Michel Gauthier
{{short description|Canadian politician (1950–2020)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Michel Gauthier
| image = Michel Gauthier.jpg
| office = Leader of the Opposition
| term_start = February 17, 1996
| term_end = March 14, 1997
| predecessor = Gilles Duceppe
| successor = Gilles Duceppe
| office1 = Leader of the Bloc Québécois
| term_start1 = February 17, 1996
| term_end1 = March 14, 1997
| predecessor1 = Gilles Duceppe (interim)
| successor1 = Gilles Duceppe
| riding2 = Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean
| term_start2 = January 17, 1994
| term_end2 = July 29, 2007
| predecessor2 = Benoit Bouchard
| successor2 = Denis Lebel
|constituency_AM3 = Roberval
|assembly3 = Quebec National
|term_start3 = 1981
|term_end3 = 1988
|predecessor3 = Robert Lamontagne
|successor3 = Gaston Blackburn
| birth_date = {{birth date|1950|02|18}}
| birth_place = Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|5|30|1950|02|18|mf=y}}
| death_place =
| profession = Teacher, educational administrator, political advisor, broadcaster
| party = Conservative (2018–2020)
| otherparty = Bloc Québécois (1993–2007)
Parti Québécois (1981–1988)
| residence = Roberval, Quebec
| footnotes =
| spouse =
| religion =
| website =
}}
Michel Gauthier ({{IPA|fr|miʃɛl ɡotje}}; February 18, 1950 – May 30, 2020) was a Canadian politician, who served as leader of the Bloc Québécois from 1996 to 1997. As the party was the Official Opposition in the Parliament of Canada, Gauthier was also the Leader of the Opposition during this time. He later recanted his sovereignist views when he joined the Conservative Party two years before his death.{{cite news|last1=The Canadian Press|title=Ex-Bloc Quebecois leader, no longer a sovereigntist, joins Conservatives|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/politics/ex-bloc-quebecois-leader-no-longer-a-sovereigntist-joins-conservatives-1.3926964|access-date=May 11, 2018|work=CTV News|date=May 12, 2018}}
Early life
Gauthier was born in Quebec City on February 18, 1950, and was raised in Chambord. His father, Joseph-Georges Tremblay, worked as a motor engine technician; his mother, Cécile (Archambault), was a housewife.{{cite news|title=Former Bloc leader Michel Gauthier, 70, was a longtime voice for Quebec in Ottawa|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-former-bloc-leader-michel-gauthier-70-had-friends-from-all-sides-of/|first=Tu Thanh|last=Ha|date=May 31, 2020|access-date=June 1, 2020|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200601083357/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-former-bloc-leader-michel-gauthier-70-had-friends-from-all-sides-of/|archive-date=June 1, 2020}}{{cite book|author=Jonah Goldberg |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=exhiAwAAQBAJ&q=Michel+Gauthier+1950+quebec&pg=PA64 |title=Prime Ministers We Never Had |year = 2011| publisher=Lulu.com |isbn = 9781257925629|access-date=May 31, 2020}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cqx-SEL9g9YC&q=C%C3%A9cile+Archambault+Joseph-Georges+Gauthier&pg=PA315 |title=Dictionnaire des parlementaires du Québec, 1792-1992 - Gaston Deschęnes, Québec (Province). Bibliothčque de l'Assemblée nationale, Québec (Province). Assemblée nationale |isbn=9782763773049 |access-date=May 31, 2020|last1=Deschênes |first1=Gaston |year=1993 |publisher=Presses Université Laval }} Gauthier was a school teacher from 1970 to 1975, educational advisor from 1976 to 1979, then director of education services from 1979 to 1981 at the Roberval school board.{{cite web|url=http://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/deputes/gauthier-michel-3377/biographie.html |title=Michel Gauthier |publisher=National Assembly of Québec |date=December 2, 1985 |access-date=May 31, 2020}}
He then served as president of the Tourism Corporation of Chambord in 1975 and in 1976 as president of Chambord Chamber of Commerce in 1977 and 1978.
Political career
Gauthier was first elected as a Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for the Parti Québécois in 1981 for Roberval and was parliamentary secretary to the finance minister from 1983 to 1985. He was re-elected to the legislature in 1985 and served until 1988 when he resigned his seat to become director-general of the Roberval school board.
