Christian Paradis

The Honourable Christian Paradis PC
Member of the Canadian Parliament for Mégantic—L'Érable
In office January 23, 2006 – October 19, 2015
Preceded by	Marc Boulianne
Succeeded by	Luc Berthold
Minister for International Development Minister for La Francophonie
In office July 15, 2013 – November 4, 2015
Prime Minister	Stephen Harper
Preceded by	Julian Fantino (Int. Development) Steven Blaney (La Francophonie)
Succeeded by	Marie-Claude Bibeau
Minister of Industry
In office May 18, 2011 – July 15, 2013
Preceded by	Tony Clement
Succeeded by	James Moore
Personal details
Born	January 1, 1974 Thetford Mines, Quebec
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Julie Roberge
Residence	Thetford Mines, Quebec
Profession	Lawyer
Portfolio	Minister of Industry Quebec Lieutenant

Christian Paradis, PC (born January 1, 1974) was the Conservative Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons for Mégantic—L'Érable from 2006 to 2015. He was first elected in the 2006 federal election and served as parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources until January 4, 2007, when he was appointed Secretary of State for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Rural Secretariat. On June 25, 2008, Paradis was appointed Minister of Public Works and Government Services, retaining his position as Secretary of State for Agriculture until October that same year. On October 30, 2008, in a cabinet shuffle following the election, he retained the Public Works portfolio. In addition, he succeeded Lawrence Cannon as Quebec Lieutenant.^[1] On January 19, 2010, in a cabinet shuffle, Prime Minister Harper appointed him Minister of Natural Resources. On May 18, 2011, in a cabinet shuffle he was appointed to be the Minister of Industry. On July 15, 2013, in a cabinet shuffle, he was appointed as Minister of International Development and Minister for La Francophonie.

A lawyer by profession, Paradis had a legal practice in Thetford Mines where he also served as president of the chamber of commerce. He is a graduate of the Université de Sherbrooke and has a master's degree in corporate law from Université Laval.

Paradis has been a staunch defender of Canada's asbestos mines, but recently gave in to global pressure to list asbestos as a hazardous chemical.^[2]

On April 3, 2015, Paradis announced that he would not seek re-election.^[3][4]

Achievements and positions

In March 2011, as Minister of Natural Resources, Minister Paradis in the company of Minister Normandeau announced that the governments of Canada and Quebec reached a historic agreement in principle for the co-management of the Old Harry hydrocarbon reservoir, located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.^[5][6]

Telecommunications - As Minister of Industry and therefore responsible for telecommunications, Minister Paradis stood up to the telecommunications industry, stressing the need for four national carriers to maintain competition in all regions of the country. He announced on March 2012, the lifting of restrictions on foreign ownership for smaller players in the wireless industry and on March 2013, he announced a new broadband wireless spectrum auction to enable access to new entrants and incumbents.^{[7][8][9][10]}

"On November 5, 2014 in his address to the annual general meeting of the Canadian Network for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (CAN-MNCH), the Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, launched a call for proposals from eligible Canadian organizations that will contribute to Canada’s top international development priority of saving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable mothers and their children. [...]

The Partnerships for Strengthening Maternal, Newborn and Child Health call for proposals, valued at $370 million, sets aside nearly five times more resources for Canadian partners than the Muskoka Initiative Partnership Program. It will fund initiatives for as long as five years that will help reduce maternal and child mortality and improve women’s and children’s health in 40 developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. The focus will be on strengthening health systems, reducing the burden of disease, improving nutrition, and ensuring accountability for results."^[11]

Corruption allegations

Opposition parties called for Paradis to step down following the resignation of his senior aide Sebastien Togneri on September 30, 2010. Paradis accepted the resignation of Togneri but refused to resign himself after allegations of political interference in access-to-information requests were reported in the Public Works ministry.^[12] Togneri is alleged to have interfered with at least four access-to-information requests while working for Paradis.^[13][14]

