Denis Lebel

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The Honourable
Denis Lebel
PC
Denis Lebel 2017.jpg
Deputy Leader of the Opposition
In office
November 19, 2015 – July 23, 2017
LeaderRona Ambrose
Andrew Scheer
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byLisa Raitt
Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party
In office
November 18, 2015 – July 20, 2017
LeaderRona Ambrose (interim)
Andrew Scheer
Preceded byPeter MacKay
Succeeded byLisa Raitt
Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs
In office
March 15, 2013 – November 4, 2015
Prime MinisterStephen Harper
Preceded byPeter Penashue
Succeeded byJustin Trudeau
Minister of Transport
In office
May 18, 2011 – July 15, 2013
Prime MinisterStephen Harper
Preceded byChuck Strahl
Succeeded byLisa Raitt
Member of Parliament
for Lac-Saint-Jean
(Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean; 2007–2015)
In office
September 17, 2007 – August 9, 2017
Preceded byMichel Gauthier
Succeeded byRichard Hébert
Mayor of Roberval
In office
2000–2007
Preceded byClaude Munger
Succeeded byMichel Larouche
Personal details
Born (1954-05-26) May 26, 1954 (age 67)
Roberval, Quebec, Canada
NationalityCanadian
Political partyConservative (2007–present)
Other political
affiliations		Bloc Québécois (1993-2001)
Spouse(s)Danielle Girard
ResidenceRoberval, Quebec
Professionhotel manager, restaurateur

Denis Lebel PC (born May 26, 1954) is a Canadian politician and who served as mayor of Roberval, Quebec and deputy leader of the Official Opposition. Lebel was born in Roberval, Quebec.

Political career[]

Lebel was elected to the House of Commons of Canada on September 17, 2007, in the Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean by-election, as a member of the Conservative Party. Four years later, it emerged that he had been an active member of the Bloc Quebecois from 1993 to 2001. Lebel stated that he joined the Conservatives because Prime Minister Stephen Harper recognized the Québécois nation, and maintains that he has always been a Quebec nationalist.[1][2]

On October 30, 2008, he was appointed to Harper's cabinet as minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec.[3] Following the 2011 election, Lebel was promoted to minister of transport.[4] He was shuffled out of the post in July 2013, shortly after the Lac-Megantic rail disaster.[5][6]

He was also the minister of infrastructure, communities and intergovernmental affairs and served as the Harper government's Quebec lieutenant.[7]

In the 2015 election, Lebel was re-elected in the new Lac-Saint-Jean riding.[8][9]

After the election, he and fellow member of Parliament (MP) Michelle Rempel proposed to become joint interim leaders of the party but ultimately lost to Rona Ambrose.[10]

On November 18, 2015 he was named deputy leader of the Conservative Party and thus deputy Opposition leader.[11]

Career after politics[]

Lebel announced on June 19, 2017 that he will be stepping down as an MP in the following weeks, before the House of Commons resumed sitting in the fall.[12] The seat was lost to the liberals in the following by-election.

The Montreal Gazette reported on June 20, 2017 that Lebel is to be appointed as the CEO of Québec Forest Industry Council.[13] It has also been reported that then-premier of Quebec, Philippe Couillard was interested in recruiting Lebel to run for the Quebec Liberals in the 2018 Quebec general election, but he did not run.[14]

Electoral history[]

