Bernard Valcourt
The Honourable Bernard Valcourt PC QC |
|
---|---|
Member of Parliament for Madawaska—Victoria | |
In office September 4, 1984 – October 25, 1993 |
|
Preceded by | Eymard Corbin |
Succeeded by | Pierrette Ringuette |
MLA for Edmundston | |
In office 1995–1999 |
|
Preceded by | Roland Beaulieu |
Succeeded by | Madeleine Dubé |
Member of Parliament for Madawaska—Restigouche | |
In office 2011–2015 |
|
Preceded by | Jean-Claude D'Amours |
Succeeded by | René Arseneault |
Personal details | |
Born | Saint-Quentin, New Brunswick |
February 18, 1952
Political party | Conservative (2011–) |
Other political affiliations |
Progressive Conservative (1984–1993) |
Profession | lawyer |
Bernard Valcourt, PC QC (born February 18, 1952) is a Canadian politician and lawyer, who served as Member of Parliament for the electoral district of Madawaska—Restigouche, New Brunswick until he was defeated in the 2015 federal election.
Contents
Early federal political career and Mulroney cabinet
Valcourt was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada as a Progressive Conservative candidate in the 1984 election that brought Brian Mulroney to power. He was appointed to the Cabinet of Canada in 1986 as a Minister of State. In January 1989, he was promoted to Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs,[1] but was forced to resign from Cabinet in August when he was involved in a drunk driving motorcycle accident that cost him an eye.[2]
He returned to Cabinet seven months later as Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.[1] In 1991, he was promoted to Minister of Employment and Immigration,[1] and held the position until the government of Mulroney's successor as Progressive Conservative Party leader and prime minister, Kim Campbell, was defeated in the 1993 election. Valcourt was defeated in that election, along with every Tory MP in Atlantic Canada except Elsie Wayne.
Provincial leader
In May 1995, Valcourt was elected leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick.[3] While he won a seat in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in the 1995 provincial election, his party only won six seats against 48 for Frank McKenna's Liberals. Valcourt resigned as leader in 1997 following a lukewarm endorsement of his leadership at a party convention, and was succeeded by Bernard Lord.[4]
Return to federal politics
On March 28, 2011, Valcourt declared his candidacy in the 2011 federal election, running in the riding of Madawaska—Restigouche, which covers the bulk of the territory he'd represented two decades earlier.[5][6] He was elected on May 2, 2011, defeating Liberal incumbent Jean-Claude D'Amours. He was subsequently appointed to cabinet as Minister of State for both the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and La Francophonie. His sister Martine Coulombe was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in the 2010 provincial election.[7] On July 4, 2012, he was given the additional portfolio of Associate Minister of Defence.[8] Valcourt was part of the AEG initiative, saying co-operation between both the federal and provincial governments, as well as utilities, is key. “The Atlantic Energy Gateway initiative has brought the critical players in the region’s energy sector together to not only work toward an affordable, secure, clean energy future, but to also maximize the business and job growth potential of further developing our region’s clean and renewable energy industries,” said Valcourt in a release.[9]
On February 22, 2013, Valcourt became Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development in a cabinet shuffle.[10] Valcourt stirred controversy when he claimed that the high rates of suicide among aboriginal youths were "the responsibility of their parents".[11]
On June 2, 2015, Valcourt generated national attention during the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Report. When a call to launch a national inquiry into the over 1,000 murdered and missing aboriginal women, everyone in attendance clapped and gave a standing ovation except for Valcourt.[12]
In the 2015 federal election, Valcourt was defeated by Liberal René Arseneault finishing third with just over 16% of the vote.[13]
Electoral record
Canadian federal election, 2011: Madawaska-Restigouche | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | Expenditures | |||
Conservative | Bernard Valcourt | 14,224 | 40.64 | +7.41 | $52,308.15 | |||
Liberal | Jean-Claude D'Amours | 12,309 | 35.17 | -12.23 | $60,570.18 | |||
New Democratic | Wilder Jules | 6,562 | 18.75 | +3.13 | $6,934.01 | |||
Independent | Louis Bérubé | 1,290 | 3.69 | – | $113.00 | |||
Green | Lynn Morrison | 612 | 1.75 | -2.00 | $0.00 | |||
Total valid votes/Expense limit | 34,997 | 100.0 | $81,731.56 | |||||
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 577 | 1.62 | +0.04 | |||||
Turnout | 35,574 | 69.80 | +3.03 | |||||
Eligible voters | 50,966 | |||||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +9.82 | ||||||
Sources:[14][15] |
New Brunswick general election, 1995: Edmundston | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | ||||
Progressive Conservative | Bernard Valcourt | 4,215 | 59.20 | +38.41 | ||||
Liberal | Roland Beaulieu | 2,803 | 39.37 | -26.91 | ||||
New Democratic | Maureen Michaud | 102 | 1.43 | -11.50 | ||||
Total valid votes | 7,120 | 100.0 | ||||||
Progressive Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +32.66
|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Pierrette Ringuette-Maltais | 16,058 | 48.8 | +5.0 | |
Progressive Conservative | Bernard Valcourt | 15,045 | 45.7 | -2.5 | |
Reform | Kimberly Spikings | 955 | 2.9 | +2.9 | |
New Democratic Party | Parise Martin | 844 | 2.6 | -5.4 | |
Total | 32,902 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Progressive Conservative | Bernard Valcourt | 14,747 | 48.2 | -3.7 | |
Liberal | Romeo Rossignol | 13,385 | 43.8 | +1.9 | |
New Democratic Party | Réal Couturier | 2,441 | 8.0 | +1.8 | |
Total | 30,573 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Progressive Conservative | Bernard Valcourt | 16,411 | 51.9 | +29.0 | |
Liberal | Gerald Clavette | 13,245 | 41.9 | -23.9 | |
New Democratic Party | Floranne McLaughlin-St-Amand | 1,968 | 6.2 | -5.1 | |
Total | 31,624 |
References
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External links
- Bernard Valcourt official site
- Profile at Parliament of Canada
- Bernard Valcourt – Parliament of Canada biography
- Speeches, votes and activity at OpenParliament.ca
Political offices | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by | Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick 1995–1997 |
Succeeded by Elvy Robichaud |
Party political offices | ||
Preceded by | Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick 1995–1997 |
Succeeded by Bernard Lord |
Party political offices | ||
Preceded by | Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development 2013–2015 |
Succeeded by Carolyn Bennett |
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- ↑ Elections Canada – Official voting results, Forty-first general election, 2011
- ↑ Elections Canada – Candidate's electoral campaign return, 41st general election
- Pages with reference errors
- 1952 births
- Living people
- Members of the House of Commons of Canada from New Brunswick
- Progressive Conservative Party of Canada MPs
- Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick MLAs
- Lawyers in New Brunswick
- Members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
- New Brunswick political party leaders
- Conservative Party of Canada MPs
- Members of the 24th Canadian Ministry
- Members of the 25th Canadian Ministry
- Members of the 28th Canadian Ministry
- Ministers of Labour of Canada