François Legault

François Legault
MNA
François Legault in 2011
Premier of Quebec
Designate
Assuming office
October 18, 2018
Succeeding Philippe Couillard
Leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec
Assumed office
November 4, 2011[1]
Preceded by Position created
Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for L'Assomption
Assumed office
September 4, 2012
Preceded by Scott McKay
Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for Rousseau
In office
December 15, 1998 – June 25, 2009
Preceded by Lévis Brien
Succeeded by Nicolas Marceau
Personal details
Born (1957-05-26) May 26, 1957
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec
Political party Parti Québécois 1998–2009
Coalition Avenir Québec 2011–present
Spouse(s) Isabelle Brais
Children 2
Alma mater HEC Montréal
Net worth $10,000,000
Portfolio Finances, Economic Development

François Legault (pronounced [fʁɑ̃swa ləɡo]; born May 26, 1957) is a Canadian politician and businessman who is the Premier-designate of Quebec. He has been the leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec party since its foundation in 2011. Prior to becoming a politician, he was the co-founder of Canadian airline, Air Transat.

He was a member of the National Assembly of Quebec from 1998 to 2009, serving in the government of Quebec as Minister of Education from 1998 to 2002 and as Minister of Health from 2002 to 2003. As a member of the Parti Québécois (PQ), he was first elected in the 1998 Quebec election in the riding of Rousseau in the Lanaudière region. He was re-elected in 2003, 2007 and 2008 but resigned his seat on June 25, 2009. He was elected as the MNA for L'Assomption, a suburb of Montreal, at the 2012 Quebec provincial election. He was reelected in the 2014 election and 2018 election. When he takes office as Premier, Legault will be the first since 1970, when Jean-Jacques Bertrand of the now-defunct Union Nationale party was in office, to not hail from either the Liberal or Québécois parties.

Early life and education

Legault was born in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec. He has a bachelor's and master's degree in business administration from the HEC Montréal. He also became a Chartered Accountant.[2]

Business career

Legault worked as an administrator for Provigo, and an auditor for Ernst & Young until 1984.[3] In 1985, Legault became the director of finance and administration at Nationair Canada and then marketing director at Québécair. He co-founded Air Transat in 1986 after being the director of marketing at Quebecair.[4] He was the Chief Executive Officer of that company until 1997. Air Transat quickly became one of the largest airline companies in Canada offering charter flights (see Air Transport Industry). From 1995 to 1998, Legault sat on the boards of various companies, including Provigo Inc., Culinar, Sico, Technilab Inc., and Bestar Inc., as well as the Marc-Aurèle Fortin private museum..[5]

Political career

Parti Québécois

After his 1998 election, Legault was appointed by Lucien Bouchard as Minister for Industry and Commerce. He was later named the Minister of Education.

When Bouchard resigned, it was said that Legault would support Pauline Marois against Bernard Landry. He later clarified his position as being in favour of Landry's candidacy.

Landry appointed Legault as Minister of Education and later as Minister of Health and Social Services. He was re-elected in 2003 while the PQ lost to the Quebec Liberal Party. He remained on the PQ front bench as the critic for economics, economic development and finances.

Legault endorsed Richard Legendre in the 2005 PQ leadership election, which was won by André Boisclair. After his re-election in 2007, he was renamed the PQ critic for economic development and finances.

Legault was re-elected in the 2008 elections but announced on June 25, 2009 that would retire from politics.[6][7] He was seen by some political analysts at the time as a potential contender in a future leadership election.[8] Though some of the members from the Liberals thought he could replace Jean Charest, then premier.[9]

Coalition Avenir Québec

In February 2011, Legault co-founded with Charles Sirois a new political movement called the "Coalition pour l'avenir du Québec" ("Coalition for the Future of Quebec").[10][11] In November 2011 it became an official party under the name Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ).[12] The CAQ aims to bring together like-minded voters in a single party regardless of their views on Quebec nationalism, Quebec federalism and Quebec autonomism. Legault had spent his entire political career prior to 2011 as a sovereigntist, but has promised that a CAQ government will never hold a referendum on sovereignty.[13]

