A lawyer and economist, Bernard Landry helped form the Parti Québécois (PQ) in 1968. He served as a cabinet minister under Quebec Premiers René Lévesque, Jacques Parizeau and Lucien Bouchard, before becoming premier himself in 2001. As Quebec Premier, Bernard Landry made Quebec independence his focus, but Quebeckers were more interested in other issues at the time. Bernard Landry also put a priority on economic development, but the Quebec economy did not improve significantly under his leadership, and the Parti Québécois was defeated in 2003.
With the Parti Québécois mired in internal feuds and disagreements on its future, Bernard Landry resigned abruptly as Parti Québécois leader in 2005 when he got only 76.2 percent approval in the leadership vote at the PQ 2005 convention.
2001 to 2003
March 9, 1937 in St-Jacques-de-Montcalm, Quebec
- LL.B - University of Montreal
- Diploma - economics and finance, Université de Montréal
- Diploma - economics and finance, Institut d'études politiques, Paris, France
- Worked in the Quebec public service
- Lawyer in Joliette and Montreal
- Co-host of TV public affairs program Le Monde magazine
- Professor, Administrative Sciences, Université du Québec in Montreal
Parti Québécois
- Fabre 1976-81
- Laval-des-Rapides 1981-85
- Verchères 1994-2005
- Bernard Landry helped found the Parti Québécois in 1968.
- In 1970 he ran for a seat in the Quebec National Assembly for the new Parti Québécois, but was defeated.
- Bernard Landry was first elected to the Quebec National Assembly in the riding of Fabre in 1976.
- He was appointed Minister of State for Economic Development in 1977.
- In 1981 Bernard Landry was elected in the riding of Laval-des-Rapides.
- Bernard Landry served as Minister for Foreign Trade from 1982 to 1983.
- He was Minister of International Relations and Foreign Trade from 1984 to 1985.
- In 1985, Bernard Landry was appointed Minister of Finance.
- Bernard Landry did not run in the 1985 and 1989 elections.
- He was elected in the riding of Verchères in 1994 and 1998.
- Bernard Landry served as Deputy Premier of Quebec from 1994 to 2001.
- He was Minister of International Affairs from 1994 to 1996.
- From 1996 to 2001, Bernard Landry was Minister of Industry and Minister of Finance.
- Bernard Landry became President of the Parti Québécois by acclamation in 2001.
- Bernard Landry was sworn in as Premier of Quebec in 2001.
- The Parti Québécois was defeated in the April 2003 election.
- Liberal Jean Charest became Premier of Quebec in 2003.
- Bernard Landry resigned as President of the Parti Québécois in 2005 when he received the support of only 76.2 percent of the delegates at the Parti Québécois convention.
