Michel Gauthier: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|Canadian politician (1950–2020)}}

'''Michel Gauthier''' was a [[Canada|Canadian]] politician and leader of the [[Bloc Quebecois]] for one year ([[1996]]-[[1997]]). He was thus also [[Leader of the Opposition]] during this time.

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2020}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Michel Gauthier

| image = Michel Gauthier.jpg

| office = [[Leader of the Official Opposition (Canada)|Leader of the Opposition]]

| term_start = February 17, 1996

| term_end = March 14, 1997

| predecessor = [[Gilles Duceppe]]

| successor = Gilles Duceppe

| office1 = Leader of the [[Bloc Québécois]]

| term_start1 = February 17, 1996

| term_end1 = March 14, 1997

| predecessor1 = Gilles Duceppe (interim)

| successor1 = Gilles Duceppe

| riding2 = [[Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean]]

| term_start2 = January 17, 1994

| term_end2 = July 29, 2007

| predecessor2 = [[Benoit Bouchard]]

| successor2 = [[Denis Lebel]]

|constituency_AM3 = [[Roberval (provincial electoral district)|Roberval]]

|assembly3 = Quebec National

|term_start3 = 1981

|term_end3 = 1988

|predecessor3 = Robert Lamontagne

|successor3 = [[Gaston Blackburn]]

| birth_date = {{birth date|1950|02|18}}

| birth_place = [[Quebec City]], [[Quebec]], Canada

| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|5|30|1950|02|18|mf=y}}

| death_place =

| profession = Teacher, educational administrator, political advisor, broadcaster

| party = [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]] (2018–2020)

| otherparty = [[Bloc Québécois]] (1993–2007)<br />[[Parti Québécois]] (1981–1988)

| residence = [[Roberval, Quebec]]

| footnotes =

| spouse =

| religion =

| website =

}}

'''Michel Gauthier''' ({{IPA|fr|miʃɛl ɡotje}}; February 18, 1950&nbsp;– May 30, 2020) was a Canadian politician, who served as leader of the [[Bloc Québécois]] from 1996 to 1997. As the party was the [[Official Opposition (Canada)|Official Opposition]] in the [[Parliament of Canada]], Gauthier was also the [[Leader of the Opposition (Canada)|Leader of the Opposition]] during this time. He later recanted his [[Quebec sovereignty movement|sovereignist]] views when he joined the [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative Party]] two years before his death.<ref name="Bloc goes Cons">{{cite news|last1=The Canadian Press|title=Ex-Bloc Quebecois leader, no longer a sovereigntist, joins Conservatives|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/article/ex-bloc-quebecois-leader-no-longer-a-sovereigntist-joins-conservatives/|access-date=May 11, 2018|work=CTV News|date=May 12, 2018}}</ref>

Gauthier was not one of the Bloc's more well-known [[Member of Parliament|MP]]s but after [[Lucien Bouchard]] resigned to become [[Premier]] of [[Quebec]], Gauthier won the 1996 [[BQ leadership elections|BQ leadership election]] defeating [[Francine Lalonde]]. The vote was conducted among members of the party's ''directorate'' rather than by all members of the party and this hurt Gauthier's legitimacy. His lack of profile resulted in some opposition parties mocking Gauthier as being the "faceless leader" of the opposition, as he was largely a political unknown in most of Canada and even in Quebec.

==Early life==

Gauthier's leadership was unpopular with the [[caucus]] due to his conservatism and lack of charisma and, facing a revolt by his [[Member of Parliament|MP]]s Gauthier resigned in 1997.