He won a seat in the House of Commons of Canada as a candidate of the Bloc Québécois in 1993.{{cite news|title=Former Bloc Québécois leader Michel Gauthier dies at 70|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/former-bloc-qu%C3%A9b%C3%A9cois-leader-michel-gauthier-dead-at-70-1.5592260|date=May 31, 2020|access-date=June 1, 2020|publisher=CBC News}}
Gauthier was not one of the Bloc's better-known Members of Parliament (MPs), but after Lucien Bouchard resigned to become Premier of Quebec, Gauthier won the Bloc Québécois leadership election of 1996, defeating Francine Lalonde.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bKpN6cVZkzoC&pg=PA38|title=Canadian Annual Review of Politics and Public Affairs: 1996|publisher=University of Toronto Press|date=January 1, 2002|last=Mutimer|first=David|page=38|isbn=9781770700857}} The vote was conducted among members of the party's directorate rather than by all members of the party, and this hurt Gauthier's legitimacy.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f8IlYwqZXzYC&q=%22Michel+Gauthier%22+legitimacy&pg=PA136|title=The Canadian General Election of 1997|first=Andre|last=Bernard|publisher=Dundurn Press|date=October 1, 1997|editor1-last=Frizzell|editor1-first=Alan|editor2-last=Pammett|editor2-first=Jon H.|pages=135–138|isbn=9781770700857}}
Gauthier's lack of profile resulted in some opposition parties mocking him as being the "faceless leader" of the opposition, as he was largely a political unknown in most of Canada and even in Quebec. His leadership was unpopular with the caucus due to alleged conservative views and his lack of "charisma or authority" when compared to Bouchard. Facing a revolt by his MPs, which culminated in the leaking of confidential caucus discussions, Gauthier resigned in March 1997. He was succeeded by Gilles Duceppe.
As a result of health issues after surgery, he announced in March 2007 that he would not run in the next federal election.{{cite news|title=Bloc stalwart Gauthier hangs up his political hat|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/bloc-stalwart-gauthier-hangs-up-his-political-hat-1.235257|date=March 28, 2007|access-date=June 1, 2020|agency=The Canadian Press|publisher=CTV News}} He served as BQ House Leader from 1997 until 2007. Gauthier also served as the chief campaign organizer.{{cite news|title=L'ex-politicien québécois Michel Gauthier est décédé|url=https://www.journaldequebec.com/2020/05/30/deces-de-michel-gauthier-1|first1=Jérémy|last1=Bernier|first2=Étienne|last2=Paré|date=May 30, 2020|newspaper=Le Journal de Québec|location=Quebec City|language=fr|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200601112113/https://www.journaldequebec.com/2020/05/30/deces-de-michel-gauthier-1|archive-date=June 1, 2020|access-date=June 1, 2020}} He formally resigned on July 29, 2007, and became the host of Gauthier, a television news show, which began airing on TQS in September 2007.
On May 12, 2018, Gauthier joined the Conservative Party of Canada after not having been a member of any political party for eleven years.{{cite news|title=Former Bloc Québécois leader Michel Gauthier renounces sovereignty, joins Conservatives|url=https://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/former-bloc-quebecois-leader-michel-gauthier-renounces-sovereignty-joins-conservatives|access-date=May 12, 2018|agency=Presse Canadienne|publisher=Montreal Gazette|date=May 12, 2018}} He has also said he was no longer a sovereigntist, though he remained a Quebec nationalist.
Personal life and death
Gauthier was married to Anne Allard until his death. He had two children from a previous marriage (Alexandre and Isabelle).
Gauthier died on May 30, 2020, at the age of 70. He had been suffering from lung cancer in the years leading up to his death.{{cite news|title=Former Bloc Quebecois leader Michel Gauthier dead at 70|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7008538/michel-gauthier-death/|first=Stephane|last=Blais|date=May 31, 2020|access-date=June 1, 2020|agency=The Canadian Press|publisher=Global News}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Canadian Parliament links|ID=6317}}
- {{Quebec MNA biography|gauthier-michel-3377}}
{{Canadian federal opposition leaders}}
{{Bloc Québécois}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gauthier, Michel}}
Category:Bloc Québécois leaders
Category:Leaders of the opposition (Canada)
Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Quebec
Category:People from Roberval, Quebec
Category:Politicians from Quebec City
Category:20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada
Category:Deaths from lung cancer in Canada
Category:Deaths from cancer in Quebec
Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada
Category:20th-century members of the National Assembly of Quebec