Marcel Lessard
Encyclopedia
Marcel Lessard, PC
(born August 14, 1926) is a former Canadian
politician.
Lessard was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
as the Social Credit
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Lac-Saint-Jean
, Quebec
as part of Réal Caouette
's breakthrough in the province in the 1962 election
. He was re-elected in the 1963 election
.
The Social Credit Party split soon after
along English and French lines, however Lessard declined to join the majority of Social Credit's Quebec MPs who followed Caouette into the Ralliement Créditiste
and remained with the Alberta-based Social Credit Party led by Robert Thompson
for the rest of the parliamentary term.
During the 1964 Great Flag Debate
, Lessard was a member of the parliamentary committee that recommended the adoption of the Maple Leaf flag.
In the 1965 federal election
, he ran as an independent candidate, and was defeated by the Ralliement Créditiste candidate.
He returned to the House in the 1968 election
as a Liberal
. In 1970, Lessard became parliamentary secretary
to the Minister of Agriculture
. In 1975, he was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of Regional Economic Expansion. He remained in that position until the 1979 election
that defeated the Liberal government. Lessard retained his seat, and joined the Liberals on the Opposition benches. He retired from politics at the 1980 federal election
.
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 August 14, 1926) is a 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.
Lessard was first 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...
as the Social Credit
Social Credit Party of Canada
The Social Credit Party of Canada was a conservative-populist political party in Canada that promoted social credit theories of monetary reform...
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) for 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 ...
, 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....
as part of Réal Caouette
Réal Caouette
David Réal Caouette was a Canadian politician from Quebec. He was a Member of Parliament and leader of the Social Credit Party of Canada and founder of the Ralliement des créditistes...
's breakthrough in the province in the 1962 election
Canadian federal election, 1962
The Canadian federal election of 1962 was held on June 18, 1962 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 25th Parliament of Canada...
. He was re-elected in the 1963 election
Canadian federal election, 1963
The Canadian federal election of 1963 was held on April 8 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 26th Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of the minority Progressive Conservative government of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker.-Overview:During the Tories' last year in...
.
The Social Credit Party split soon after
Social Credit Party of Canada split, 1963
The split between Ralliement des créditistes, which was the Quebec wing of the Social Credit Party of Canada, and the national organization had its roots in a long-standing dispute between the de facto leader of the Ralliement, Réal Caouette, and the party’s national leader, Robert N. Thompson...
along English and French lines, however Lessard declined to join the majority of Social Credit's Quebec MPs who followed Caouette into the Ralliement Créditiste
Ralliement créditiste
Historically in Quebec, Canada, there was a number of political parties that were part of the Canadian social credit movement. There were various parties at different times with different names at the provincial level, all broadly following the social credit philosophy; at various times they had...
and remained with the Alberta-based Social Credit Party led by Robert Thompson
Robert N. Thompson
Robert Norman Thompson was a Canadian politician, chiropractor, and educator. He was born in Duluth, Minnesota, to Canadian parents and moved to Canada in 1918 with his family...
for the rest of the parliamentary term.
During the 1964 Great Flag Debate
Great Flag Debate
The Great Canadian Flag Debate took place in 1964 when a new design for the national flag of Canada was chosen. The flag debate began on June 15, 1964, when Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson proposed his plans for a new flag in the House of Commons. It lasted more than six months, bitterly...
, Lessard was a member of the parliamentary committee that recommended the adoption of the Maple Leaf flag.
In the 1965 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1965
The Canadian federal election of 1965 was held on November 8 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 27th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal Party of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson was re-elected with a larger number of seats in the House...
, he ran as an independent candidate, and was defeated by the Ralliement Créditiste candidate.
He returned to the House in the 1968 election
Canadian federal election, 1968
The Canadian federal election of 1968 was held on June 25, 1968, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 28th Parliament of Canada...
as a Liberal
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...
. In 1970, Lessard became parliamentary secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to the Minister of Agriculture
Minister of Agriculture (Canada)
The Minister of Agriculture is a Minister of the Crown in the Cabinet of Canada, who is responsible for overseeing several organizations including Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canadian Dairy Commission, Farm Credit Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Farm Products Council and...
. In 1975, he was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of Regional Economic Expansion. He remained in that position until the 1979 election
Canadian federal election, 1979
The Canadian federal election of 1979 was held on May 22, 1979 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 31st Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of Liberal Party of Canada after 11 years in power under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Joe Clark led the Progressive...
that defeated the Liberal government. Lessard retained his seat, and joined the Liberals on the Opposition benches. He retired from politics at the 1980 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1980
The Canadian federal election of 1980 was held on February 18, 1980 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 32nd Parliament of Canada...
.