On October 3, 2010, MP Siobhan Coady requested the Information Commissioner of Canada investigate the PMO, Paradis and his Natural Resources Ministry staff. Coady claims Togneri "counselled or demanded that documents be withheld from the public,and engaged in a systematic, prolonged effort to block access-to-information requests." She further requested that the Information Commissioner look for examples of interference in other departments and any involvement of the PMO.^[15] Paradis aides Jillian Andrews and Marc Toupin also attempted to block access-to-information requests in the department according to emails obtained by the Parliamentary Ethics Committee.^[16][17]

Paradis is also facing allegations of providing favorable treatment to construction contractors seeking Federal Government business during a Conservative party fundraiser in the Montreal-area riding of Bourassa in January 2009. Initially Paradis told the House of Commons "At no time was there any discussion about government business, it was strictly a fundraising event.”

Sauvé's company received a $9 million contract to renovate Parliament’s West Block. Sauvé and Gilles Varin, a Conservative Party organizer, are the subject of a RCMP probe relating to the West Block renovation contract. Opposition politicians allege a Conservative staffer interfered with the bid process of the West Block renovation contract to allow Sauvé's company to qualify for the work. Sauvé paid $140,000 to Gilles Varin who subsequently discussed the contract with Bernard Côté, a staffer representing Michael Fortier who was Minister of Public Works at the time. On September 21, 2007, the Public Works Department amended clauses in the bid which allowed Sauvé to submit a bid for work in which the company was previously unqualified to do. Paradis took over the Public Works portfolio after Michael Fortier lost the 2008 election. Sauvé's January 2009 fundraiser was attended by West Block contractors who paid $500 to $1000 to meet with Paradis.^[18]

References

1. Leblanc, Daniel (October 30, 2008). "This page is available to GlobePlus subscribers". Toronto: Theglobeandmail.com. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
2. CTVNews.ca Staff. "CTV News.ca - Canada will no longer oppose global fight against asbestos: Paradis". CTV News.ca. CTV News.ca. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
3. http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/ministers-glover-and-paradis-will-not-seek-re-election-1.2311119
4. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/christian-paradis-shelly-glover-federal-ministers-won-t-seek-re-election-1.3020859
5. « Old Harry: le PC va utiliser l’entente pour aider sa popularité lors d’élections » [archive] (consulté le 1 avril 2015)
6. « Gisement Old Harry : « Une entente historique » | ICI.Radio-Canada.ca » [archive] (consulté le 1 avril 2015)
7. "Canadian Minister Paradis Announces New Broadband Wireless Spectrum Auction". http://www.telecomreviewna.com/. Retrieved 2015-03-31. External link in |publisher= (help)
8. Geist, Michael. "Paradis Announces New Spectrum Auction Measures." N.p., 7 Mar. 2013. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
9. « Ottawa vise plus de concurrence dans la téléphonie sans fil | ICI.Radio-Canada.ca » [archive] (consulté le 2015-04-01)
10. "Un Spectre De Fréquence Pour La Téléphonie Aux Enchères." Radio-canada.ca, Mar. 2013. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
11. "Harper Government to Increase Canadian Partnerships to Save the Lives of Mothers and Children Around the World." Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada, 5 Nov. 2014. Web. 7 May 2015.
12. "Aide quits, but minister refuses to resign". www.nationalpost.com. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
13. "Info-meddling probe may widen". cbc.ca. October 1, 2010. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
14. "Togneri just following direction from the top". thechronicleherald.ca. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
15. "Liberal MP asks information watchdog to investigate Paradis, PMO". canada.com. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
16. Smith, Joanna (October 4, 2010). "More Christian Paradis aides vetted information requests". Toronto: www.thestar.com. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
17. "Two more Tory staffers tried to block access to information: docs - Winnipeg Free Press". winnipegfreepress.com. Retrieved December 15, 2010.
18. "Tender change helped Montreal firm land Hill work". thechronicleherald.ca. Retrieved October 24, 2010.

External links

• Profile at Parliament of Canada
• Christian Paradis – Parliament of Canada biography
• Speeches, votes and activity at OpenParliament.ca