Gérard PelletierPC (French:[pɛltje]; June 21, 1919 – June 22, 1997) was a Canadian politician, dipolmat and journalist[1] from Quebec best known for his association with Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau that started decades before their entries to the political arena. A long time personal confidant of Trudeau, Pelletier served in Trudeau's cabinet and then in two key diplomatic postings.
Gérard Pelletier (second from left) in 1941, at the headquarters of the Catholic Student Youth
Pelletier served as secretary-general of Quebec's Jeunesse étudiante catholique from 1939 to 1943. He later worked in Geneva, Switzerland as a field secretary of the World Student Relief organization.
Pelletier returned to Montreal in 1947 where he became a reporter for Le Devoir, a French-language newspaper in Montreal, Quebec. His reporting of the 1949 Asbestos Strike in Quebec helped accelerated his journalist career and led him to the position of director for the journal of the Catholic Workers Confederation of Canada (later Confederation of National Trade Unions (CNTU)). In 1950 Pelletier, with other French-Canadian intellectuals, Pierre Elliott Trudeau included, founded the journal Cité Libre, a magazine voicing opposition to the socially regressive and antidemocratic policies of the government of Maurice Duplessis as well as the clericalism of the Quebec Catholic Church.
In 1961 he became editor-in-chief of the Montreal daily and North America's largest French circulating newspaper, La Presse. After a prolonged strike in 1964, the owners of La Presse fired him for his radical editorial views.[1]
In 1964 he made a small appearance in Denis Héroux's student film Over My Head (Jusqu'au cou), as himself in a political debate.[2]
Political career
The Three Wise Men
Pelletier met Trudeau while studying in France and worked with him and Jean Marchand during the Asbestos Strike of 1949 in Quebec. Dubbed the "Three Wise Men" in English and Les trois colombes (The three doves) in French, the trio was recruited by Liberal prime minister Lester Pearson in the 1965 election to help derail the rising Quebec separatist movement. Pelletier contested Hochelaga, then considered a safe seat where the Liberals has won majority of the vote in all but one election since World War I (Pelletier won the district four times but only with majority of the vote once, in the 1968 Trudeaumania election) while Trudeau contested Mount Royal, another safe seat.
The Three Wise Men lunching at 24 Sussex - left to right: Marchand, Trudeau, Pelletier
Following following the Liberal victory, Marchand, having gained as leader of the 1949 Strike, entered cabinet immediately, and Trudeau was promoted into cabinet in 1967 following a stint as parliamentary secretary to Pearson. Pelletier served during his first term as parliamentary secretary to the Secretary of State for External AffairsPaul Martin. In this role, he spearheaded passage of the Official Languages Act through Parliament in 1969.
Being Martin's subordinate made an uncomfortable situation for Pelletier while he prepared his friend Trudeau's bid in the lead up to the 1968 Liberal leadership contest. The runner up to Pearson on the previous leadership contest, Martin was widely expected to contest the leadership again upon Pearson's retirement, and exerted considerable pressure on Pelletier for his support and intelligence on young potential rival. It was reported that Martin sent his son, the future Prime Minister Paul Martin, to convey to Pelletier that he wanted to be identified with the "leading wing of the party and not with the old guard."[3]
Trudeau ministry
He served in various cabinet posts in the first Trudeau ministry. He entered cabinet as a minister without portfolio immediately following Trudeau's leadership victory in 1968. He was appointed Secretary of State for Canada in the post election shuffle in July. Following the 1972 election, he was appointed Minister of Communications in the post election shuffle, serving until 1975.
— (1945). J. E. C. d'aujourd'hui: une étude sur le mouvement. Montreal: Centrale de la Jeunesse étudiante catholique. ISBN9780458982707. OCLC465845812.{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
— (1950). Histoire des enfants tristes: un reportage sur l'enfance sans soutien dans la province de Québec. Montreal: L'Action nationale. ISBN9780458982707. OCLC49083264.{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
— (1962). Le concept d'élasticité chez Marshall et quelques auteurs (Maîtrise). Université Laval.
— (1965). Confederation at the crossroads. Saskatoon: University of Saskatchewan.
— (1971). La crise d'octobre. Montreal: Éditions du Jour. OCLC299724407.
1The department was eliminated in 1993 when the government was reorganized. The position of Secretary of State for Canada was not legally eliminated until 1996 when its remaining responsibilities were assigned to other cabinet positions and departments, particularly the newly created position of Minister of Canadian Heritage.
1The offices of Minister of Communications, and Minister of Multiculturalism and Citizenship were abolished and the office of Minister of Canadian Heritage came in force July 12, 1996.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
