Yves-François Blanchet

Yves-François Blanchet MP (born April 16, 1965) is a Canadian politician who has served as the leader of the Bloc Québécois since 2019. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Beloeil—Chambly since the 2019 election. Before federal politics, Blanchet was in provincial politics, serving as Parti Québécois Member of the National Assembly from the 2008 election until his defeat in the 2014 election. He was Quebec's Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks from December 2012 until his defeat in the 2014 election.

Yves-François Blanchet

MP
Blanchet in October 2009
Leader of the Bloc Québécois
Assumed office
January 17, 2019
PresidentYves Perron
Preceded byMario Beaulieu (interim)
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Beloeil—Chambly
Assumed office
October 21, 2019
Preceded byMatthew Dubé
Quebec Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks
In office
December 4, 2012 – April 23, 2014
Preceded byDaniel Breton
Succeeded byDavid Heurtel
Member of the Quebec National Assembly for Johnson
In office
September 4, 2012 – April 7, 2014
Preceded byÉtienne-Alexis Boucher
Succeeded byAndré Lamontagne
Member of the Quebec National Assembly for Drummond
In office
December 8, 2008 – September 4, 2012
Preceded bySébastien Schneeberger
Succeeded byRiding abolished
Personal details
Born (1965-04-16) April 16, 1965
Drummondville, Quebec
NationalityCanadian
Political partyParti Québécois
Bloc Québécois
Spouse(s)Nancy Déziel
ResidenceShawinigan[1]

Before politics, Blanchet ran an artist management firm and was the president of ADISQ from 2003 to 2006.

Life and career

Blanchet was born April 16, 1965 to Pierrette Bédard, a nurse, and Raymond Blanchet, a technician and lineman.[2] He is a graduate from the Université de Montréal where he obtained a bachelor's degree in history and anthropology in 1987. He later worked as a teacher and was a founder of an artist, disc and concert management firm, YFB Inc. while being the president of the ADISQ from 2003 to 2006. He was named the local business personality of the year by the Drummondville Chamber of Commerce, while he and associated artists received 10 Félix Awards.

Blanchet was elected to represent the riding of Drummond in the National Assembly of Quebec in the 2008 provincial election. In the 2012 election, he was reelected, this time in Johnson electoral district. He was defeated by Coalition Avenir Québec candidate André Lamontagne in the 2014 Quebec election. A member of the Parti Québécois (PQ), Blanchet was Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks from 2012 until 2014.[3] He was also a member of the Youth National Committee of the Parti Québécois in 1988 as well as a regional director of the PQ.

On November 26, 2018, Blanchet announced his candidacy for the leadership of the Bloc Québécois (BQ). As no other candidate had entered the race by the time nominations closed on January 15, 2019, Blanchet was officially acclaimed leader on January 17, 2019.[4]

In the 2019 election, the Bloc polling number rose to his alignment towards the popular Francois Legault's CAQ government.[5] S.E Fortin in the Journal de Montreal noted an article from Don Braid from the Calgary Herald when arguing that people from the prairies province were more worried about Blanchet than environmentalists Dominic Champagne or Steven Guilbeault. He won his seat of Beloeil—Chambly. Under Blanchet's leadership, the BQ increased its number of seats from 10 in 2015, to 32 seats in 2019, both overtaking the NDP to become the third largest party in Canada and regaining official party status.[6]

Personal life

Blanchet is married to Nancy Déziel.[7]

On an anonymously managed Facebook page, he was the subject of an anonymous allegation of sexual misconduct against a woman in a Montreal bar in the 1990s; an allegation that he characterized as defamatory and which he categorically denied while inviting the alleged victim to file a complaint with the appropriate authorities. No complaint was filed. The Facebook page was closed a few days after this publication.[8][9][10]

In September 2020, Blanchet tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after his wife had tested positive earlier in the month, requiring him to self-isolate at his residence in Shawinigan during the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec.[7]

Electoral record
2019 Canadian federal election: Beloeil—Chambly
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
Bloc QuébécoisYves-François Blanchet35,06850.5+22.82$36,540.34
LiberalMarie-Chantal Hamel16,05923.1-6.24$62,823.63
New DemocraticMatthew Dubé10,08614.5-16.57$20,636.78
ConservativeVéronique Laprise4,3056.2-3.09$0.00
GreenPierre Carrier3,2554.7+2.45$18,235.50
People'sChloé Bernard5120.7–$5,931.38
Indépendence du QuébecMichel Blondin2050.3–$768.82
Total valid votes/Expense limit 69,490100.0
Total rejected ballots 1,064
Turnout 70,55473.7
Eligible voters 95,723
Bloc Québécois gain from New Democratic Swing +19.79
Source: Elections Canada[11][12]
2012 Quebec general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Parti QuébécoisYves-François Blanchet15,00736.16+1.34
Coalition Avenir QuébecStéphane Legault14,80435.67+5.16
LiberalNancy Boyce8,43420.32-9.55
Québec solidaireJulie Dionne1,8874.55+1.57
Option nationaleSteve Lemay8892.14
ConservativeBenoit Lussier4791.15
2008 Quebec general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Parti QuébécoisYves-Francois Blanchet11,48034.40
  Liberal Jacques Sigouin 10,860 32.54
Action démocratiqueSébastien Schneeberger9,75729.23
Québec solidaireLuce Daneau1,2793.83

References
  1. "Official Voting Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  2. "Yves-François Blanchet - National Assembly of Québec". www.assnat.qc.ca. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 24, 2013. Retrieved August 19, 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Yves-François Blanchet becomes Bloc Québécois leader". CBC News. January 17, 2019. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  5. "Surge in Bloc Quebecois popularity 'a little bit surprising,' says Maxime Bernier". Global News. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  6. Montpetit ·, Jonathan (October 22, 2019). "Big gains for the Bloc Québécois, but what did it sacrifice in the process? Social Sharing". CBC News. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  7. "Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet tests positive for COVID-19". CBC News. September 18, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  8. Le dossier de l’allégation d’inconduite sexuelle est clos, selon Blanchet https://www.ledevoir.com/societe/582766/c-est-termine-dit-blanchet-au-sujet-des-allegations-anonymes-a-son-endroit#
  9. Le chef du Bloc nie les allégations et reste en poste https://www.ledevoir.com/politique/canada/582484/yves-francois-blanchet-nie-des-allegations-d-agression-sexuelle-a-son-endroit
  10. Allégations d'inconduite sexuelle : le chef du Bloc évoque des poursuites https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1720798/yves-francois-blanchet-allegations-inconduite-sexuelle-bloc-quebecois
  11. "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  12. "Election night results". Elections Canada. Retrieved 22 October 2019.

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