Gauthier was born in [[Quebec City]] on February 18, 1950, and was raised in [[Chambord, Quebec|Chambord]]. His father, Joseph-Georges Tremblay, worked as a motor engine technician; his mother, Cécile (Archambault), was a housewife.<ref name=Ha>{{cite news|title=Former Bloc leader Michel Gauthier, 70, was a longtime voice for Quebec in Ottawa|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-former-bloc-leader-michel-gauthier-70-had-friends-from-all-sides-of/|first=Tu Thanh|last=Ha|date=May 31, 2020|access-date=June 1, 2020|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|___location=Toronto|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200601083357/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-former-bloc-leader-michel-gauthier-70-had-friends-from-all-sides-of/|archive-date=June 1, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Jonah Goldberg |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=exhiAwAAQBAJ&q=Michel+Gauthier+1950+quebec&pg=PA64 |title=Prime Ministers We Never Had |year = 2011| publisher=Lulu.com |isbn = 9781257925629|access-date=May 31, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cqx-SEL9g9YC&q=C%C3%A9cile+Archambault+Joseph-Georges+Gauthier&pg=PA315 |title=Dictionnaire des parlementaires du Québec, 1792-1992 - Gaston Deschęnes, Québec (Province). Bibliothčque de l'Assemblée nationale, Québec (Province). Assemblée nationale |isbn=9782763773049 |access-date=May 31, 2020|last1=Deschênes |first1=Gaston |year=1993 |publisher=Presses Université Laval }}</ref> Gauthier was a school teacher from 1970 to 1975, educational advisor from 1976 to 1979, then director of education services from 1979 to 1981 at the Roberval school board.<ref name=Nat>{{cite web|url=http://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/deputes/gauthier-michel-3377/biographie.html |title=Michel Gauthier |publisher=National Assembly of Québec |date=December 2, 1985 |access-date=May 31, 2020}}</ref>

He then served as president of the Tourism Corporation of Chambord in 1975 and in 1976 as president of Chambord Chamber of Commerce in 1977 and 1978.<ref name=Nat/>

==Political career==

Gauthier was first elected as a Member of the [[National Assembly of Quebec]] for the [[Parti Québécois]] in [[1981 Quebec general election|1981]] for [[Roberval (provincial electoral district)|Roberval]] and was [[parliamentary secretary]] to the finance minister from 1983 to 1985. He was re-elected to the legislature in [[1985 Quebec general election|1985]] and served until 1988 when he resigned his seat to become director-general of the Roberval school board.<ref name=Nat/>

He won a seat in the [[House of Commons of Canada]] as a candidate of the Bloc Québécois in [[1993 Canadian federal election|1993]].<ref name=CBC>{{cite news|title=Former Bloc Québécois leader Michel Gauthier dies at 70|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/former-bloc-qu%C3%A9b%C3%A9cois-leader-michel-gauthier-dead-at-70-1.5592260|date=May 31, 2020|access-date=June 1, 2020|publisher=CBC News}}</ref>

Gauthier was not one of the Bloc's better-known [[Member of Parliament (Canada)|Members of Parliament]] (MPs), but after [[Lucien Bouchard]] resigned to become [[Premier of Quebec]], Gauthier won the [[Bloc Québécois leadership elections|Bloc Québécois leadership election of 1996]], defeating [[Francine Lalonde]].<ref name=Mutimer>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bKpN6cVZkzoC&pg=PA38|title=Canadian Annual Review of Politics and Public Affairs: 1996|publisher=University of Toronto Press|date=January 1, 2002|last=Mutimer|first=David|page=38|isbn=9781770700857}}</ref> The vote was conducted among members of the party's ''directorate'' rather than by all members of the party, and this hurt Gauthier's legitimacy.<ref name=Mutimer/><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f8IlYwqZXzYC&q=%22Michel+Gauthier%22+legitimacy&pg=PA136|title=The Canadian General Election of 1997|first=Andre|last=Bernard|publisher=Dundurn Press|date=October 1, 1997|editor1-last=Frizzell|editor1-first=Alan|editor2-last=Pammett|editor2-first=Jon H.|pages=135–138|isbn=9781770700857}}</ref>

