Yves-François Blanchet

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Yves-François Blanchet

MP
Yves-Francois Blanchet in October 2009.jpg
Blanchet in 2009
Leader of the Bloc Québécois
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 17, 2019
PresidentYves Perron
Preceded byMario Beaulieu (interim)
Member of Parliament
for Beloeil—Chambly
Incumbent
Assumed office
October 21, 2019
Preceded byMatthew Dubé
Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks
In office
December 4, 2012 – April 23, 2014
PremierPauline Marois
Preceded byDaniel Breton
Succeeded byDavid Heurtel
Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for Johnson
(Drummond; 2008–2012)
In office
December 8, 2008 – April 7, 2014
Preceded bySébastien Schneeberger
Succeeded byAndré Lamontagne
Personal details
Born (1965-04-16) April 16, 1965 (age 56)
Drummondville, Quebec, Canada
NationalityCanadian
Political partyBloc Québécois (federal)
Other political
affiliations		Parti Québécois (provincial)
Spouse(s)Nancy Déziel
ResidenceShawinigan, Quebec[1]
Alma materUniversité de Montréal (BA)

Yves-François Blanchet MP (French: [iv fʁɑ̃swa blɑ̃ʃɛ]; born April 16, 1965) is a Canadian politician who has served as leader of the Bloc Québécois (BQ) since 2019. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Beloeil—Chambly since the 2019 election.

Before federal politics, Blanchet was in provincial politics, serving as a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) for the Parti Québécois (PQ) from 2008 until his defeat in the 2014 election. He was Quebec's Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks from December 2012 to April 2014 under Premier Pauline Marois. Prior to his political career, Blanchet ran an artist management firm and was the president of ADISQ from 2003 to 2006.

Life and career[]

Blanchet was born April 16, 1965 in Drummondville, Quebec, to Pierrette Bédard, a nurse, and Raymond Blanchet, a technician and lineman.[2] He is a graduate from the Université de Montréal where he obtained a bachelor's degree in history and anthropology in 1987. He later worked as a teacher and was a founder of an artist, disc and concert management firm, YFB Inc. while being the president of the ADISQ from 2003 to 2006. He was named the local business personality of the year by the Drummondville Chamber of Commerce, while he and associated artists received 10 Félix Awards.

Blanchet was elected to represent the riding of Drummond in the National Assembly of Quebec in the 2008 provincial election. In the 2012 election, he was reelected, this time in Johnson electoral district. He was defeated by Coalition Avenir Québec candidate André Lamontagne in the 2014 Quebec election. A member of the Parti Québécois (PQ), Blanchet was Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks from 2012 until 2014.[3] He was also a member of the Youth National Committee of the Parti Québécois in 1988 as well as a regional director of the PQ.

On November 26, 2018, Blanchet announced his candidacy for the leadership of the Bloc Québécois (BQ). As no other candidate had entered the race by the time nominations closed on January 15, 2019, Blanchet was officially acclaimed leader on January 17, 2019.[4]

In the 2019 election, the Bloc polling number rose to his alignment towards the popular Francois Legault's CAQ government.[5] S.E Fortin in the Journal de Montreal noted an article from Don Braid from the Calgary Herald when arguing that people from the prairies province were more worried about Blanchet than environmentalists Dominic Champagne or Steven Guilbeault. He won his seat of Beloeil—Chambly. Under Blanchet's leadership, the BQ increased its number of seats from 10 in 2015, to 32 seats in 2019, both overtaking the NDP to become the third largest party in Canada and regaining official party status.[6]

Personal life[]

Blanchet is married to Nancy Déziel.[7]

In September 2020, Blanchet tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after his wife had tested positive earlier in the month, requiring him to self-isolate at his residence in Shawinigan during the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec.[7]

Electoral record[]

Federal results[]

hide
2019 Canadian federal election: Beloeil—Chambly
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Bloc Québécois Yves-François Blanchet 35,068 50.5 +22.82 $36,540.34
Liberal Marie-Chantal Hamel 16,059 23.1 -6.24 $62,823.63
New Democratic Matthew Dubé 10,086 14.5 -16.57 $20,636.78
Conservative Véronique Laprise 4,305 6.2 -3.09 $0.00
Green Pierre Carrier 3,255 4.7 +2.45 $18,235.50
People's Chloé Bernard 512 0.7 – $5,931.38
Indépendence du Québec Michel Blondin 205 0.3 – $768.82
Total valid votes/Expense limit 69,490 100.0
Total rejected ballots 1,064
Turnout 70,554 73.7
Eligible voters 95,723
Bloc Québécois gain from New Democratic Swing +19.79
Source: Elections Canada[8][9]

Provincial results[]

hide2012 Quebec general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Parti Québécois Yves-François Blanchet 15,007 36.16 +1.34
Coalition Avenir Québec Stéphane Legault 14,804 35.67 +5.16
Liberal Nancy Boyce 8,434 20.32 -9.55
Québec solidaire Julie Dionne 1,887 4.55 +1.57
Option nationale Steve Lemay 889 2.14
Conservative Benoit Lussier 479 1.15
2008 Quebec general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Parti Québécois Yves-Francois Blanchet 11,480 34.40
  Liberal Jacques Sigouin 10,860 32.54
Action démocratique Sébastien Schneeberger 9,757 29.23
Québec solidaire Luce Daneau 1,279 3.83

References[]

  1. ^ "Official Voting Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  2. ^ "Yves-François Blanchet - National Assembly of Québec". www.assnat.qc.ca. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
  3. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 24, 2013. Retrieved August 19, 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ "Yves-François Blanchet becomes Bloc Québécois leader". CBC News. January 17, 2019. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  5. ^ "Surge in Bloc Quebecois popularity 'a little bit surprising,' says Maxime Bernier". Global News. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  6. ^ Montpetit ·, Jonathan (October 22, 2019). "Big gains for the Bloc Québécois, but what did it sacrifice in the process? Social Sharing". CBC News. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b "Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet tests positive for COVID-19". CBC News. September 18, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  8. ^ "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  9. ^ "Election night results". Elections Canada. Retrieved 22 October 2019.

External links[]

Media related to Yves-François Blanchet at Wikimedia Commons

  • "Biography". Dictionnaire des parlementaires du Québec de 1792 à nos jours (in French). National Assembly of Quebec.
  • Parti Quebecois biopage[permanent dead link] (in French)
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