2015 Canadian federal election: Lac-Saint-Jean
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Denis Lebel 18,393 33.27 -8.99 –
New Democratic Gisèle Dallaire 15,735 28.46 -3.68 –
Liberal Sabin Simard 10,193 18.44 +15.19 –
Bloc Québécois Sabin Gaudreault 10,152 18.37 -2.63 –
Green Laurence Requilé 806 1.46 +0.12 –
Total valid votes/Expense limit 55,279 100.0   $278,464.25
Total rejected ballots 925 – –
Turnout 56,204 – –
Eligible voters 85,337
Source: Elections Canada[15][16]
2011 Canadian federal election: Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Denis Lebel 18,438 45.68 +2.14 $99,662
New Democratic Yvon Guay 11,182 27.70 +22.99 $1,983
Bloc Québécois Claude Pilote 8,577 21.25 -18.40 $70,809
Liberal Bernard Garneau 1,615 4.00 -6.09 $5,913
Green Steeve Simard 553 1.37 -0.63 –
Total valid votes/Expense limit 40,365 100.00   $102,172
Total rejected ballots 494 1.21 +0.04
Turnout 40,859 64.42 +5.43
2008 Canadian federal election: Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Denis Lebel 16,055 43.54 -16.14 $88,243
Bloc Québécois Claude Pilote 14,619 39.65 +12.89 $79,101
Liberal Bernard Garneau 3,721 10.09 +0.54 $9,041
New Democratic Catherine Forbes 1,738 4.71 +2.40 –
Green Jocelyn Tremblay 737 2.00 +0.29 –
Total valid votes/Expense limit 36,870 100.00   $98,690
Total rejected ballots 437 1.17 –
Turnout 37,307 58.99 –
Conservative hold Swing -14.18


Canadian federal by-election, September 17, 2007: Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Denis Lebel 17,463 59.68 +22.50 $95,449
Bloc Québécois Céline Houde 7,830 26.76 -18.44 $93,915
Liberal Louise Boulanger 2,795 9.55 +1.80 $51,293
New Democratic Éric Dubois 675 2.31 -3.22 $3,123
Green Jean-Luc Boily 499 1.71 -2.63 –
Total valid votes/Expense limit 29,262 100.00   $95,677
Total rejected ballots 265 0.90
Turnout 29,527 46.83
Conservative gain from Bloc Québécois Swing +20.23

References[]

  1. ^ "Tory minister Lebel explains past sovereigntist ties". CBC News. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  2. ^ "Liberals shut out in Quebec byelections". CBC News. September 17, 2007. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  3. ^ "Quebec gets lost in the shuffle". The Globe and Mail. October 30, 2008. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  4. ^ "New faces, but stability key in Harper cabinet shuffle". CBC News. May 18, 2011. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  5. ^ "Harper cabinet shuffle: 8 new ministers named". Toronto Star. July 15, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  6. ^ Martin, Pierre (July 18, 2013). "Lac-Mégantic disaster: Political winners and losers". Toronto Star. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  7. ^ "Harper's Quebec hopes rooted in newly promoted duo". The Globe and Mail. July 16, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  8. ^ "Conservative incumbent Denis Lebel keeps Lac-Saint-Jean". Global News. October 19, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  9. ^ "Who's in and who's out: election night big wins and losses". CBC News. October 19, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  10. ^ "Here's something new: Rempel and Lebel want to be co-leaders of the Tories". David Akin's On the Hill. October 31, 2015. Archived from the original on November 2, 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  11. ^ "Denis Lebel devient chef adjoint du Parti conservateur". Radio-Canada. November 18, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  12. ^ "Longtime Conservative MP Denis Lebel quitting politics - 570 NEWS". June 19, 2017.
  13. ^ June 20, Presse Canadienne Updated; 2017 (June 21, 2017). "Denis Lebel to head Quebec's Forest Industry Council | Montreal Gazette". Retrieved May 1, 2019.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ "Departure of former Conservative minister Denis Lebel sets up intriguing Quebec byelection: Hébert - Toronto Star". thestar.com.
  15. ^ "Voter Information Service - Who are the candidates in my electoral district?". www.elections.ca.
  16. ^ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates Archived August 15, 2015, at the Wayback Machine

External links[]

28th Ministry – Cabinet of Stephen Harper
Cabinet posts (3)
Predecessor Office Successor
Chuck Strahl Minister of Transport
2011–2013 		Lisa Raitt
Peter Penashue Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
2013–2015 		Justin Trudeau
Jean-Pierre Blackburn Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
2008–2015
styled as Minister of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec) 		Position Abolished
Retrieved from ""