The party finished third in the 2012 general election, winning 19 seats and 27.05% of the vote.[14] In the 2014 general election, the CAQ finished third again, but increased their seat count to 22.[15][16]

In the 2018 general election on October 1, Legault led the CAQ to a majority government, becoming the Premier-designate of Quebec.[17]

Personal life

Legault is married to Isabelle Brais and has 2 children[18]. During the 2018 Quebec general election, Brais made headlines for calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau incompetent and saying that people in Ontario and Saskatchewan had no culture and were too American while attending a CAQ fundraiser as a guest of honour. Brais also stated that if her husband was elected, he would not cooperate with Trudeau and that he would put French-Quebeckers first and abolish the Anglophone Ministry. Brais later apologized for her comments towards Trudeau.[19]

Awards and Honours

Legault has been a Fellow of the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec (Order of Chartered Accountants of Québec) since 2000.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "Coalition avenir Québec". Directeur général des élections du Québec. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
  2. ↑ Macpherson, Don (October 14, 2010). "Legault's movement would fill a vacuum in Quebec". The Gazette (Montreal). Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
  3. ↑ "Legault says he's not going to give up". Metro. April 5, 2014. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
  4. ↑ "CAQ leader François Legault wins riding". Global News. April 7, 2014. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
  5. ↑ "François Legault | The Canadian Encyclopedia". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
  6. ↑ "Legault resignation latest blow for PQ". National Post. June 25, 2009.
  7. ↑ "PQ critic Legault leaving politics". CBC News. June 25, 2009. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  8. ↑ Legault, Josée (June 25, 2009). "It is likely we haven't seen the end of François Legault". The Gazette. Montreal. Archived from the original on January 17, 2016. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  9. ↑ "Behind the scenes of the CAQ - Macleans.ca". Macleans.ca. 2012-04-16. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
  10. ↑ "Ex-PQ minister launches coalition". CBC News. February 21, 2011. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  11. ↑ "Francois Legault unveils Coalition for the Future". CTV News. February 21, 2011. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  12. ↑ "Quebec gets new political party". CBC News. November 14, 2011. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  13. ↑ "Francois Legault says CAQ would 'never' hold a referendum". CTV News. April 10, 2014. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  14. ↑ "Pauline Marois to become Quebec's 1st female premier". CBC News. September 4, 2012. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  15. ↑ "Quebec election: Liberals win majority". CBC News. April 7, 2014. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  16. ↑ "Many of the CAQ's gains in ridings come at the PQ's expense". The Globe and Mail. April 7, 2014. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  17. ↑ "Premier-designate François Legault wants 'to make Quebec stronger within Canada' - iPolitics". iPolitics. 2018-10-02. Retrieved 2018-10-03.
  18. ↑ "François Legault biography | The Star". thestar.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
  19. ↑ "Wife of CAQ leader insults Justin Trudeau at riding event". CTV Montreal. September 26, 2018. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
  20. ↑ "François Legault | The Canadian Encyclopedia". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
  • "Biography". Dictionnaire des parlementaires du Québec de 1792 à nos jours (in French). National Assembly of Quebec.
Political offices
Preceded by
Pauline Marois		 Minister of Education (Quebec)
1998–2002		 Succeeded by
Sylvain Simard
Preceded by
Rémy Trudel		 Minister of Health and Social Services (Quebec)
2002–2003		 Succeeded by
Philippe Couillard
Preceded by
Roger Bertrand		 Minister of Industry and Commerce
1998		 Succeeded by
Bernard Landry
Preceded by
Rita Dionne-Marsolais		 Minister of Science and Technology
1998		 Succeeded by
Jean Rochon
Preceded by
Gilles Taillon (ADQ)		 Official Opposition's Shadow Minister of Finance
2008–2009		 Succeeded by
Nicolas Marceau
Preceded by
First leader		 Leader of Coalition Avenir Québec
2011–present		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
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