André Bissonnette
Encyclopedia
André Bissonnette, PC
(born June 25, 1945) is a businessman and former Canadian
politician.
Bissonnette, a businessman in the manufacturing industry, was elected to the Canadian House of Commons
in the 1984 election
as the Member of Parliament
for Saint-Jean
, Quebec
, in the Progressive Conservative
landslide that brought Brian Mulroney
to power.
He was appointed by the new prime minister
to the Cabinet as Minister of State
for Small Business (1984–1986), and Minister of State for Transport (1986–1987).
He was forced to resign from Cabinet on January 19, 1987, when it became known that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
was investigating his alleged involvement in land speculation in his riding. (The real estate in question was eventually sold to weapons manufacturer Oerlikon Aerospace
to build its facilities in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.) Bissonnette was formally accused of wrongdoing but eventually acquitted by a local jury.
He did not run for re-election in the 1988 election
and left politics.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(born June 25, 1945) is a businessman and former Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician.
Bissonnette, a businessman in the manufacturing industry, was elected to the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in the 1984 election
Canadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
as the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Saint-Jean
Saint-Jean (electoral district)
Saint-Jean is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968.-Geography:The riding extends along the Richelieu River southeast of Montreal, in the Quebec region of Montérégie...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, in the Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
landslide that brought Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
to power.
He was appointed by the new prime minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
to the Cabinet as Minister of State
Minister of state (Canada)
A Minister of State is a junior cabinet minister in the Canadian Cabinet, usually given specific responsibilities to assist a senior cabinet minister in a specific area....
for Small Business (1984–1986), and Minister of State for Transport (1986–1987).
He was forced to resign from Cabinet on January 19, 1987, when it became known that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
was investigating his alleged involvement in land speculation in his riding. (The real estate in question was eventually sold to weapons manufacturer Oerlikon Aerospace
Oerlikon Contraves
Rheinmetall Air Defence AG is a division of German armament manufacturer Rheinmetall, created when the company's Oerlikon Contraves unit was renamed on 1 January 2009 and integrated with Rheinmetall's other air-defence products...
to build its facilities in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.) Bissonnette was formally accused of wrongdoing but eventually acquitted by a local jury.
He did not run for re-election in the 1988 election
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
and left politics.