Romeo Saganash
Romeo Saganash | |
---|---|
Shadow Minister for International Cooperation | |
In office April 19, 2012 – October 21, 2012 | |
Leader | Thomas Mulcair |
Preceded by | Jinny Sims |
Succeeded by | Hélène Laverdière |
Shadow Minister for Natural Resources | |
In office May 26, 2011 – September 30, 2011 | |
Leader | Jack Layton Nycole Turmel |
Preceded by | Denis Coderre |
Succeeded by | Claude Gravelle |
Member of Parliament for Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou | |
In office May 2, 2011 – September 11, 2019 | |
Preceded by | Yvon Lévesque |
Succeeded by | Sylvie Bérubé |
Deputy Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees | |
In office 1990–1993[1] | |
Grand Chief | Ted Moses |
Personal details | |
Born | Diom Romeo Saganash[2] October 28, 1961 Waswanipi, Quebec, Canada |
Political party | New Democratic Party |
Residence | Quebec City |
Alma mater | Université du Québec à Montréal |
Profession | Lawyer |
Website | www |
Diom Roméo Saganash (born October 28, 1961) is a Canadian Cree lawyer and politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Quebec riding of Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou from 2011 to 2019.[3] As a member of the New Democratic Party he was first elected to the House of Commons in the 2011 federal election, succeeding Yvon Lévesque of the Bloc Québécois. He was reelected in the 2015 federal election. He did not run for reelection in 2019.
Early life[]
Saganash was born on October 28, 1961 in Waswanipi, a native community in Quebec.[3] At the age of seven, he was among 27 Cree children taken from their homes to attend French-language schooling in La Tuque, while living with an English-speaking Anglican family.[4] The program was cancelled the following year, but he remained there for ten years, completing his schooling in French.[5] After that, he attended a meeting on the negotiations between the Cree and Government officials on constitutional and resource rights, which sparked his interest in pursuing a law degree. He attended law school at the Université du Québec à Montréal and in 1989 he became the first Cree to receive a law degree in Quebec.[6] Saganash is fluent in Cree, French and English.[7]
Career[]
In 1985, Saganash founded the Cree Nation Youth Council.[8] He was the Deputy Grand Chief to The Grand Council of the Crees of James Bay from 1990 to 1993,[2] and he later became director of Quebec relations and international affairs for over ten years.[9] From 1997 to 2000, Saganash chaired the James Bay Advisory Committee on the Environment.[8]
As a prominent Cree figure in a riding with many aboriginal voters, Saganash received personal support from NDP Quebec lieutenant Thomas Mulcair, who referred to Saganash as a "very important candidate".[9] He was elected in the 2011 federal election to represent Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou.
On Friday September 16, 2011, Saganash announced that he was running for the leadership of the NDP, to succeed Jack Layton.[10] He is believed to be the first aboriginal leader to run for the leadership of a major Canadian party.[7] He announced his withdrawal on February 9, 2012, citing illness in his family and a lack of confidence in his campaign.[11] On March 7, 2012, Saganash announced that he would support Mulcair for NDP leader.[12]
After an incident where he was removed from an Air Canada Jazz flight from Montreal to Val-d'Or for intoxication, Saganash took sick leave in October 2012 for the treatment of alcohol dependency. Saganash cited the death of his "friend and mentor" Jack Layton, as well as the "profound scars" he received while in the residential school system as the reasons for his dependency.[13] He completed his treatment in November 2012, and returned for the start of the House's first session of 2013.[14]
In the 2015 Canadian federal election, Saganash was reelected to a second term.
