Denis Lebel

Lebel was elected to the House of Commons of Canada on September 17, 2007, in the Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean by-election, as a member of the Conservative Party. Four years later, it emerged that he had been an active member of the Bloc Quebecois from 1993 to 2001. Lebel stated that he joined the Conservatives because Prime Minister Stephen Harper recognized the Québécois nation, and maintains that he has always been a Quebec nationalist.{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/tory-minister-lebel-explains-past-sovereigntist-ties-1.1087196|title=Tory minister Lebel explains past sovereigntist ties|work=CBC News|access-date=2017-11-15|language=en}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/liberals-shut-out-in-quebec-byelections-1.654051|title=Liberals shut out in Quebec byelections|publisher=CBC News|date=September 17, 2007|access-date=November 5, 2015}}

On October 30, 2008, he was appointed to Harper's cabinet as minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec.{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/quebec-gets-lost-in-the-shuffle/article1064843/|title=Quebec gets lost in the shuffle|work=The Globe and Mail|date=October 30, 2008|access-date=November 5, 2015}} Following the 2011 election, Lebel was promoted to minister of transport.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/new-faces-but-stability-key-in-harper-cabinet-shuffle-1.1029957|title=New faces, but stability key in Harper cabinet shuffle|publisher=CBC News|date=May 18, 2011|access-date=November 5, 2015}} He was shuffled out of the post in July 2013, shortly after the Lac-Megantic rail disaster.{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/07/15/harper_cabinet_shuffle_8_new_ministers_to_be_named.html|title=Harper cabinet shuffle: 8 new ministers named|work=Toronto Star|date=July 15, 2013|access-date=November 5, 2015}}{{cite web|first=Pierre|last=Martin|url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2013/07/18/lacmgantic_disaster_political_winners_and_losers.html|title=Lac-Mégantic disaster: Political winners and losers|work=Toronto Star|date=July 18, 2013|access-date=November 5, 2015}}

He was also the minister of infrastructure, communities and intergovernmental affairs and served as the Harper government's Quebec lieutenant.{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harpers-quebec-hopes-rooted-in-newly-promoted-duo/article13268798/|title=Harper's Quebec hopes rooted in newly promoted duo|work=The Globe and Mail|date=July 16, 2013|access-date=November 6, 2015}}

In the 2015 election, Lebel was re-elected in the new Lac-Saint-Jean riding.{{cite web|url=http://globalnews.ca/news/2272106/conservative-incumbent-denis-lebel-keeps-lac-saint-jean/|title=Conservative incumbent Denis Lebel keeps Lac-Saint-Jean|publisher=Global News|date=October 19, 2015|access-date=November 6, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-cabinet-ministers-1.3278969|title=Who's in and who's out: election night big wins and losses|publisher=CBC News|date=October 19, 2015|access-date=November 6, 2015}}

After the election, he and fellow member of Parliament (MP) Michelle Rempel proposed to become joint interim leaders of the party but ultimately lost to Rona Ambrose.{{cite news|title=Here's something new: Rempel and Lebel want to be co-leaders of the Tories|url=http://blogs.canoe.com/davidakin/politicsconservatives/heres-something-new-rempel-and-lebel-want-to-be-co-leaders-of-the-tories/|access-date=October 31, 2015|work=David Akin's On the Hill|date=October 31, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151102132815/http://blogs.canoe.com/davidakin/politicsconservatives/heres-something-new-rempel-and-lebel-want-to-be-co-leaders-of-the-tories/|archive-date=November 2, 2015|url-status=dead}}

On November 18, 2015 he was named deputy leader of the Conservative Party and thus deputy Opposition leader.{{cite news|title=Denis Lebel devient chef adjoint du Parti conservateur|url=http://ici.radio-canada.ca/regions/saguenay-lac/2015/11/18/006-denis-lebel-chef-adjoint-parti-conservateur.shtml|access-date=November 18, 2015|work=Radio-Canada|date=November 18, 2015}}

Lebel announced on June 19, 2017, that he would step down as an MP in the following weeks, before the House of Commons resumed sitting in the fall.{{cite web|url=http://www.570news.com/2017/06/19/longtime-conservative-mp-denis-lebel-quitting-politics/|title=Longtime Conservative MP Denis Lebel quitting politics - 570 NEWS|date=June 19, 2017}} The seat was lost to the Liberals in the following by-election.

