Action démocratique du Québec candidates, 2007 Quebec provincial election

The Action démocratique du Québec (ADQ) party ran a full slate of 125 candidates in the 2007 provincial election and elected forty-one members to become the official opposition in the National Assembly of Quebec. Many of the party's candidates have their own biography pages; information about others may be found here.

Candidates

Argenteuil: Georges Lapointe

Georges Lapointe (born June 7, 1948) was a Parti Québecois candidate in the 2003 provincial election and before running for the ADQ in 2007.[1] On both occasions, he was defeated by Liberal David Whissell. He lived in Gore, Quebec during the 2007 campaign.[2]

Electoral record
Election Division Party Votes % Place Winner
2003 provincial Argenteuil Parti Québecois 5,906 24.91 2/5 David Whissell, Liberal
2007 provincial Argenteuil Action démocratique 7,906 29.65 2/5 David Whissell, Liberal

Brome—Missisquoi: Jean L'Écuyer

Jean L'Écuyer was a resident of Eastman, Quebec at the time of the 2007 election. He trained as an engineer and had worked for Bell Canada for twenty-eight years. In 2002, he received a Master of Business Administration degree.[3] During the 2007 campaign, he promoted more private sector involvement in Quebec's health system.[4] He received 11,221 votes (31.53%), finishing second against Liberal Party incumbent Pierre Paradis.[5] L'Écuyer became interim director-general of the ADQ in 2009.[6]

There was a Jean L'Écuyer who ran for the Longueuil city council in 1986 and was elected to the Commission scolaire Jacques-Cartier in 1987. It is not known if this was the same person.

Chapleau: Jocelyn Dumais

Jocelyn Dumais is a cement contractor in Gatineau. He gained notoriety in the 1990s and 2000s for opposing Quebec's labour laws governing construction workers.

Dumais was raised in Lac-Bouchette, Quebec, where his father was a wealthy insurance agent. He worked in a paper mill after graduating and later moved to Kitimat, British Columbia, where he worked at an Alcan plant. He was a union member in this period and once helped to organize a strike against restrictive labour legislation. He moved to Windsor, Ontario in 1971 and worked as a unionized carpenter, and then moved to the Ottawa area in 1981 to work in construction. A newspaper article from December 1993 listed him as forty-three years old.[7]

During the 1970s, the government of Robert Bourassa passed legislation requiring that all construction workers in Quebec be members of recognized unions or have permits from the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ). In 1991, Dumais was fined $35,985 for using illegal workers. He subsequently led a public campaign against the labour legislation and the CCQ, forming an organization called the Association pour le droit au travail (ADAT).[8] In 1993 and again in 1999, Dumais and his supporters blocked all bridge traffic from Hull to Ottawa to bring attention to their campaign.[9] He also launched a constitutional challenge against Quebec's labour laws, arguing that they violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by preventing Ontario residents from working in Quebec. The Supreme Court of Canada heard his case, but rejected his argument.[10] Diane Francis, a right-wing columnist for the Financial Post, promoted Dumais's campaign over the course of several years.[11]

Dumais has also questioned the effectiveness of Quebec's language laws, arguing that the French language could be better protected through cultural promotion.[12] He wrote against Quebec separatism in 1994,[13] and, when running for office in 2007, he argued that both Canada and Quebec were indivisible.[14]

Dumas finished second against Liberal incumbent Benoît Pelletier, a senior cabinet minister in Jean Charest's government. Pelletier later announced that Quebec Ministry of Labour would recognize the Ontario work experience of Quebec construction workers, allowing more to legally enter Quebec's system. While this legislation did not meet all of Dumais's goals (e.g., workers were still required to unionize), he nonetheless supported it as a change from the previous model.[15]

Dumais subsequently left the ADQ and supported the Quebec Liberal Party in the 2008 provincial election, appearing with Jean Charest at a campaign rally in Gatineau.[16] He ran for city council in the 2009 Gatineau municipal election.

