Jump to content

Michel Clair

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by CJCurrie (talk | contribs) at 08:08, 1 May 2011 (→Cabinet minister). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Michel Clair (born June 16, 1950) is a former politician in the Canadian province of Quebec. He was a Parti Québécois member of the National Assembly of Quebec from 1976 to 1985 and served as a cabinet minister in the governments of René Lévesque and Pierre-Marc Johnson.

Early life and career

Clair was born in Saint-Germain-de-Grantham and received his early education in that community and Montreal. He later earned a law degree from the Université de Sherbrooke and was called to the bar of Quebec in 1974. He worked as a legal aid lawyer in Drummondville from 1974 to 1976 and earned a master's degree in criminology from the Université de Montréal. Clair also wrote for a local newspaper and appeared on the radio station CHRD-FM.[1]

Legislator

Clair was elected to the Quebec legislature in the 1976 provincial election for the division of Drummond. The Parti Québécois won a majority government in this election, and Clair entered the legislature as a backbench supporter of René Lévesque's government. On May 17, 1979, he was promoted to parliamentary assistant to the minister of consumer affairs, cooperatives and financial institutions.[2]

Cabinet minister

Revenue minister

Clair joined the Lévesque cabinet as revenue minister on September 21, 1979.[3] He subsequently took part in discussions with the Quebec Chamber of Commerce, which had complained about the actions of revenue department officials.[4] In late 1980, he announced that Quebec would exempt advertising flyers in newspapers from the provincial sales tax. Clair said that because neighbouring provinces did not charge the flyers, Quebec's printing industry was at a disadvantage.[5]

Transport minister

He was re-elected in the 1981 provincial election and was re-assigned as transport minister on April 30, 1981.[6] In June 1981, he announced an agreement with federal minister Jean-Luc Pepin to modernize commuter transit in the Montreal area.[7] The following month, however, he criticized the federal government for cancelling some regional train services and said the closures would not have been necessary if proposed upgrades had been made five years earlier.[8] In November 1981, Clair announced an appeal to the Federal Court of Canada to stop planned VIA Rail cutbacks by the Canadian government.[9]

Clair introduced changes to Quebec's seatbelt law in February 1982, requiring that all persons in the front seat of a moving vehicle wear a seatbelt. Taxi drivers, police, and young children had previously been exempted.[10] He later introduced restrictions on the use of government planes by cabinet ministers and increased rates on four provincial toll roads.[11]

In May 1982, Clair announced that Quebec would end its use of bilingual stop signs by 1987, leaving only the French word "arrêt" on the famous octagonal red sign.[12]

Clair took part in negotiations to save North America's the financially troubled Quebecair, North America's only French airline, in 1982 and 1983. He reached an agreement in principle with Ontario transport minister James Snow in August 1982 that would have seen a merger of Nordair and Quebecair with involvement from Air Ontario.[13] The federal government rejected this plan and instead suggested replacing Quebecair with a new service co-owned by Air Canada and the Quebec government.[14] Clair ultimately rejected this plan and announced in June 1983 that the Quebec government would take over and financially restructure the airline, without nationalizing it.[15]

Clair strongly criticized the Canadian National Railway's decision in 1983 to shift its administrative offices for trucking and express services from Montreal to Toronto.[16]

Treasury Board President

After a cabinet shuffle on March 5, 1984, Clair was named as president of the treasury board and minister responsible for administration. In May 1984, he announced that the Lévesque government would seek a complete overhaul of its system for labour contract negotiations, following negotiations with the province's labour organizations.[17] The government's legislation eventually cut the right of public-sector workers to strike over money issues, established a joint labour-management committee to study economic conditions and pay increases, and decentralized some aspects of bargaining to reflect local conditions.[18] Quebec Federation of Labour president Louis Laberge and other labour leaders opposed aspects of the bill, particularly restrictions on the right to strike.[19] The government introduced closure to end legislative debate on the bill in June 1985.[20]

Clair announced in March 1985 that Quebec would spend $27.4 billion in the 1985–86 fiscal year, an increase of 5.7 per cent over the previous year.[21]

Internal PQ crisis

In 1984, the Parti Québécois went through an internal crisis over the nature of its support for Quebec sovereignty. Some leading party figures, including René Lévesque, wanted to moderate the party's position, while others favoured a more hardline stand in favour of Quebec independence Clair sided with the moderates. When delegates at a party conference voted to tie the PQ to a hardline independantiste stand in the next provincial election, Clair quipped that he had "never seen turkeys so eager for Christmas."[22]

