Bernard Valcourt

{{Infobox officeholder

| image = |

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

| name= Bernard Valcourt

| honorific-suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|PC|KC|size=100%}}

| office = Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development

| primeminister = Stephen Harper

| term_start = February 22, 2013

| term_end = November 3, 2015

| predecessor = James Moore (acting)

| successor = Carolyn Bennett

| office1 = Associate Minister of National Defence

| primeminister1 = Stephen Harper

| term_start1 = July 4, 2012

| term_end1 = February 21, 2013

| predecessor1 = Julian Fantino

| successor1 = Kerry-Lynne Findlay

| office2 = Minister of Labour

| primeminister2 = Kim Campbell

| term_start2 = June 25, 1993

| term_end2 = November 3, 1993

| predecessor2 = Marcel Danis

| successor2 = Lloyd Axworthy

| office3 = Minister of Employment and Immigration

| primeminister3 = Brian Mulroney
Kim Campbell

| term_start3 = April 21, 1991

| term_end3 = November 3, 1993

| predecessor3 = Barbara McDougall

| successor3 = Lloyd Axworthy

| office4 = Minister of Fisheries and Oceans

| primeminister4 = Brian Mulroney

| term_start4 = February 23, 1990

| term_end4 = April 20, 1991

| predecessor4 = Tom Siddon

| successor4 = John Crosbie

| office5 =

Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs

| primeminister5 = Brian Mulroney

| term_start5 = January 30, 1989

| term_end5 = July 4, 1989

| predecessor5 = Harvie Andre

| successor5 = Harvie Andre (acting)

| riding6 = Madawaska—Restigouche

| parliament6 = Canadian

| term_start6 = May 2, 2011

| term_end6 = October 18, 2015

| predecessor6 =Jean-Claude D'Amours

| successor6 =René Arseneault

| office7 = Leader of the Opposition of New Brunswick

| predecessor7 = Greg Hargrove

| successor7 = Elvy Robichaud

| term_start7 = May 14, 1995

| term_end7 = October 17, 1997

| office8 = Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick

| monarch8 =

| lieutenant_governor8 =

| predecessor8 = Dennis Cochrane

| successor8 = Bernard Lord

| deputy8 =

| term_start8 = May 14, 1995

| term_end8 = October 17, 1997

| office9=MLA for Edmundston

| term_start9=September 11, 1995

| term_end9=June 6, 1999

| predecessor9=Roland Beaulieu

| successor9=Madeleine Dubé

| office10=Member of Parliament for Madawaska—Victoria

| term_start10=September 4, 1984

| term_end10=October 25, 1993

| predecessor10=Eymard Corbin

| successor10 = Pierrette Ringuette

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|02|18}}

| birth_place = Saint-Quentin, New Brunswick, Canada

| death_date=

| death_place=

| profession= Lawyer

| party= Conservative (2011–)

| otherparty=Progressive Conservative (1984–1993)

| residence=Edmundston, New Brunswick, Canada

| footnotes=

| spouse=

}}

Bernard Valcourt {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|PC|KC|size=100%}} (born February 18, 1952) is a Canadian politician and lawyer, who served as Member of Parliament for the electoral district of Madawaska—Restigouche, New Brunswick until he was defeated in the 2015 federal election.

Early federal political career and Mulroney cabinet

Valcourt was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada as a Progressive Conservative candidate in the 1984 election that brought Brian Mulroney to power. He was appointed to the Cabinet of Canada in 1986 as a Minister of State. In January 1989, he was promoted to Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs,{{cite web|url=http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/mgm/dtail.asp?lang=eng&mstyid=24&mbtpid=1|title=Guide to Canadian Ministries since Confederation|access-date=June 7, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305011550/http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/mgm/dtail.asp?lang=eng&mstyid=24&mbtpid=1|archive-date=March 5, 2012|url-status=dead}} but was forced to resign from Cabinet in August when he was involved in a drunk driving motorcycle accident that cost him an eye.{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/no-more-mr-nice-guys/article1367640/|title=No more Mr. Nice Guys?|date=May 21, 2010|work=The Globe and Mail|access-date=June 27, 2021}}

He returned to Cabinet seven months later as Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. In 1991, he was promoted to Minister of Employment and Immigration, and held the position until the government of Mulroney's successor as Progressive Conservative Party leader and prime minister, Kim Campbell, was defeated in the 1993 election. Valcourt was defeated in that election, along with every Tory MP in Atlantic Canada except Elsie Wayne.

Provincial leader

In May 1995, Valcourt was elected leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick.{{cite news|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/21552754.html?dids=21552754:21552754&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+15%2C+1995&author=&pub=Toronto+Star&desc=New+Brunswick%27s+new+top+Tory+set+to+make+political+sparks+fly+Valcourt%2C+McKenna+expected+to+%60go+at+it%27+in+the+legislature&pqatl=google|title=New Brunswick's new top Tory set to make political sparks fly...|date=May 15, 1995|work=Toronto Star|access-date=June 7, 2010 }}{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} {{subscription required}} While he won a seat in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in the 1995 provincial election, his party only won six seats against 48 for Frank McKenna's Liberals. Valcourt resigned as leader in 1997 following a lukewarm endorsement of his leadership at a party convention, and was succeeded by Bernard Lord.{{cite news|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/11802166.html?dids=11802166:11802166&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:FT&type=current&date=May+20%2C+1997&author=CP&pub=Toronto+Star&desc=Valcourt+resigns+as+leader+of+N.B.+Tories+Former+high+flyer+had+little+support+in+his+party&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102122609/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/11802166.html?dids=11802166:11802166&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:FT&type=current&date=May+20,+1997&author=CP&pub=Toronto+Star&desc=Valcourt+resigns+as+leader+of+N.B.+Tories+Former+high+flyer+had+little+support+in+his+party&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 2, 2012|title=Valcourt resigns as leader of NB Tories Former high flyer had little...|work=Toronto Star |publisher=May 20, 1997 |access-date=June 7, 2010 | date=May 20, 1997}} {{subscription required}}

Return to federal politics

On March 28, 2011, Valcourt declared his candidacy in the 2011 federal election, running in the riding of Madawaska—Restigouche, which covers the bulk of the territory he'd represented two decades earlier.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/valcourt-plans-political-comeback-in-n-b-riding-1.988349|title=Valcourt plans political comeback in N.B. riding|publisher=CBC News|date=March 28, 2011|access-date=June 26, 2015}}{{cite news|url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/breakingnews/former-mulroney-tory-cabinet-minister-attempting-comeback-in-nb-riding-118817779.html|title=Former Mulroney Tory cabinet minister attempting comeback in N.B. riding|date=March 28, 2011|work=Winnipeg Free Press|access-date=March 29, 2011}} He was elected on May 2, 2011, defeating Liberal incumbent Jean-Claude D'Amours. He was subsequently appointed to cabinet as Minister of State for both the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and La Francophonie.

His sister Martine Coulombe was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in the 2010 provincial election.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/valcourt-s-sister-hopes-to-tap-ex-mp-s-popularity-1.957595|title=Valcourt's sister hopes to tap ex-MP's popularity|publisher=CBC News|date=September 9, 2010|access-date=June 26, 2015}} On July 4, 2012, he was given the additional portfolio of Associate Minister of Defence.{{cite news|last=Woods|first=Allan|title=Julian Fantino to replace Bev Oda as international co-operation minister|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1221531--julian-fantino-to-replace-bev-oda-as-international-co-operation-minister|access-date=December 14, 2023|newspaper=Toronto Star|date=July 4, 2012|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120706042718/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1221531--julian-fantino-to-replace-bev-oda-as-international-co-operation-minister|archivedate=July 6, 2012}}

Valcourt was part of the AEG initiative, saying co-operation between both the federal and provincial governments, as well as utilities, is key. "The Atlantic Energy Gateway initiative has brought the critical players in the region's energy sector together to not only work toward an affordable, secure, clean energy future, but to also maximize the business and job growth potential of further developing our region's clean and renewable energy industries," said Valcourt in a release.{{cite web|title=CBC news – Regional co-operation focus of energy meeting|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/regional-co-operation-focus-of-energy-meeting-1.1269327|publisher=CBC news|access-date=September 12, 2012}}

On February 22, 2013, Valcourt became Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development in a cabinet shuffle.{{cite news|title=Bernard Valcourt, new aboriginal affairs minister, a 'straight talker' who knows the file|url=http://o.canada.com/news/national/bernard-valcourt-becomes-aboriginal-affairs-minister|access-date=December 14, 2023|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|date=February 22, 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150629073956/http://o.canada.com/news/national/bernard-valcourt-becomes-aboriginal-affairs-minister|archivedate=June 29, 2015}} Valcourt stirred controversy when he claimed that the high rates of suicide among aboriginal youths were "the responsibility of their parents".{{cite news|title=Canada's Aboriginal Minister Shrugs Off Responsibility for Youth Suicides on Reserves, Says It's Parents' Problem|url= https://www.vice.com/en_ca/read/canadas-aboriginal-minister-shrugs-off-responsibility-for-youth-suicides-on-reserves-says-its-parents-problem|work=VICE NEws|publisher=VICE News|access-date=May 27, 2015}}

In the 2015 federal election, Valcourt was defeated by Liberal René Arseneault, finishing third with just over 16% of the vote.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/madawaska-restigouche-elects-1.3278791|title=Madawaska-Restigouche elects Liberal René Arseneault|publisher=CBC News|date=October 19, 2015|access-date=November 5, 2015}}

Electoral record

{{Election box begin | title=1993 Canadian federal election: Madawaska—Victoria}}

|Pierrette Ringuette

|align="right"|16,058

|align="right"|48.8

|align="right"|+5.0

|Bernard Valcourt

|align="right"|15,045

|align="right"|45.7

|align="right"|−2.5

|Parise Martin

|align="right"|844

|align="right"|2.6

|align="right"|−5.4

|- bgcolor="white"

!align="left" colspan=3|Total

!align="right"|32,902

!align="right"|

{{Election box begin | title=1988 Canadian federal election: Madawaska—Victoria}}

|Bernard Valcourt

|align="right"|14,747

|align="right"|48.2

|align="right"|−3.7

|Romeo Rossignol

|align="right"|13,385

|align="right"|43.8

|align="right"|+1.9

|Réal Couturier

|align="right"|2,441

|align="right"|8.0

|align="right"|+1.8

|- bgcolor="white"

!align="left" colspan=3|Total

!align="right"|30,573

!align="right"|

{{Election box begin | title=1984 Canadian federal election: Madawaska—Victoria}}

|Bernard Valcourt

|align="right"|16,411

|align="right"|51.9

|align="right"|+29.0

|Gerald Clavette

|align="right"|13,245

|align="right"|41.9

|align="right"|−23.9

|Floranne McLaughlin-St-Amand

|align="right"|1,968

|align="right"|6.2

|align="right"|−5.1

|- bgcolor="white"

!align="left" colspan=3|Total

!align="right"|31,624

!align="right"|

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20110820003259/http://www.bernardvalcourt.ca/ Bernard Valcourt] official site
{{Canadian Parliament links| parliament = 170415 | parlinfo = 16457 | openparl = bernard-valcourt}}

{{succession box

|before=Danny Cameron

|after=Elvy Robichaud

|years=1995–1997

|title=Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick|

}}

{{succession box

|before=Dennis Cochrane

|title=Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick

|after=Bernard Lord

|years=1995–1997

}}