Yves-François Blanchet

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

Yves-François Blanchet
MP
Blanchet in 2009
Leader of the Bloc Québécois
Assumed office
January 17, 2019
PresidentYves Perron
Preceded byMario Beaulieu (interim)
Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks of Quebec
In office
December 4, 2012 – April 23, 2014
PremierPauline Marois
Preceded byDaniel Breton
Succeeded byDavid Heurtel
Member of Parliament
for Beloeil—Chambly
Assumed office
October 21, 2019
Preceded byMatthew Dubé
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
Drummondville, Quebec, Canada
Political partyBloc Québécois (federal)
Other political
affiliations		Parti Québécois (provincial)
SpouseNancy Déziel
Residence(s)Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada[1]
Alma materUniversité de Montréal (BA)

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.

Prior to becoming leader of the Bloc Québécois (BQ), he was a columnist with Le Nouvelliste[4] and the program Les Ex, on ICI RDI.[5]

Bloc Québécois (2019–present)

On November 26, 2018, Blanchet announced his candidacy for the leadership of the Bloc Québécois. 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.[6]

In the 2019 federal election, the Bloc polling number rose to his alignment towards the popular Francois Legault's CAQ government.[7] 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.[8]

In the 2021 Canadian federal election, the Bloc Québécois led by Blanchet won 32 seats, unchanged from the prior election.[9][10]

The Bloc Québécois held a leadership confidence vote in May 2023. Blanchet won 97% of the vote.[11]

Personal life

Blanchet married and is now separated from Nancy Déziel.[12]

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.[13][14][12]

Electoral record

Federal results
2021 Canadian federal election: Beloeil—Chambly
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
Bloc QuébécoisYves-François Blanchet34,67853.1+2.5$44,405.09
LiberalMarie-Chantal Hamel15,46023.7-0.1$20,410.86
ConservativeStéphane Robichaud5,6228.6+2.8$1,228.76
New DemocraticMarie-Josée Béliveau5,5258.5-6.5$1,187.30
People'sDanila Ejov1,3442.1+1.5$5.00
GreenFabrice Gélinas Larrain1,2942.0-2.7$1,848.81
FreeMario Grimard8451.3–$1,113.55
MarijuanaBenjamin Vachon1910.3–$0.00
RhinocerosThomas Thibault-Vincent1850.3–$0.00
Indépendance du QuébecMichel Blondin1630.2–$0.00
Total valid votes/Expense limit 65,32498.3–$124,082.82
Total rejected ballots 1,1091.7
Turnout 66,43368.7
Eligible voters 96,633
Bloc Québécois hold Swing +1.3
Source: Elections Canada[15]
2019 Canadian federal election: Beloeil—Chambly
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
Bloc QuébécoisYves-François Blanchet35,06850.5+22.82$36,540.34
LiberalMarie-Chantal Hamel16,05923.1-6.24$62,823.63
New DemocraticMatthew Dubé10,08614.5-16.57$20,636.78
ConservativeVéronique Laprise4,3056.2-3.09$0.00
GreenPierre Carrier3,2554.7+2.45$18,235.50
People'sChloé Bernard5120.7–$5,931.38
Indépendence du QuébecMichel Blondin2050.3–$768.82
Total valid votes/expense limit 69,490100.0
Total rejected ballots 1,064
Turnout 70,55473.7
Eligible voters 95,723
Bloc Québécois gain from New Democratic Swing +19.79
Source: Elections Canada[16][17]

Provincial results
2014 Quebec general election
Party Candidate Votes%
Coalition Avenir QuébecAndré Lamontagne13,62136.06
Parti QuébécoisYves-François Blanchet11,76831.16
LiberalBrigitte Mercier8,94623.69
Québec solidaireFrançois Desrochers2,3656.26
Parti nulSébastien Gauthier5021.33
Option nationaleMagali Doucet3040.80
ConservativeBenoit Lussier2620.69
Total valid votes 37,76898.04
Total rejected ballots 7551.96
Turnout 38,52367.44
Electors on the lists 57,123–
2012 Quebec general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Parti QuébécoisYves-François Blanchet15,00736.16+1.34
Coalition Avenir QuébecStéphane Legault14,80435.67+5.16
LiberalNancy Boyce8,43420.32-9.55
Québec solidaireJulie Dionne1,8874.55+1.57
Option nationaleSteve Lemay8892.14
ConservativeBenoit Lussier4791.15
2008 Quebec general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Parti QuébécoisYves-François Blanchet11,48034.40
  Liberal Jacques Sigouin 10,860 32.54
Action démocratiqueSébastien Schneeberger9,75729.23
Québec solidaireLuce Daneau1,2793.83

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. "The Minister- Biography". Archived from the original on August 24, 2013. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
  4. "Shame! Shame! Shame!". Le Nouvelliste (in French). 2018-11-09. Retrieved 2022-06-18.
  5. "Le grand vent se fait attendre". Le Nouvelliste (in French). 2017-12-23. Retrieved 2022-06-18.
  6. "Yves-François Blanchet becomes Bloc Québécois leader". CBC News. January 17, 2019. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  7. "Surge in Bloc Quebecois popularity 'a little bit surprising,' says Maxime Bernier". Global News. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  8. 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.
  9. Connolly, Amanda (September 20, 2021). "Liberals projected to form minority government". Global News. Archived from the original on December 29, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  10. Tasker, John Paul (September 20, 2021). "Canadians have re-elected a Liberal minority government". CBC. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  11. Morris, Erika (May 20, 2023). "Blanchet maintains 97% support of Bloc Québécois members in vote of confidence". CBC News.
  12. "Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet tests positive for COVID-19". CBC News. September 18, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  13. Breen, Kerri (18 September 2020). "Bloc Québécois leader tests positive for coronavirus". Global News. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  14. "Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet tests positive for COVID-19". The Globe and Mail. 18 September 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  15. "List of confirmed candidates – September 20, 2021 Federal Election". Elections Canada. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  16. "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  17. "Election night results". Elections Canada. Retrieved 22 October 2019.

Media related to Yves-François Blanchet at Wikimedia Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.