond—Arthabaska as member of the Progressive Conservatives from 1997 to 2003.

An interim leader, in Canadian politics, is a party leader appointed by the party's legislative caucus or the party's executive to temporarily act as leader when a gap occurs between the resignation or death of a party leader and the election of their formal successor. Usually a party leader retains the leadership until a successor is formally chosen — however, in some situations this is not possible, and an interim leader is thus appointed by the party's caucus or the party executive. An interim leader may also be appointed while a leader is on a leave of absence due to poor health or some other reason, and then relinquish the position upon the leader's return.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Quebec history (1982–present)</span>

This section of the Timeline of Quebec history concerns the events between patriation of the British North America Act and the present day.

This is a seat by seat list of candidates in the 2004 Canadian election.

André Harvey, PC is a Canadian consultant, politician and former teacher in Quebec, Canada.

Canadian federal elections have provided the following results in the Côte-Nord and Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean.

Canadian federal elections have provided the following results in Central Quebec.

Canadian federal elections have provided the following results in the Eastern Townships.

Louis Plamondon is a Canadian politician who has represented Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel in the House of Commons since 1984, making him the Dean of the House, the longest-serving current member of the House of Commons.

Jean H. Leroux was a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1993 to 1997. Born in Granby, Quebec, he is a teacher by career.

The 1993 Canadian federal election was held on October 25, 1993, to elect members to the House of Commons of Canada of the 35th Parliament of Canada. The incumbent Progressive Conservative Party of Prime Minister Kim Campbell, in office since June 1993, was defeated by the Liberal Party of Canada under the leadership of Jean Chrétien. The Progressive Conservatives were reduced from 156 to just 2 seats.

References

    Parliament of Canada
    Preceded by Member of Parliament for Shefford
    19972004
    Succeeded by