Jean Charest
(John James Charest)

1993 Leadership Campaign	1993 Leadership Campaign	1993 Leadership Campaign
1993 Leadership Campaign

DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: 1958.06.24 Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.

OCCUPATION: Lawyer.

POLITICAL PARTY:
Liberal (Parti Libéral du Québec - PLQ): 1998 - Present.
Progressive Conservative (PC): 1984 - 1998.

HOUSE OF COMMONS:
1998.04.30 - Resigned to enter provincial politics.
1997.06.02 - Sherbrooke, Quebec - Re-Elected.
1993.10.25 - Sherbrooke, Quebec - Re-Elected.
1988.11.21 - Sherbrooke, Quebec - Re-Elected.
1984.09.04 - Sherbrooke, Quebec - Elected.

Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (1989.01.30 - 1990.01.23).

SENIOR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT:
Deputy Prime Minister (1993.06.25 - 1993.11.03).
Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs (1993.06.25 - 1993.11.03).
Minister of Industry, Science and Technology (1993.06.25 - 1993.11.03).
Minister Responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development - Quebec (1993.06.25 - 1993.11.03).
Minister of the Environment (1991.04.21 - 1993.06.24).
Minister of State for Fitness and Amateur Sport (1988.03.31 - 1990.01.23).
Minister of State for Youth (1986.06.30 - 1990.01.23).

PREMIER OF QUEBEC (Premier ministre du Québec):
29 April 2003 - Present.

QUEBEC NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (Député):
2007.03.26 - Sherbrooke - Re-Elected.
2003.04.13 - Sherbrooke - Re-Elected.
1998.11.30 - Sherbrooke - Elected.

Leader of the Official Opposition (1998.11.30 - 2003.04.23).

PARTY LEADERSHIP:
Leader, Parti Libéral du Québec (April 1998 - Present). In the 1998 elections, the PLQ won 48 seats (gain of one seat) and retained Official Opposition status. In the 2003 elections, the PLQ won 76 seats (gain of 28 seats) and captured Majority Governing status. In the 2007 elections, the PLQ won 48 seats (loss of 28 seats) and retained Minority Governing status.

Leader, Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (December 1993 - April 1998). Charest was one of only two PC Members of Parliament returned in the 1993 election and was thus appointed Leader by the PC Executive Committee. Charest was ratified as PC Leader at the April 1995 convention by a vote of 1,187 to 49. In the 1997 elections, the PC won 20 seats (gain of 18 seats) and 19% of the national vote. He resigned as PC Leader in April 1998 to become Leader of the provincial Parti Libéral du Québec.

Candidate for Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (June 1993). First ballot: 2nd place (out of five candidates) with 1,369 votes - 39.5%. Second ballot: Kim Campbell defeated Charest for Leader by a vote of 1,817 (52.7%) to 1,630 (47.3%).

WEBSITES: Premier ministre du Québec and JeanCharest.com and PLQ.org: Jean Charest