Alexandre Boulerice

Alexandre Boulerice
MP
Shadow Minister for Labour
In office
April 19, 2012 – November 19, 2015
Leader Thomas Mulcair
Preceded by Yvon Godin
Succeeded by Gerard Deltell
Shadow Minister for the Treasury Board
In office
May 26, 2011 – April 18, 2012
Leader Jack Layton
Nycole Turmel
Preceded by Siobhan Coady
Succeeded by Mathieu Ravignat
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie
Assumed office
May 30, 2011
Preceded by Bernard Bigras
Personal details
Born (1973-06-18) June 18, 1973
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec
Political party New Democratic Party
Spouse(s) Lisa Djevahirdjian
Profession Communications adviser, community activist, journalist
Website www.boulerice.org

Alexandre Boulerice (born June 18, 1973 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec)[1] is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2011 election. He represents the electoral district of Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie as a member of the New Democratic Party. He is currently the NDP's Quebec lieutenant and Ethics critic.

Early life and career

Alexandre Boulerice was born June 18, 1973 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. He started working at age 15 as a lifeguard for the municipality and then went on to become pool manager. After his cégep years, he studied sociology at the Université de Montréal, and then studied political science at McGill University.

Subsequently, he worked as a TV journalist (LCN, TVA), while being involved in his local union as vice-president of CUPE 687. He has also worked for a community group, l’Union des travailleurs et travailleuses accidentés de Montréal (UTTAM). He then became a communications consultant for the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).[2]

Federal politics

With Jack Layton during the 2011 federal campaign

Alexandre Boulerice has been active in the New Democratic Party since the late 1990s. He first ran in the 2008 federal election and finished a distant third with 16.26 percent of the vote, well behind Bloc Québécois incumbent Bernard Bigras.

In the May 2, 2011 federal election, the NDP received 30.6% of the votes, which translated into 103 seats in the House of Commons, of which more than half were from Quebec. This result allowed the NDP to form the Official Opposition in the House of Commons for the first time in history. This electoral breakthrough is now known as "la vague orange" (Orange Crush). One of those seats belonged to Boulerice, who won a decisive victory with 50.8% of the vote, finishing 9,700 votes ahead of Bigras.[3] The NDP had never finished higher than third in the riding or its predecessors before.

On 26 May 2011, Boulerice was appointed as opposition critic for the Treasury Board of Canada. In April 2012, he was appointed as Labour critic. On December 11, 2012, he became deputy spokesman of ethics.[4]

In fall 2011, Boulerice tabled Bill C-307, a private member's bill "For the reassignment of pregnant and lactating women",[5] to protect the rights of pregnant and lactating women who must leave their jobs to protect their health or the health of their child. This bill was intended to allow all workers to receive a reassignment under the provisions in force in their respective provinces. Quebec workers covered by the Labour Code of Quebec can receive benefits from the Workplace Health and Safety (OSH) in the program, "For safe motherhood." This bill was intended to allow workers covered by the Labour Code of Canada receive the same benefits and not be penalized during their pregnancy.

This bill was rejected with 169 votes against and 108 votes.

After the 2015 election, Boulerice was appointed the NDP's Quebec lieutenant, as well as its critic for Ethics and deputy critic for Democratic Reform in the 42nd Canadian Parliament.[6]

Following the 2016 federal NDP Convention's non-confidence vote in Thomas Mulcair, various media outlets mentioned Alexandre Boulerice as a potential candidate, including The Globe and Mail, The Canadian Press, and columnists such as Lysiane Gagon. CBC TV quoted him a few days after the convention saying it was 'too early' to decide whether to run.

Vimy Ridge comments

On April 10, 2007, Boulerice wrote on a Quebec left-wing politics blog, Presse-Toi A Gauche,[7] praising those who objected to and actively resisted Canada's participation in the First World War stating it was "a purely capitalist war on the backs of the workers and peasants". Boulerice further criticised the Harper Conservative Government's celebration of the Battle of Vimy Ridge saying that "thousands of poor wretches were slaughtered to take possession of a hill.[8]

Electoral record

Canadian federal election, 2015
Party Candidate Votes%∆%Expenditures
New DemocraticAlexandre Boulerice 28,692 49.17 -1.9
Bloc QuébécoisClaude André 12,276 21.03 -11.82 –
LiberalNadine Medawar 12,069 20.68 +11.53 –
ConservativeJeremy Dohan 2,506 4.29 -0.03 –
GreenSameer Muldeen 1,787 3.06 +1.39 –
RhinocerosLaurent Aglat 495 0.85 +0.08 –
LibertarianPeter d'Entremont 353 0.60 – –
Marxist–LeninistStéphane Chénier 171 0.29 +0.03 –
Total valid votes/Expense limit –100.0   $221,758.95
Total rejected ballots –––
Turnout 58,34969.13+2.22
Eligible voters 83,936
New Democratic hold Swing −1.9
Source: Elections Canada[9][10]
Canadian federal election, 2011
Party Candidate Votes%∆%Expenditures
New DemocraticAlexandre Boulerice 27,484 51.00 +34.74
Bloc QuébécoisBernard Bigras 17,702 32.85 -19.15
LiberalKettly Beauregard 4,920 9.13 -9.54
ConservativeSébastien Forté 2,328 4.32 -3.07
GreenSameer Muldeen 899 1.67 -2.92
RhinocerosJean-Patrick Berthiaume 417 0.77 +0.16
Marxist–LeninistStéphane Chénier 140 0.26 -0.06
Total valid votes/Expense limit 53,890100.00
Total rejected ballots 5891.08
Turnout 54,47966.91
Canadian federal election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes%∆%Expenditures
Bloc QuébécoisBernard Bigras 27,260 52.00 -3.99 $52,571
LiberalMarjorie Théodore 9,785 18.67 +2.91 $30,634
New DemocraticAlexandre Boulerice 8,522 16.26 +4.71 $21,117
ConservativeSylvie Boulianne 3,876 7.39 -1.91 $85,619
GreenVincent Larochelle 2,406 4.59 -2.01 $903
RhinocerosJean-Patrick Berthiaume 319 0.61 – $228
Marxist–LeninistStéphane Chérnier 170 0.32 –
IndependentMichel Dugré 83 0.16 – $690
Total valid votes/Expense limit 52,421100.00$86,436
Total rejected ballots 6141.16
Turnout 53,03564.65

See also

References

  1. ↑ Boulerice, Alexandre - Parliamentarian file, Parliament of Canada
  2. ↑ Bio on NDP website
  3. ↑ Election 2011: Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie. The Globe and Mail, May 2, 2011.
  4. ↑ Shadow Cabinet NDP website
  5. ↑ Parliament of Canada website
  6. ↑ Kirkup, Kristy (12 November 2015). "Tom Mulcair taps Nathan Cullen, Charlie Angus, Guy Caron for top critic roles". CBC News. The Canadian Press. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  7. ↑ Press Gauge: La butte de Vimy
  8. ↑ Sun News: NDP MP slammed Canada's role in First World War
  9. ↑ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, 30 September 2015
  10. ↑ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates

External links

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