Electoral record
Election Division Party Votes % Place Winner
2007 provincial Chapleau Action démocratique 8,071 24.92 2/6 Benoît Pelletier, Liberal
2009 municipal Gatineau Council, Limbour Ward n/a 1,403 26.95 3/4 Nicole Champagne

Orford: Steve Bourassa

Steve Bourassa has been an ADQ candidate in two elections. He was twenty-nine years old in his first campaign and identified as a financial consultant.[17] From 2002 to 2006, he was chairman of the board of directors for a multi-million dollar funeral home.[18]

In his first campaign, Bourassa called for public consultation on proposed development at the Mont-Orford National Park and suggested monthly fundraising breakfasts to raise money for low-income children.[19] He focused on regional development, education reform, and an outreach to seniors in the 2007 campaign.[20] He was nearly elected in the second campaign, amid an increase in ADQ strength across the province.

In November 2007, he announced his departure from politics.[21] His father has been a councillor in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Rochelle.[22]

Electoral record
Election Division Party Votes % Place Winner
2003 provincial Orford Action démocratique 6,145 17.56 3/5 Pierre Reid, Liberal
2007 provincial Orford Action démocratique 11,798 30.09 2/5 Pierre Reid, Liberal

Outremont: Pierre Harvey

Pierre Harvey was a physician based in Rivière-du-Loup at the time of the election, specializing in C. difficile. He presented the ADQ's election promise that patients would be able to attend private hospitals at public expense if they did not receive necessary surgery due to hospital delays.[23] Considered a strong candidate for his party,[24] he received 2,236 votes (8.87%) for a disappointing fifth-place finish against Liberal Raymond Bachand.[25]

He is not to be confused with a different Pierre Harvey who ran for the ADQ in the 2008 provincial election.

Richelieu: Philippe Rochat

Philippe Rochat was born in Switzerland and moved to Saint-Robert, Quebec in 1985. A dairy and cattle farmer for many years, he began working for CIT Sorel-Varennes in 2008.[26] He finished second against Parti Québécois incumbent Sylvain Simard in 2007. He subsequently ran for mayor of Saint-Robert in 2009 and was narrowly defeated.

Electoral record
Election Division Party Votes % Place Winner
2007 provincial Richelieu Action démocratique 9,413 31.37 2/6 Sylvain Simard, Parti Québécois
2009 municipal Mayor of Saint-Robert n/a 419 48.05 2/2 Gilles Salvas