Gauthier's lack of profile resulted in some opposition parties mocking him as being the "faceless leader" of the opposition, as he was largely a political unknown in most of Canada and even in Quebec.<ref name=Mutimer/> His leadership was unpopular with the [[caucus]] due to alleged conservative views and his lack of "charisma or authority" when compared to Bouchard.<ref name=Ha/> Facing a revolt by his MPs, which culminated in the leaking of confidential caucus discussions, Gauthier resigned in March 1997.<ref name=Ha/> He was succeeded by [[Gilles Duceppe]].<ref name=CBC/>

As a result of health issues after surgery, he announced in March 2007 that he would not run in the next federal election.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bloc stalwart Gauthier hangs up his political hat|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/bloc-stalwart-gauthier-hangs-up-his-political-hat-1.235257|date=March 28, 2007|access-date=June 1, 2020|agency=The Canadian Press|publisher=CTV News}}{{dead link|date=July 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> He served as BQ [[House Leader]] from 1997 until 2007.<ref name=Ha/> Gauthier also served as the chief campaign organizer.<ref>{{cite news|title=L'ex-politicien québécois Michel Gauthier est décédé|url=https://www.journaldequebec.com/2020/05/30/deces-de-michel-gauthier-1|first1=Jérémy|last1=Bernier|first2=Étienne|last2=Paré|date=May 30, 2020|newspaper=Le Journal de Québec|___location=Quebec City|language=fr|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200601112113/https://www.journaldequebec.com/2020/05/30/deces-de-michel-gauthier-1|archive-date=June 1, 2020|access-date=June 1, 2020}}</ref> He formally resigned on July 29, 2007, and became the host of ''Gauthier'', a television news show, which began airing on [[Noovo|TQS]] in September 2007.<ref name=Ha/>

On May 12, 2018, Gauthier joined the [[Conservative Party of Canada]] after not having been a member of any political party for eleven years.<ref name="Bloc goes Cons"/><ref name="Former Bloc Québécois leader Michel Gauthier renounces sovereignty, joins Conservatives">{{cite news|title=Former Bloc Québécois leader Michel Gauthier renounces sovereignty, joins Conservatives|url=https://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/former-bloc-quebecois-leader-michel-gauthier-renounces-sovereignty-joins-conservatives|access-date=May 12, 2018|agency=Presse Canadienne|publisher=Montreal Gazette|date=May 12, 2018}}</ref> He has also said he was no longer a sovereigntist, though he remained a Quebec nationalist.<ref name="Former Bloc Québécois leader Michel Gauthier renounces sovereignty, joins Conservatives"/>

==Personal life and death==

Gauthier was married to Anne Allard until his death. He had two children from a previous marriage (Alexandre and Isabelle).<ref name=Ha/><ref name=CBC/>

Gauthier died on May 30, 2020, at the age of 70. He had been suffering from lung cancer in the years leading up to his death.<ref name=CBC/><ref name=Blais>{{cite news|title=Former Bloc Quebecois leader Michel Gauthier dead at 70|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7008538/michel-gauthier-death/|first=Stephane|last=Blais|date=May 31, 2020|access-date=June 1, 2020|agency=The Canadian Press|publisher=Global News}}</ref>

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==

*{{Canadian Parliament links|ID=6317}}

*{{Quebec MNA biography|gauthier-michel-3377}}

{{Canadian federal opposition leaders}}

{{Bloc Québécois}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gauthier, Michel}}

[[Category:1950 births]]

[[Category:2020 deaths]]

[[Category:Bloc Québécois leaders]]

[[Category:Bloc Québécois MPs]]

[[Category:Leaders of the opposition (Canada)]]

[[Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Quebec]]

[[Category:Parti Québécois MNAs]]

[[Category:People from Roberval, Quebec]]

[[Category:Politicians from Quebec City]]

[[Category:20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]

[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in Canada]]

[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Quebec]]

[[Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]

[[Category:20th-century members of the National Assembly of Quebec]]