By July 2018, Saganash had decided not to run in the 43rd Canadian federal election.[15]
Electoral record[]
hide2015 Canadian federal election: Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
New Democratic | Roméo Saganash | 12,778 | 37.02 | -7.80 | $33,061.53 | |||
Liberal | Pierre Dufour | 11,094 | 32.14 | +21.67 | $29,180.64 | |||
Bloc Québécois | Luc Ferland | 6,398 | 18.54 | +0.27 | $31,842.28 | |||
Conservative | Steven Hébert | 3,211 | 9.30 | -13.25 | $11,040.28 | |||
Green | Patrick Benoît | 779 | 2.26 | -1.63 | $2,173.92 | |||
Rhinoceros | Mario Gagnon | 258 | 0.75 | – | $3.70 | |||
Total valid votes/Expense limit | 34,518 | 100.0 | $247,914.66 | |||||
Total rejected ballots | 609 | – | – | |||||
Turnout | 35,127 | 55.55 | – | |||||
Eligible voters | 63,226 | |||||||
New Democratic hold | Swing | -14.73 | ||||||
Source: Elections Canada[16][17] |
hide2011 Canadian federal election: Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
New Democratic | Roméo Saganash | 13,961 | 44.79 | +36.59 | $61,976.57 | |||
Conservative | Jean-Maurice Matte | 7,089 | 22.74 | -7.63 | $75,028.15 | |||
Bloc Québécois | Yvon Lévesque | 5,615 | 18.02 | -21.63 | $61,279.33 | |||
Liberal | Léandre Gervais | 3,282 | 10.53 | -7.89 | $76,159.99 | |||
Green | Johnny Kasudluak | 1,221 | 3.92 | +0.58 | $0.00 | |||
Total valid votes/Expense limit | 31,168 | 100.00 | ||||||
Total rejected ballots | 480 | 1.51 | ||||||
Turnout | 31,684 | 53.69 | ||||||
New Democratic Party gain from Bloc Québécois | Swing | +29.11 |
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Bryden, Joan (November 3, 2011). "Saganash questions validity of NDP signature policy on Quebec secession". Winnipeg Free Press. Canadian Press. Retrieved December 29, 2011.[dead link]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Q & A: Diom Roméo Saganash". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Cree politician Romeo Saganash". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- ^ Patrick, Donna (2003). Language, politics, and social interaction in an Inuit community. Berlin, Germany: Walter de Gruyter. p. 218. ISBN 3-11-017652-1.
- ^ Marcelino, Don (2000). Le voyage sacré amérindien. Année 2000, regard amérindien sur l'Europe (in French). ISBN 2-910677-39-7.
- ^ House of Commons Debates: Official Report Volume 2. Ottawa: Queen's Printer. 1989.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Authier, Philip (September 17, 2011). "Saganash announces bid for NDP leadership". Montreal Gazette. Archived from the original on September 26, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "About Romeo Saganash". New Democratic Party. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Dougherty, Kevin (March 31, 2011). "Popular Cree leader running for NDP". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved May 3, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Romeo Saganash says he will run for the NDP leadership". Winnipeg Free Press. Canadian Press. September 16, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
- ^ Canadian, Press (February 9, 2012). "Saganash to bow out of NDP leadership race, announcement Friday". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- ^ Authier, Philip (March 7, 2012). "Romeo Saganash backs Thomas Mulcair for NDP leadership". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
- ^ Payton, Laura. "NDP MP Saganash taking sick leave to treat alcoholism". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
- ^ Cohen, Tobi (16 January 2013). "Romeo Saganash returns from rehab, NDP MP happy to be back at 'crucial' time for aboriginals". Postmedia News. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- ^ Ryckewaert, Laura (July 2, 2018). "Political parties busy laying groundwork this summer for 2019 election, Conservatives already ahead". The Hill Times. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
- ^ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, 30 September 2015
- ^ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
External links[]
- 1961 births
- First Nations activists
- First Nations politicians
- Lawyers in Quebec
- Living people
- Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Quebec
- New Democratic Party MPs
- People from Eeyou Istchee (territory)
- Université du Québec à Montréal alumni
- Indigenous Members of the House of Commons of Canada
- 20th-century First Nations people
- 21st-century First Nations people
- Cree people
- 21st-century Canadian politicians