References

  1. ↑ Robert Dutrisac and Kathleen Lévesque, "L'ADQ recrute des candidats au PQ et au Bloc", Le Devoir, 27 February 2007, accessed 21 January 2011.
  2. ↑ Lapointe, Georges, OurCampaigns, accessed 21 January 2011.
  3. ↑ Maurice Crossfield, "The third party is ready for bigger role?", Sherbrooke Record, 19 March 2007, p. 5.
  4. ↑ Maurice Crossfield, "Candidates battle to change old habits," Sherbrooke Record, 22 March 2007, p. 4.
  5. ↑ Official Results, Government of Quebec, accessed 11 December 2010.
  6. ↑ Philip Authier, "Maverick Plante in four-man race to lead ADQ," Montreal Gazette, 19 August 2009, A10.
  7. ↑ Bert Hill, "Jocelyn Dumais proves one man can make a difference," Ottawa Citizen, 28 December 2003, C10.
  8. ↑ See Jocelyn Dumais, "Open Quebec's closed shop," Financial Post, 10 April 1993, S4. During this period, Dumais had business cards printed reading, Travailleurs illegaux Quebecois Construction. As of 2010, ADAT's website may be found at www.adat.ca.
  9. ↑ Diane Francis, "Dumais unravelled system keeping Quebecers from work," Financial Post, 9 July 1994, S3; Kelly Egan, Dave Rogers and Graham Hughes, "Construction workers call truce: No more protests planned for now in labour war," Ottawa Citizen, 7 April 1999, C4.
  10. ↑ Dave Rogers, "Judge to rule on Quebec construction law," Ottawa Citizen, 26 October 2003, A7; Diance Francis, "Court rulings entrench unions," National Post, 5 September 2003, FP1.
  11. ↑ Diane Francis, "Provinces must fight Quebec labor laws," Financial Post, 28 November 1992, S3; Diane Francis, "Civil libertarians where are you?", Financial Post, 3 August 1993, p. 9; Diane Francis, "Dumais unravelled system keeping Quebecers from work," Financial Post, 9 July 1994, S3; Diane Francis, "'Over-unionization' is the biggest problem facing Canada," Financial Post, 15 July 1995, p. 13; Diane Francis, "Breaking the union bosses' power: We should have the freedom to work wherever we can," National Post, 27 April 1999, C03; Diane Francis, "Quebec laws unfair to Ontario workers: Labour activists prepare for day in court," National Post, 30 September 1999, C03; Diane Francis, "Ontario's labour laws need overhaul: Province should also get tough on Quebec contractors," National Post, 16 December 1999, C03; Diane Francis, "Compulsory union membership on trial: 'Major' civil liberties case underway in Quebec," National Post, 21 March 2000, C03; Diane Francis, "Crafty logician will have last laugh: Trudeau will prevail over secessionists with Charter trump," National Post, 30 September 2000, D04; Diane Francis, "Labour reforms would fix our worker shortage: Levelling playing field in construction would be a start," National Post, 23 June 2006, FP2. Francis's support for Dumais is also noted in Bert Hill, "Jocelyn Dumais proves one man can make a difference," Ottawa Citizen, 28 December 2003, C10.
  12. ↑ Maria Kubacki, "Gatineau transit project 'good for the riding'," Ottawa Citizen, 10 March 2007, #6.
  13. ↑ Jocelyn Dumais, "Quebecers want to feel at home," Financial Post, 9 August 1994, p. 8.
  14. ↑ Dave Rogers, "Liberals' position on partition: No way," Ottawa Citizen, 9 March 2007, F1.
  15. ↑ Dave Rogers, "Quebec to ease way for Ontario-employed construction workers to come 'home'," Ottawa Citizen, 30 October 2007, C14.
  16. ↑ "Liberal convert praises Charest's minority government," Canwest News Service, 9 November 2008.
  17. ↑ Nelson Afonso, "Debate can be factor in Orford race to replace Benoit," Sherbrooke Record, 28 March 2003, p. 12.
  18. ↑ Brion Robinson, "New funeral facility to expand services," Sherbrooke Record, 28 September 2005, p. 9; Dany Jacques, "Steve Bourassa à nouveau candidat pour l'ADQ", Le reflet du lac, 10 December 2006, accessed 5 February 2011.
  19. ↑ Nelson Afonso, "Candidates agree, Ottawa keeps to [sic] much," Sherbrooke Record, 9 April 2003, p. 3; "Election notebook," Sherbrooke Record, 11 April 2003, p. 9.
  20. ↑ Brion Robinson, "ADQ courts seniors: Orford candidate promises specifics -- later," Sherbrooke Record, 28 February 2007, p. 1; Rita Legault, "ADQ wants to abolish school boards," Sherbrooke Record, 22 March 2007, p. 3.
  21. ↑ Dany Jacques, "Steve Bourassa quitte la scène politique", Le reflet du lac, 17 November 2007, accessed 5 February 2011.
  22. ↑ Nelson Afonso, "Debate can be factor in Orford race to replace Benoit," Sherbrooke Record, 28 March 2003, p. 12.
  23. ↑ Kevin Dougherty, "Dumont attacks 'chloroform campaign'," Montreal Gazette, 23 February 2007, A3.
  24. ↑ "Gilles Taillon's a star candidate. After that, the ADQ roster's a little thin", Montreal Gazette, 11 March 2007, accessed 5 February 2011.
  25. ↑ Official Results, Le Directeur général des élections du Québec, accessed 5 February 2011.
  26. ↑ "Philippe Rochat sera candidat à la mairie de Saint-Robert", Portail officiel de la région de Sorel-Tracy, accessed 5 January 2010.
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