The PQ's divisions continued until November 1984, when several independantiste hardliners resigned from the government. Clair served as acting minister of social affairs from November 27 to November 29, replacing one of the departed ministers until a full-time replacement was found.[23]

Treasury Board/Energy and Resources

Pierre-Marc Johnson succeeded René Lévesque as PQ leader and premier in October 1985. On October 17, he retained Clair in the treasury board portfolio and gave him extra responsibilities as minister of energy and resources.[24] On November 11, he approved almost two million dollars in mining exploration grants for seven companies.[25]

The Parti Québécois lost the 1985 provincial election to the Quebec Liberal Party, and Clair was defeated in Drummond by the narrow margin of 102 votes. He formally resigned from cabinet with the rest of the Johnson ministry on December 12, 1985.[26]

Out of government

After the 1985 election, Clair worked as chief of staff to Johnson in the latter's role as leader of the official opposition. He resigned in December 1986 for what he described as "purely personal reasons."[27] He served as leader of the Quebec Association of Nursing Homes from 1987 to 1994; in September 1989, he described as strike by hospital and health-care workers as "unthinkable" in terms of its effects on elderly residents.[28]

Clair traveled to Romania with a Montreal television crew in late 1989 to record a series of reports on the status of the country's minority Hungarian community. One of his interview guests was László Tőkés, whose arrest shortly thereafter helped trigger the 1989 Romanian revolution.[29] It has been suggested that Clair's interview with Tőkés played a significant role in provoking these events.[30]

Clair became president of the venture capital firm Fondel Drummond in 1990.[31]

Deputy minister and administrator

The Parti Québécois were returned to office with a majority government under Jacques Parizeau's leadership in the 1994 provincial election. Clair was not a candidate in the election, but was appointed as deputy minister of energy and resources on November 28, 1994. By virtue of this position, he also served on the board of Hydro-Quebec.[32] He resigned as deputy minister on May 5, 1997, to become executive vice-president of Hydro-Quebec's international affairs and projects group.[33] He also became president and chief executive officer of Hydro-Quebec International.

In September 1997, he announced that a new company co-owned by Hydro-Quebec would undertake a partnership with Pan American Enterprises to create a network of compressed natural gas stations in Mexico.[34] He also helped negotiate deals for Hydro-Quebec to participate in a number of projects in China and Peru.[35]

Electoral record

Template:Quebec provincial election, 1985/Electoral District/Drummond (provincial electoral district)

Template:Quebec provincial election, 1981/Electoral District/Drummond (provincial electoral district)

Template:Quebec provincial election, 1976/Electoral District/Drummond (provincial electoral district)

