Lucien Bouchard

1998

DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: 1938.12.22 - Saint-Coeur-de-Marie, Quebec, Canada.

OCCUPATION: Lawyer. Quebec Nationalist Movement Activist.

POLITICAL PARTY:
Progressive Conservative (PC): 1985-1990 - Quit the PC in protest of the Governmment's proposal to amend the Meech Lake Accord.
Independent: May - December 1990
Bloc Québécois: 1990 - 1996.
Parti Québécois (PQ): 1996 - .

HOUSE OF COMMONS:
1996.01.15 - Resigned to enter provincial politics.
1993.10.25 - Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec - Elected.
1988.11.21 - Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec - Re-Elected.
1988.06.20 (By) - Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec - Elected.

Leader of the Official Opposition: 1993.10.25 - 1996.01.14.

SENIOR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT:
Minister of the Environment (1988.12.08 - 1990.05.21).
Secretary of State of Canada (1988.03.31 - 1989.01.29).
Canadian Ambassador to France (1985-1988).

PREMIER OF QUEBEC (Premier ministre du Québec):
1996.01.29 - 2001.03.07.

QUEBEC NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (Député):
2001.03.08 - Resigned, retired from electoral politics.
1998.11.30 - Jonquière - Re-Elected.
1996.02.19 (By) - Jonquière - Elected

PARTY LEADERSHIP:
Founder, Bloc Québécois, Summer 1990.

Leader, Bloc Québécois (December 1990 - January 1996). Elected Leader without opposition. In the 1993 federal elections, the Bloc contested elections in Quebec's 75 ridings and won 54 seats; and won Official Opposition status in Parliament. Bouchard resigned as Leader of the Bloc in January 1996 to enter provinicial politics.

Leader, Parti Québécois (January 1996 - March 2001). Elected Leader without opposition. In the 1998 provincial elections, the PQ won 76 out of 125 seats (loss of 1 seat), 42.9% of the vote, and retained majority governing status. Bouchard resigned as Leader in March 2001 when he decided to retire from electoral politics. He said his failure to revive the sovereignist flame was a large cause of his departure, something for which he took responsibility.

MISCELLANEOUS:
Bouchard and Quebec Premier Jacques Parizeau were the two official leaders of the Yes side in the 1995 Quebec sovereignty referendum campaign. The Yes side was defeated by a vote of 50.6% to 49.4%. Parizeau resigned as Quebec Premier shortly after the failed referendum.

WEBSITE: Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg: Lucien Bouchard (Bouchard's law firm) and CBC Montreal: Lucien Bouchard