Roch LaSalle

1970s	1970s	1981
1981	1981 By Election

ATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: 1929.08.06 - St-Paul, Quebec, Canada.

OCCUPATION: Businessman, Public Relations Executive, Sales Manager.

POLITICAL PARTY:
Progressive Conservative (PC): 1965-71 and 1974-88.
Independent: 1971-74.
Union Nationale: 1981.

HOUSE OF COMMONS:
1988 - Did not seek re-election.
1984.09.04 - Joliette, Quebec - Re-Elected.
1981.08.17 (By) - Joliette, Quebec - Re-Elected.
1981.03.16 - Resigned to enter provincial politics.
1980.02.18 - Joliette, Quebec - Re-Elected.
1979.05.22 - Joliette, Quebec - Re-Elected.
1974.07.08 - Joliette, Quebec - Re-Elected.
1972.10.30 - Joliette, Quebec - Re-Elected.
1968.06.25 - Joliette, Quebec - Elected.
1965.11.08 - Joliette-l'Assomption-Montcalm, Quebec - Defeated.

SENIOR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT:
Minister of State (1986.06.30 - 1987.02.19).
Minister of Public Works (1984.09.17 - 1986.06.29).
Minister of Supply and Services (1979.06.04 - 1980.03.02).

QUEBEC NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (Député):
1981.04.13 - Berthier - Defeated.

PARTY LEADERSHIP:
Leader of the Union Nationale (January - May 1981). Elected Leader by acclamation in January 1981. In the 1981 elections, the Union Nationale ran 121 candidates and won no seats (loss of 11 seats). LaSalle resigned as Leader immediately after the 1981 provincial elections to return to federal politics.

MISCELLANEOUS:
LaSalle quit the Progressive Conservatives in 1971 to protest PC leader Robert Stanfield's vocal rejection of the concept that Canada was composed of "two nations" (deux nations) and that Quebec had a right to self-determination. LaSalle was re-elected as an independent candidate in the 1972 election with the support of the separatist Parti Québécois. LaSalle returned to the PC caucus in 1974.

Criminal charges were laid against LaSalle in June 1986 for accepting bribes as Public Works Minister. Parliamentary pressure forced LaSalle to resign as Minister in February 1987. The criminal case was dismissed after he resigned.