References

  1. ^ Biography: Michel Clair, National Assembly of Quebec, accessed 30 April 2011.
  2. ^ Biography: Michel Clair, National Assembly of Quebec, accessed 30 April 2011.
  3. ^ Ian Rodger, "Ex-minister Tremblay blasts Levesque," Globe and Mail, 22 September 1979, p. 11.
  4. ^ Wendie Kerr, "Quebec Revenue Department accused of hounding firms," Globe and Mail, 15 August 1980, B2; Wendie Kerr, "Quebec tax talks bare differences of chamber, Clair," Globe and Mail, 22 August 1980, B2.
  5. ^ "Sales tax," Globe and Mail, 17 December 1980, B6.
  6. ^ "Levesque ignores two anglophones in Cabinet shuffle," Globe and Mail, 1 May 1981, p. 8.
  7. ^ "Quebec transit to be updated," Globe and Mail, 27 June 1981, p. 11.
  8. ^ "Lack of federal foresight ruining rail, minister says," Globe and Mail, 30 July 1981, p. 8.
  9. ^ "Stop Via Rail cutbacks, Quebec asks Federal Court," Globe and Mail, 11 November 1981, p. 12.
  10. ^ "Seatbelt law tightened up in Quebec," Globe and Mail, 13 February 1982, p. 14.
  11. ^ "PQ toughens travel rules for ministers," Globe and Mail, 3 March 1982, p. 10; Margot Gibb-Clark, "Despite tough spending cuts, Quebec braced for big deficit," Globe and Mail, 24 May 1982, p. 3.
  12. ^ "Quebec Calling a Halt To English Stop Sign," New York Times, 14 May 1982.
  13. ^ David Stewart-Patterson, "Quebec, Ontario airlines plan merger," Globe and Mail, 10 August 1982, B1.
  14. ^ David Stewart-Patterson, "Ottawa wants new airline to replace Quebecair," Globe and Mail, 23 November 1982, B1; Wendie Kerr, "Rejection by Ottawa of merger of airlines puzzles SID president," Globe and Mail, 24 November 1982, B5.
  15. ^ Wendie Kerr and Margot Gibb-Clark, "Quebecair taken over by province," Globe and Mail, 22 June 1983, B1; Margot Gibb-Clark, "Change of face for the summer," Globe and Mail, 27 June 1983, p. 8.
  16. ^ "CN planning to merge 2 units' administration," Globe and Mail, 17 June 1982, B12.
  17. ^ "Quebec trying to smooth over labor talks with public servants," Globe and Mail, 5 May 1984, N4.
  18. ^ "Closure used to cut debate on service bill," Globe and Mail, 15 June 1985, p. 12.
  19. ^ "Labor troubles loom: unions," Globe and Mail, 31 January 1985, p. 8; "Quebec labor protests against anti-strike bill," Globe and Mail, 4 February 1985, p. 5.
  20. ^ "Closure used to cut debate on service bill," Globe and Mail, 15 June 1985, p. 12.
  21. ^ Graham Fraser, "Auto crash costs shifted to insurance fund Quebec spending set at $27.4 billion," Globe and Mail, 20 March 1985, p. 4.
  22. ^ Graham Fraser and Margot Gibb-Clark, "Levesque swallows reservations on sovereignty stand," Globe and Mail, 11 June 1984, p. 1.
  23. ^ Graham Fraser and Margot Gibb-Clark, "Levesque patches Cabinet holes as sixth minister quits," Globe and Mail, 28 November 1984.
  24. ^ "Premier responsible for second portfolio," Globe and Mail, 17 October 1985, A5.
  25. ^ Andrew McIntosh, "Quebec ridings given $140 million by PQ gravy train," Globe and Mail, 2 December 1985, A4.
  26. ^ Biography: Michel Clair, National Assembly of Quebec, accessed 30 April 2011.
  27. ^ "PQ chief of staff leaving his post," Globe and Mail, 10 December 1986, A4.
  28. ^ Robert McKenzie and Nancy Wood, "Cabinet recalled as Quebec braces for massive strike by civil servants," Toronto Star, 6 September 1989, A3; Andre Picard, "Bourassa asks public to help in Quebec strike," Globe and Mail, 16 September 1989, A1.
  29. ^ "LIBERAL LEADERSHIP CANDIDATE HEADS RALLY FOR PERSECUTED MINISTER IN ROMANIA," Canada NewsWire, 15 November 1989, 10:17. The leadership candidate in question was Tom Wappel, a Canadian of Hungarian background. Wappel and Clair appeared together at a benefit for Tőkés in Toronto.
  30. ^ Therese Boyle, "Video made by Canadians may have influenced events," Toronto Star, 26 December 1989, A11.
  31. ^ Biography: Michel Clair, National Assembly of Quebec, accessed 30 April 2011.
  32. ^ "Hydro-Quebec. Re Directorate," Regulatory News Service, 21 February 1995.
  33. ^ Kathryn Leger, "Hydro-Quebec readies for foreign push," Financial Post, 16 April 1997, p. 11; "Michel Clair Appointed President And CEO Of Hydro-Quebec International," Canada NewsWire, 15 May 1997, 10:26.
  34. ^ "Hydro-Quebec And Gaz De France In Global Joint Venture," Canada NewsWire, 29 September 1997, 14:30.
  35. ^ "Hydro-Quebec International Undertakes a Hydro-Electric Project Worth $350 Million in China," PR Newswire, 4 November 1994, 7:17; "Hydro-Quebec International Signs A Cooperation Agreement With Northeast China Electricity Power Group And A Technical Assistance Contract," Canada NewsWire, 6 November 1997, 8:59; "Hydro-Quebec International Obtains An Important Contract Of $10-Million In China," Canada NewsWire, 11 November 1997, 06:17; "The Peruvian Government Awards A Contract Worth U.S$180 Million To Hydro-Quebec International (HQI) And The Societe D'Energie De La Baie James (Sebj)", Canada NewsWire, 16 January 1998, 13:05.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Michel_Clair&oldid=426857586"