Karl Belanger
Encyclopedia
Karl Bélanger is the Senior press secretary
for Canada
's New Democratic Party
leader Jack Layton
. He was named principal secretary for Quebec in spring 2009.
He previously was the spokesman
for former NDP Leader Alexa McDonough
and has worked for the party since the 1997 federal election
. Bélanger is a native of Quebec City
, and noted for his fondness for team
sport
s. Bélanger represented Quebec at the 1990 U16 World Table Tennis championships in Helsinki, Finland.
He was a candidate in the 1993 federal election
in the riding of Jonquière
, and in the 1996 federal by-election
in Lac-Saint-Jean
. He was president of the New Democratic Youth of Québec from 1994 to 1998 and vice-president of the NDYC from 1995 to 1997.
As a party spokesperson, he appears regularly on CPAC's political panels and on CTV
's Power Play, and is a regular columnist in The Hill Times
. He is also a regular guest on radio stations such as CJAD, CFRA and CINW.
He earned a B.A.
in political science
from Université Laval
in Quebec City in 1997. He previously had received a college degree in arts and media technology at the Jonquière CEGEP
in 1995.
Alan Kellogg of the Edmonton Journal
called Bélanger "a Great Canadian" for his longtime work as assistant to the NDP leader.
Bélanger was named five times on the Terrific Twenty-Five Staffers List, as put together by the Hill Times, based on a survey of parliamentary staff. He was listed as #6 in 2010.. (#7 in 2002, #5 in 2006, #13 in 2008, #6 in 2009) Bélanger lives in Gatineau, Quebec.
Press secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
for Canada
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...
's 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...
leader Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
. He was named principal secretary for Quebec in spring 2009.
He previously was the spokesman
Spokesman
A spokesperson or spokesman or spokeswoman is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others.In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have received formal training in journalism, communications, public relations and...
for former NDP Leader Alexa McDonough
Alexa McDonough
Alexa Ann Shaw McDonough OC is a Canadian politician who became the first woman to lead a major, recognized political party in Canada, when she was elected the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party's leader in 1980...
and has worked for the party since the 1997 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
. Bélanger is a native of Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, and noted for his fondness for team
Team
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
s. Bélanger represented Quebec at the 1990 U16 World Table Tennis championships in Helsinki, Finland.
He was a candidate in the 1993 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
in the riding of Jonquière
Jonquière (electoral district)
Jonquière was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 2004.This riding was created in 1976 from parts of Lapointe and Montmorency ridings...
, and in the 1996 federal by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in Lac-Saint-Jean
Lac-Saint-Jean
This article is about the former federal electoral district. For the lake, see Lac Saint-Jean. For the current provincial electoral district, see Lac-Saint-Jean ...
. He was president of the New Democratic Youth of Québec from 1994 to 1998 and vice-president of the NDYC from 1995 to 1997.
As a party spokesperson, he appears regularly on CPAC's political panels and on CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
's Power Play, and is a regular columnist in The Hill Times
The Hill Times
The Hill Times is a Canadian weekly newspaper that covers the federal government and politics. Founded in 1989, this Ottawa based periodical is owned by Jim Creskey and Ross Dickson....
. He is also a regular guest on radio stations such as CJAD, CFRA and CINW.
He earned a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from Université Laval
Université Laval
Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...
in Quebec City in 1997. He previously had received a college degree in arts and media technology at the Jonquière CEGEP
Cégep
CEGEP is an acronym for , which is literally translated as "College of General and Vocational Education" but commonly called "General and Vocational College" in circles not influenced by Quebec English. It refers to the public post-secondary education collegiate institutions exclusive to the...
in 1995.
Alan Kellogg of the Edmonton Journal
Edmonton Journal
The Edmonton Journal is a daily newspaper in Edmonton, Alberta. It is part of the Postmedia Network.-History:The Journal was founded in 1903 by three local businessmen — John Macpherson, Arthur Moore and J.W. Cunningham — as a rival to Alberta's first newspaper, the 23-year-old...
called Bélanger "a Great Canadian" for his longtime work as assistant to the NDP leader.
Bélanger was named five times on the Terrific Twenty-Five Staffers List, as put together by the Hill Times, based on a survey of parliamentary staff. He was listed as #6 in 2010.. (#7 in 2002, #5 in 2006, #13 in 2008, #6 in 2009) Bélanger lives in Gatineau, Quebec.