The Montreal Gazette reported on June 20, 2017, that Lebel was to be appointed as the CEO of Québec Forest Industry Council.{{Cite web|url=https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/denis-lebel-to-head-quebecs-forest-industry-council|title=Denis Lebel to head Quebec's Forest Industry Council |publisher=Montreal Gazette|date=2017-06-21|language=en|access-date=2019-05-01}} It was also reported that then-premier of Quebec, Philippe Couillard was interested in recruiting Lebel to run for the Quebec Liberals in the 2018 Quebec general election, but he did not run.{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/06/19/departure-of-former-conservative-minister-denis-lebel-sets-up-intriguing-quebec-byelection-hbert.html|title=Departure of former Conservative minister Denis Lebel sets up intriguing Quebec byelection: Hébert - Toronto Star|website=thestar.com}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2015|Lac-Saint-Jean|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}

{{CANelec|CA|Conservative|Denis Lebel|18,393|33.27|-8.99|–}}

{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Gisèle Dallaire|15,735|28.46|-3.68|–}}

{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Sabin Simard|10,193|18.44|+15.19|–}}

{{CANelec|CA|BQ|Sabin Gaudreault|10,152|18.37|-2.63|–}}

{{CANelec|CA|Green|Laurence Requilé|806|1.46|+0.12|–}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes/expense limit|55,279|100.0| |$278,464.25}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|925|–|–}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|56,204|–|–}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Eligible voters|85,337}}

{{CANelec/source|Source: Elections Canada{{cite web|url=http://www.elections.ca/Scripts/vis/candidates?L=e&ED=24035&EV=41&EV_TYPE=1&PC=&PROV=QC&PROVID=24&MAPID=&QID=8&PAGEID=17&TPAGEID=&PD=&STAT_CODE_ID=-1|title=Voter Information Service - Who are the candidates in my electoral district?|website=www.elections.ca}}[http://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=can&dir=cand/canlim&document=index&lang=e Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150815061116/http://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=can&dir=cand%2Fcanlim&document=index&lang=e |date=August 15, 2015 }}}}

{{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2011|Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}

{{CANelec|CA|Conservative|Denis Lebel|18,438|45.68|+2.14|$99,662 }}

{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Yvon Guay |11,182|27.70|+22.99|$1,983 }}

{{CANelec|CA|BQ|Claude Pilote |8,577|21.25|-18.40|$70,809 }}

{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Bernard Garneau |1,615|4.00|-6.09|$5,913 }}

{{CANelec|CA|Green|Steeve Simard |553|1.37|-0.63|– }}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes/expense limit|40,365|100.00| |$102,172 }}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|494|1.21|+0.04}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|40,859|64.42|+5.43}}

{{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2008|Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}

{{CANelec|CA|Conservative|Denis Lebel|16,055|43.54|-16.14|$88,243}}

{{CANelec|CA|BQ|Claude Pilote|14,619|39.65|+12.89|$79,101}}

{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Bernard Garneau|3,721|10.09|+0.54|$9,041}}

{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Catherine Forbes|1,738|4.71|+2.40|–}}

{{CANelec|CA|Green|Jocelyn Tremblay|737|2.00|+0.29|–}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes/expense limit|36,870|100.00| | $98,690}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|437|1.17|–}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|37,307|58.99|–}}

{{CANelec/hold|CA|Conservative| -14.18}}

{{end}}

{{CANelec/top|CA|September 17, 2007|by=yes|Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}

{{CANelec|CA|Conservative|Denis Lebel|17,463|59.68|+22.50|$95,449}}

{{CANelec|CA|BQ|Céline Houde|7,830|26.76|-18.44|$93,915}}

{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Louise Boulanger|2,795|9.55|+1.80|$51,293}}

{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Éric Dubois|675|2.31|-3.22|$3,123}}

{{CANelec|CA|Green|Jean-Luc Boily|499|1.71|-2.63|–}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes/expense limit|29,262|100.00| |$95,677 }}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|265|0.90}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|29,527|46.83}}

{{CANelec/gain|CA|Conservative|BQ|+20.23}}

{{end}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.denislebel.ca/ Denis Lebel] official site
• {{Canadian Parliament links| parliament = 170385 | parlinfo = 17140 | openparl = denis-lebel}}

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{{Canadian federal ministry navigational box header |ministry=28}}

{{ministry box cabinet posts

| post1 = Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec

| post1years = 2008–2015

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| post2followed = Justin Trudeau

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lebel, Denis}}

Category:1954 births

Category:Conservative Party of Canada MPs

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century mayors of places in Quebec

Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Quebec

Category:Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada

Category:People from Roberval, Quebec

Category:Members of the 28th Canadian Ministry

Category:Deputy opposition leaders

Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada