Pauline Marois

Pauline Marois, Leader of the separatist Parti Québécois (PQ) in Quebec, is the first female leader of any political party in Quebec. A social worker by profession, Pauline Marois has been a member of the Parti Québécois for more than 30 years and has decades of cabinet experience in many different portfolios, including finance and education. She also served as Deputy Premier in the Bernard Landry administration. She retired from politics in 2006, but was persuaded to return after the PQ's poor results in the 2007 Quebec election.

Leading a fractious party at a low ebb, Pauline Marois has managed to steer the PQ away from emphasis on a sovereignty referendum, at least temporarily, to stressing the party's left-leaning roots in order to regain voter support. However her positions on stronger French language laws and education reform have drawn criticism from both inside and outside the party. Her critics also complain about her weak English language skills, which she says she is working to improve, and her snobbish attitude.

2007 to present

March 29, 1949 in Quebec City, Quebec

• BA - Social Services - Université Laval, Quebec
• MBA - L'École des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC), Montreal

• Social Worker
• Consultant in Social Services
• Professor

Parti Québécois

• La Peltrie (1981-85)
• Taillon (1989-2006)
• Charlevoix (2007 to present)

• Pauline Marois was press attaché to the Minister of Finance in Quebec from 1978 to 1979.

• She was Chief of Staff to the Minister of State for the Status of Women in 1979.

• Pauline Marois was first elected to the National Assembly for the PQ in the riding of La Peltrie in 1981.

• Premier René Levesque appointed her Minister responsible for the Status of Women in 1983 and Minister of Labour in 1985.

• In 1985, Pauline Marois ran in the leadership race to replace René Levesque. Pierre-Marc Johnson won.

• In the 1985 Quebec provincial election, the Liberals won and Pauline Marois lost her seat.

• In the 1989 Quebec provincial election, Pauline Marois was elected in the riding of Taillon. She became Official Opposition critic for Industry and Trade. In 1991 she was appointed critic for Public Administration.

• In 1994, with the Parti Québécois back in power under Jacques Parizeau, Pauline Marois was appointed Minister for Administration and the Public Service and Minister responsible for Family.

• In 1995, she was appointed Minister of Finance and Minister of Revenue.

• When Lucien Bouchard took over as leader of the Parti Québécois in 1996, he appointed Pauline Marois as Minister of Education and Minister for Family Policy.

• She was appointed Minister of Child and Family Welfare in 1997.

• Re-elected in 1998, Pauline Marois was appointed Minister for Health and Social Services and Minister of Child and Family Welfare.

• In 2001 Lucien Bouchard resigned and was succeeded as leader of the PQ and Quebec Premier by Bernard Landry.

• Pauline Marois became Deputy Premier. At the same time she took on the positions of Minister of Finance and Minister of Research, Science and Technology. A few months later, she added Social Economics to her portfolios.

• In the 2003 Quebec provincial election, Pauline Marois was re-elected, but the Parti Québécois was defeated. Pauline Marois became Opposition critic for Education.

• In 2005, when Bernard Landry resigned, Pauline Marois again ran for the party leadership. She was beaten by André Boisclair.

• In March 2006, Pauline Marois announced she was leaving politics.

• When André Boisclair resigned after the PQ's poor results in the 2007 Quebec provincial election, Pauline Marois was persuaded to return to take over the Parti Québécois leadership.

• Pauline Marois was elected to the National Assembly in Charlevoix in a by-election later in 2007.

• In the 2008 Quebec provincial election Pauline Marois led the PQ back to Official Opposition status.