Françoise Boivin
Encyclopedia
Françoise Boivin is a Canadian
politician, who represents the electoral district of Gatineau
in the Canadian House of Commons
.
She first represented the district from 2004 to 2006 as a member of the Liberal Party
, but was defeated in the 2006 election
by Richard Nadeau
of the Bloc Québécois
. She subsequently left the Liberals and ran to reclaim her seat in the 2008 election
as a New Democratic Party
candidate, but was narrowly defeated by Nadeau. She was re-elected to Parliament as a New Democrat in the 2011 election.
.
Boivin has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 1984. She began her legal career with Beaudry, Bertrand and subsequently co-founded the law firm Letellier & Associés. During this time, she also taught, and was in charge of the negotiation sector, at the Quebec Bar training school.
In September 1998, Boivin hosted a public affairs program on CJRC
. She was subsequently asked to host a number of other programs for CJRC-1150 and for Canal Vox. During the times of increasing price of gas, she made a daring move by asking her radio listeners to boycott Petro-Canada to push the country's national fuel company to decrease its prices.
In 2000, she set up her own firm where she works mainly in the area of labour law.
Very involved in her community, Boivin has participated in many fundraising activities to help agencies such as the Canadian Cancer Society, the Outaouais Alzheimer’s Society, and the Foundation for Heart Disease (Outaouais). She has also worked closely with various support and network agencies helping women and seniors.
and leader of the Liberal Party Women's Caucus. She represented the district of Gatineau
. She made a breakthrough in politics as newly-elected Liberal Member of Parliament
(MP) by being one of the first to openly oppose the US missile defence system, a point of view that ultimately became the official position of Prime Minister
Paul Martin
.
Françoise Boivin was also chosen to be the official seconder to the 2004 Speech from the Throne
in October of that year. She was a member of the Committee on Bill C-38
to provide legal recognition of same-sex marriage
, which she supported. In Parliament, she was a member of the Subcommittee on Parliamentary Privilege and the Liberal Committee on Cities and Communities. She was also part of the Standing Committee on Official Languages and the Standing Committee on Finance.
She was named "Rookie of the Year" by Susan Delacourt of the Toronto Star
, and was one of the rare MPs to have never missed a vote in the House of Commons. As a member of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs which studied the topic of Electoral Reform, on May 17, 2005, when Ed Broadbent
proposed a detailed resolution that the government launch a process of electoral reform, she immediately stated that she fully concurred with his resolution, which formed the basis for the Committee's Report the next month.
Boivin was defeated by Bloc candidate Richard Nadeau
during the January 23, 2006 federal election
. She remained active within the Liberal Party, backing Michael Ignatieff
during the 2006 Liberal Party leadership campaign and as media specialist for the Liberal Women's Commission (Quebec).
in October 2008, beating the Liberal and distant Conservative candidates and challenging incumbent Bloc candidate Richard Nadeau very late into election night for the final result. At 29.1%, Nadeau received the lowest share of the popular vote of any candidate elected in that election.
, and as a news commentator on the Denis Lévesque broadcast on LCN
and TVA
.
At its November 2008 convention, Boivin was elected president of the Quebec Section of the federal NDP, a position she occupied until November 2010.
also named her Deputy Critic for Justice. Boivin currently co-chairs the Standing Joint Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations with Conservative Senator Bob Runciman
.
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|align="left" colspan=2|Bloc Québécois
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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, who represents the electoral district of Gatineau
Gatineau (electoral district)
Gatineau is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1949 to 1988 and since 1997. Its population in 2006 was 108,742....
in 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...
.
She first represented the district from 2004 to 2006 as a member of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
, but was defeated in the 2006 election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
by Richard Nadeau
Richard Nadeau
Richard Nadeau is a teacher and Bloc Québécois politician in Quebec, Canada.He is the Member of Parliament for the riding of Gatineau. Nadeau attended the University of Ottawa where he received degrees in history, political science and education...
of the Bloc Québécois
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
. She subsequently left the Liberals and ran to reclaim her seat in the 2008 election
Canadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
as a New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
candidate, but was narrowly defeated by Nadeau. She was re-elected to Parliament as a New Democrat in the 2011 election.
Studies, early career and community involvement
Françoise Boivin has degrees in social sciences and civil law from the University of OttawaUniversity of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
.
Boivin has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 1984. She began her legal career with Beaudry, Bertrand and subsequently co-founded the law firm Letellier & Associés. During this time, she also taught, and was in charge of the negotiation sector, at the Quebec Bar training school.
In September 1998, Boivin hosted a public affairs program on CJRC
CJRC (AM)
CKOF-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Gatineau, Quebec . The station has a hot adult contemporary format under the CKOI 104.7 branding...
. She was subsequently asked to host a number of other programs for CJRC-1150 and for Canal Vox. During the times of increasing price of gas, she made a daring move by asking her radio listeners to boycott Petro-Canada to push the country's national fuel company to decrease its prices.
In 2000, she set up her own firm where she works mainly in the area of labour law.
Very involved in her community, Boivin has participated in many fundraising activities to help agencies such as the Canadian Cancer Society, the Outaouais Alzheimer’s Society, and the Foundation for Heart Disease (Outaouais). She has also worked closely with various support and network agencies helping women and seniors.
