François Legault

François Legault
François Legault in 2011
Leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec
Incumbent
Assumed office November 4, 2011[1]
MNA for L'Assomption
Incumbent
Assumed office September 4, 2012
Preceded by	Scott McKay
MNA for Rousseau
In office December 15, 1998 – June 25, 2009
Preceded by	Lévis Brien
Succeeded by	Nicolas Marceau
Personal details
Born	May 26, 1957 Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec
Political party	Parti Québécois 1998–2009 Coalition Avenir Québec 2011–present
Spouse(s)	Isabelle Brais
Alma mater	HEC Montréal
Portfolio	Finances, Economic Development

François Legault (pronounced: [fʁɑ̃swa ləɡo]; born May 26, 1957) is a politician in Quebec, Canada and leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec party since its foundation in 2011.

He was a member of the National Assembly of Quebec from 1998 to 2009, serving in the government of Quebec as Minister of Education from 1998 to 2002 and as Minister of Health from 2002 to 2003. As a member of the Parti Québécois (PQ), he was first elected in the 1998 Quebec election in the riding of Rousseau in the Lanaudière region. He was re-elected in 2003, 2007 and 2008 but resigned his seat on June 25, 2009. He was elected as the MNA for L'Assomption, a suburb of Montreal, at the 2012 Quebec provincial election. He was reelected in 2014.

Early life and education

Legault was born in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec. He has a bachelor's and master's degree in business administration from the HEC Montreal. He also became a Chartered Accountant.^[2]

Business career

He worked as an administrator for Provigo, a finance director for Nationair and an auditor for Ernst & Young.^[3]

He co-founded Air Transat in 1986 after being the director of marketing at Quebecair.^[4] He was the Chief Executive Officer of that company until 1997, with a turnover of C$1.3 billion and 4000 employees. He also managed the Marc-Aurèle Fortin Museum for a year.

Political career

Parti Québécois

After his 1998 election, he was appointed by Lucien Bouchard as Minister for Industry and Commerce. He was later named the Minister of Education.

When Bouchard resigned, it was said that Legault would support Pauline Marois against Bernard Landry. He later clarified his position as being in favour of Landry's candidacy.

Landry appointed Legault as Minister of Education and later as Minister of Health and Social Services. He was re-elected in 2003 while the PQ lost to the Quebec Liberal Party. He remained on the PQ front bench as the critic for economics, economic development and finances.

He endorsed Richard Legendre in the 2005 PQ leadership election, which was won by André Boisclair. After his re-election in 2007, he was renamed the PQ critic for economic development and finances.

Legault was re-elected in the 2008 elections but announced on June 25, 2009 that would retire from politics.^[5][6] He was seen by some political analysts at the time as a potential contender in a future leadership election.^[7]

Coalition Avenir Québec

In February 2011, Legault co-founded with Charles Sirois a new political movement called the "Coalition pour l'avenir du Québec ("Coalition for the Future of Quebec").^[8][9] In November 2011 it became an official party under the name Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ).^[10] The CAQ aims to bring together like-minded voters in a single party regardless of their views on Quebec nationalism, Quebec federalism and Quebec autonomism. Legault had spent his entire political career prior to 2011 as a sovereigntist, but has promised that a CAQ government will never hold a referendum on sovereignty.^[11]

It finished third in the 2012 general election, winning 19 seats and 27.05% of the vote.^[12] In the 2014 general election, the CAQ finished third again, but increased their seat count to 22.^[13][14]

References

1. "Coalition avenir Québec". Directeur général des élections du Québec. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
2. Macpherson, Don (October 14, 2010). "Legault's movement would fill a vacuum in Quebec". The Gazette (Montreal). Retrieved 2012-01-23.
3. "Legault says he's not going to give up". Metro. April 5, 2014. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
4. "CAQ leader François Legault wins riding". Global News. April 7, 2014. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
5. "Legault resignation latest blow for PQ". National Post. June 25, 2009.
6. "PQ critic Legault leaving politics". CBC News. June 25, 2009. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
7. Legault, Josée (June 25, 2009). "It is likely we haven't seen the end of François Legault". The Gazette. Montreal. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
8. "Ex-PQ minister launches coalition". CBC News. February 21, 2011. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
9. "Francois Legault unveils Coalition for the Future". CTV News. February 21, 2011. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
10. "Quebec gets new political party". CBC News. November 14, 2011. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
11. "Francois Legault says CAQ would 'never' hold a referendum". CTV News. April 10, 2014. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
12. "Pauline Marois to become Quebec's 1st female premier". CBC News. September 4, 2012. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
13. "Quebec election: Liberals win majority". CBC News. April 7, 2014. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
14. "Many of the CAQ's gains in ridings come at the PQ's expense". The Globe and Mail. April 7, 2014. Retrieved 2015-11-22.

External links

• "Biography". Dictionnaire des parlementaires du Québec de 1792 à nos jours (in French). National Assembly of Quebec.