Lucien Bouchard

Former Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard has had a complicated political career. From a sovereigntist follower of René Lévesque to a federalist and supporter of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, and then a reborn sovereigntist and Premier of Quebec, Lucien Bouchard has always been passionate in his causes, if somewhat given to overheated rhetoric and impatience. After five years as Premier of Quebec, he resigned because he felt he had not managed to advance the cause of sovereignty.

1996 to 2001

December 22, 1938 in Saint-Coeur-de-Marie, Quebec

• BA - Université Laval

• LL.B - Université Laval

• Lawyer

• Member of the Cliche Commission inquiry into violence and corruption in the construction industry (1974-75)

• Canadian Ambassador to France (1985-88)

• Represented Quebec government in collective bargaining with provincial public servants and also in constitutional affairs.

• Progressive Conservative (1998-90)
• Independent (1990)
• Bloc Québécois (1990-96)

Parti Québécois (1996-2001)

Lac-Saint-Jean

Jonquière

• In 1976, Lucien Bouchard worked on Brian Mulroney's campaign for leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party. Joe Clark won that campaign.

• In 1980, Lucien Bouchard was chair of the Yes side in the Quebec referendum on sovereignty association. Nearly 60 percent of Quebeckers voted No to negotiations on sovereignty association.

• In 1983, Lucien Bouchard again worked on Brian Mulroney's leadership campaign, and this time Mulroney won. Mulroney became Prime Minister in 1984.

• Lucien Bouchard was brought into the federal cabinet by Mulroney in March 1988 as Secretary of State.

• He was first elected to the House of Commons in a by-election in June 1988 as a Progressive Conservative. He was re-elected in the general election later that year.

• In 1989, Lucien Bouchard was named Minister of the Environment.

• In 1990, angry over negotiations on the Meech Lake Accord, Lucien Bouchard quit the federal cabinet and the Progressive Conservative Party to sit as an Independent.

• The Meech Lake Accord failed to get ratification from all provinces and died in June 1990.

• Lucien Bouchard quickly moved to form a new federal political party, the Bloc Québécois, whose main objective is the sovereignty of Quebec. The Bloc Québécois attracted both Conservatives and Liberals after the failure of the Meech Lake Accord.

• In the 1993 general federal election, the Bloc Québécois, with Lucien Bouchard as leader, won 54 seats and became the Official Opposition in Ottawa. Lucien Bouchard remained Leader of the Official Oppostion in the House of Commons until 1996.

• Lucien Bouchard was a key player for the Yes side in the 1995 Quebec Referendum on Quebec sovereignty.

• The Quebec referendum was narrowly defeated and the Parti Québécois Premier Jacques Parizeau immediately resigned.

• A few months later, Lucien Bouchard resigned from the House of Commons. He was acclaimed Leader of the Parti Québécois and sworn in as Premier of Quebec in January 1996.

• Lucien Bouchard won a seat in the Quebec National Assembly in a by-election in February 1996.

• As Lucien Bouchard switched the piorities of the government to the economy first and independence second, the Parti Québécois was re-elected in the 1998 Quebec provincial election.

• By 2001, Lucien Bouchard had become discouraged with the lack of success of Quebec separatism, and he resigned.

• He returned to the private sector to practise corporate and commercial law.

• Lucien Bouchard was succeeded as Quebec Premier by Bernard Landry.