Gerald Comeau
Gerald J. Comeau PC (born February 1, 1946) is a Canadian retired Senator and politician.
Gerald Comeau | |
|---|---|
| Senator for Nova Scotia | |
| In office August 30, 1990 – November 30, 2013 | |
| Appointed by | Brian Mulroney |
| MP for West Nova | |
| In office September 4, 1984 – November 21, 1988 | |
| Preceded by | Coline Campbell |
| Succeeded by | Coline Campbell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 1, 1946 Meteghan Station, Nova Scotia |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Aurore |
Early life
Born in Meteghan Station, Nova Scotia, Comeau is an accountant by training. Comeau received his B.Comm and his B.Ed from the Université de Moncton.
Comeau is a member of Nova Scotia's Acadian minority.
Political career
He was elected to the House of Commons of Canada as part of the Progressive Conservative (PC) landslide win in the 1984 election. The Member of Parliament for South West Nova, Nova Scotia, Comeau was a government backbencher throughout his term and was defeated in the 1988 election due in part to the unpopularity of the Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement in Atlantic Canada.
In 1990, Comeau was appointed to the Senate by Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn, on the advice of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. He sat as a Progressive Conservative until February 2004. He has been a Conservative Party senator since the merger of the PC Party into that party. He served as Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate from February 23, 2006, to May 24, 2011.
On January 19, 2013, Governor-General David Johnston, on the advice of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, appointed Comeau to the Queen's Privy Council for Canada.
Comeau retired from the Senate on November 30, 2013 - seven years before reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75.[1]
Electoral record
| 1984 Canadian federal election: West Nova | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Gerald Comeau | 20,604 | 50.59 | +13.78 | ||||
| Liberal | Coline Campbell | 17,044 | 41.85 | -7.97 | ||||
| New Democratic | Bob Ritchie | 3,076 | 7.55 | -5.25 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 40,724 | 100.00 | ||||||
| 1988 Canadian federal election: West Nova | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Coline Campbell | 21,062 | 50.01 | +8.16 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Gerald Comeau | 17,482 | 41.51 | -9.08 | ||||
| New Democratic | Peter Zavitz | 2,396 | 5.69 | -1.86 | ||||
| Christian Heritage | Angus M. McLean | 1,172 | 2.78 | |||||
| Total valid votes | 42,112 | 100.00 | ||||||
References
- "Gerald Comeau announces early retirement from Senate". CBC News. December 12, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2013.