Liberal politician
From 2004 to 2006, Boivin was a member of the Canadian House of CommonsCanadian 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...
and leader of the Liberal Party Women's Caucus. She represented the district of Gatineau
Gatineau (electoral district)
Gatineau is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1949 to 1988 and since 1997. Its population in 2006 was 108,742....
. She made a breakthrough in politics as newly-elected Liberal 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,...
(MP) by being one of the first to openly oppose the US missile defence system, a point of view that ultimately became the official position of 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...
Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
.
Françoise Boivin was also chosen to be the official seconder to the 2004 Speech from the Throne
Speech from the Throne
A speech from the throne is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign reads a prepared speech to a complete session of parliament, outlining the government's agenda for the coming session...
in October of that year. She was a member of the Committee on Bill C-38
Civil Marriage Act
The Civil Marriage Act was legislation legalizing same-sex marriage across Canada...
to provide legal recognition of same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage in Canada
On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world and the first country in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act which provided a gender-neutral marriage definition...
, which she supported. In Parliament, she was a member of the Subcommittee on Parliamentary Privilege and the Liberal Committee on Cities and Communities. She was also part of the Standing Committee on Official Languages and the Standing Committee on Finance.
She was named "Rookie of the Year" by Susan Delacourt of the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
, and was one of the rare MPs to have never missed a vote in the House of Commons. As a member of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs which studied the topic of Electoral Reform, on May 17, 2005, when Ed Broadbent
Ed Broadbent
John Edward "Ed" Broadbent, is a Canadian social democratic politician and political scientist. He was leader of the federal New Democratic Party from 1975 to 1989. In the 2004 federal election, he returned to Parliament for one additional term as the Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre.-Life...
proposed a detailed resolution that the government launch a process of electoral reform, she immediately stated that she fully concurred with his resolution, which formed the basis for the Committee's Report the next month.
Boivin was defeated by Bloc candidate Richard Nadeau
Richard Nadeau
Richard Nadeau is a teacher and Bloc Québécois politician in Quebec, Canada.He is the Member of Parliament for the riding of Gatineau. Nadeau attended the University of Ottawa where he received degrees in history, political science and education...
during the January 23, 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
. She remained active within the Liberal Party, backing Michael Ignatieff
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
during the 2006 Liberal Party leadership campaign and as media specialist for the Liberal Women's Commission (Quebec).
Move to the NDP
On February 25, 2008, Boivin announced that she would seek the nomination to represent the NDP in Gatineau, citing the refusal of the Liberal Party of Canada to bring down the Harper government as one of her main motivations for switching parties. She was subsequently named official candidate on June 18, 2008. As an indication of her popularity, Boivin came in a very close second during the 40th Canadian ElectionCanadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
in October 2008, beating the Liberal and distant Conservative candidates and challenging incumbent Bloc candidate Richard Nadeau very late into election night for the final result. At 29.1%, Nadeau received the lowest share of the popular vote of any candidate elected in that election.
Between elections
Boivin practiced labour law at her own law firm and was strongly involved in Outaouais community activities and associations. She was an advisory member of the committee for the President of the Women's Business Network (RÉFAP) and a guest speaker at the Public Service Commission Management School. She appeared weekly on television as host of La Vérité choc with Roger Blanchette and Le Témoin est à vous on Canal VoxCanal Vox
Canal Vox or simply VOX is the brand of community channels owned by Vidéotron, a division of Quebecor, many of which share common programs....
, and as a news commentator on the Denis Lévesque broadcast on LCN
Le Canal Nouvelles
Le Canal Nouvelles is a Canadian French language Category C 24 hour headline news specialty channel owned by Groupe TVA, a division of Quebecor Media...
and TVA
TVA (TV network)
TVA is a privately owned French language television network in Canada. The network is currently owned by Groupe TVA Inc. , a publicly traded subsidiary of Quebecor Media...
.
At its November 2008 convention, Boivin was elected president of the Quebec Section of the federal NDP, a position she occupied until November 2010.
2011 election
Boivin once again ran as the NDP candidate in her old riding of Gatineau during the 41st Canadian election and was elected on May 2, 2011 with 61.8% of the vote, finishing 27,000 votes ahead of Nadeau.41st Parliament
On May 26, 2011 Opposition leader Jack Layton named Boivin critic for the Status of Women. On September 20, 2011, interim Opposition Leader Nycole TurmelNycole Turmel
Nycole Turmel, MP is the Leader of the Official Opposition in the Canadian Parliament. She was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2011 federal election, representing the electoral district of Hull—Aylmer, and became interim leader of the New Democratic Party after leader Jack...
also named her Deputy Critic for Justice. Boivin currently co-chairs the Standing Joint Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations with Conservative Senator Bob Runciman
Bob Runciman
Robert William "Bob" Runciman is a veteran Canadian politician and former provincial Leader of the Opposition in the Ontario Legislature. First elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 1981, he held the seat continuously for Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario for the next 29 years...
.
Electoral record
Source: Elections Canada|-
|align="left" colspan=2|Bloc Québécois
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
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|align="right"|Swing
|align="right"| -13.11%
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