Fabien Roy
Encyclopedia
Fabien Roy was a politician in Quebec
, Canada
, in the 1970s. Roy was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec
and the Canadian House of Commons
, and advocated social credit
theories of monetary reform
.
. In 1980, following his departure from politics, he studied property valuation.
He was an accountant
for the Saint-Propser agricultural co-operative from 1945 to 1949, and secretary of the Federation of Co-operative Trucking (Quebec South district) from 1949–1952, and for the Sherbrooke district from 1952-1953. He founded the F. Roy Transports trucking company, which he ran from 1953-1962.
He was Director-General of a credit union
in La Chaudière from 1962 to 1970, and member of the administrative and executive councils of a Quebec credit union federation (Fédération des caisses d'établissement du Québec) from 1968 to 1970. In 1970, he was director of recruitment and sales for the federation. In 1960, he co-founded the Saint-Prosper Chamber of Commerce, and became president in 1963.
association, and regional organizer for the party in the 1962, 1963, 1965 and 1968 federal elections.
From 1964 to 1965, he was provincial vice-president of the party.
for Beauce
riding in 1970, and held the post of chief whip
of the Ralliement créditiste du Québec
caucus from 1970 to 1972.
He was parliamentary leader of the party from 1972 to 1975, and lost a bid to become leader at a February 1973 leadership convention
. In the 1973 provincial election
, he was returned to the National Assembly for the riding of Beauce-Sud
.
He was president of the party from 1973–1974, but was expelled on November 3, 1975. He founded the Parti national populaire
with former Liberal cabinet minister Jérôme Choquette
on December 14, 1975, and was re-elected in the 1976 provincial election
as the only PNP Member of the National Assembly.
on March 30, 1979, and resigned his National Assembly seat on April 5, 1979.
Under Roy, the party won the tacit support of the sovereigntist
Parti Québécois
, which formed the government of Quebec. Social Credit attempted to rally the separatist and nationalist vote: Canadian flags were absent at its campaign kick-off rally, and the party's slogan was C'est à notre tour ("It's our turn"), which was reminiscent of the popular separatist anthem Gens du pays
that includes the chorus, "C'est à votre tour de vous laisser parler d'amour". The party focused its platform on constitutional change, promising to fight to abolish the federal government's never-used right to disallow any provincial legislation, and stating that each province has a "right to choose its own destiny within Canada". Despite these attempts to win nationalist and separatist votes, the party was reduced to six seats in the 1979 federal election
.
While his party provided some support to the minority Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
government, Prime Minister Joe Clark
was unwilling to repicrocate and he refused to provide the Socred caucus with official party status or form a coalition. When the PC government presented its December budget which included a controversial gas tax opposed by the Liberals and NDP, the Socreds demanded that the gas tax revenues be allocated to Quebec which Clark turned down. The Social Credit caucus abstained on the non-confidence motion, which led to the defeat of the Clark government and an election on February 18, 1980.
The abstention by Social Credit on this important vote contributed to the growing perception that the party had become irrelevant following the death of iconic leader Réal Caouette
. Roy and all other Socred candidates were defeated in the 1980 federal election
. The death of the Social Credit candidate in the riding of Frontenac, Quebec resulted in the postponement of the election in that riding to March 24. Roy sought to return to the House of Commons in the by-election
, but lost to the Liberal candidate. Roy resigned from the leadership on November 1, 1980.
(Cégep
Lévis-Lauzon) from 1984–1985, member of the Beauce economic council from 1981, as well as participating in Rotary Club activities and local celebrations.
He published his autobiography (Député à Québec et à Ottawa—mais toujours Beauceron !, ISBN 2-89448-421-6) in 2005.
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....
, Canada
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...
, in the 1970s. Roy was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec
National Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
and 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...
, and advocated social credit
Social Credit
Social Credit is an economic philosophy developed by C. H. Douglas , a British engineer, who wrote a book by that name in 1924. Social Credit is described by Douglas as "the policy of a philosophy"; he called his philosophy "practical Christianity"...
theories of monetary reform
Monetary reform
Monetary reform describes any movement or theory that proposes a different system of supplying money and financing the economy from the current system.Monetary reformers may advocate any of the following, among other proposals:...
.
Background
Roy was born in Saint-Prosper, Quebec. He studied accounting, sales management, and human resources in the Saint-Georges seminary, and commercial law, political economy and business administration at Université LavalUniversité Laval
Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...
. In 1980, following his departure from politics, he studied property valuation.
He was an accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
for the Saint-Propser agricultural co-operative from 1945 to 1949, and secretary of the Federation of Co-operative Trucking (Quebec South district) from 1949–1952, and for the Sherbrooke district from 1952-1953. He founded the F. Roy Transports trucking company, which he ran from 1953-1962.
He was Director-General of a credit union
Credit union
A credit union is a cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by its members and operated for the purpose of promoting thrift, providing credit at competitive rates, and providing other financial services to its members...
in La Chaudière from 1962 to 1970, and member of the administrative and executive councils of a Quebec credit union federation (Fédération des caisses d'établissement du Québec) from 1968 to 1970. In 1970, he was director of recruitment and sales for the federation. In 1960, he co-founded the Saint-Prosper Chamber of Commerce, and became president in 1963.
Social Credit activist
From 1962 to 1968, he was president of the Dorchester riding federal Ralliement créditisteRalliement 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...
association, and regional organizer for the party in the 1962, 1963, 1965 and 1968 federal elections.
From 1964 to 1965, he was provincial vice-president of the party.
Member of the legislature
He was elected to the Quebec National AssemblyNational Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
for Beauce
Beauce (provincial electoral district)
Beauce is a provincial electoral district in the province of Quebec, Canada Situated in the Chaudiere-Appalaches and Estrie regions, the that district existed from 1867 to after the 1970 elections when it was split into two new ridings: Beauce-Nord and Beauce-Sud.-Members of Legislative Assembly:*...
riding in 1970, and held the post of chief whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
of the Ralliement créditiste du Québec
Ralliement créditiste du Québec
The Ralliement créditiste du Québec was a provincial political party in Quebec, Canada that operated from 1970 to 1978. It promoted social credit theories of monetary reform, and acted as an outlet for the expression of rural...
caucus from 1970 to 1972.
He was parliamentary leader of the party from 1972 to 1975, and lost a bid to become leader at a February 1973 leadership convention
Leadership convention
In Canadian politics, a leadership convention is held by a political party when the party needs to choose a leader due to a vacancy or a challenge to the incumbent leader.- Overview :...
. In the 1973 provincial election
Quebec general election, 1973
The Quebec general election of 1973 was held on October 29, 1973 to elect members to National Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Robert Bourassa, won re-election, defeating the Parti Québécois, led by René Lévesque, and the Union Nationale .The Liberals won a...
, he was returned to the National Assembly for the riding of Beauce-Sud
Beauce-Sud (provincial electoral district)
Beauce-Sud is a provincial electoral district in the province of Quebec, Canada. Located in the Chaudière-Appalaches region, the riding was created in 1972 when the former riding of Beauce was split in two ridings: Beauce-Nord and Beauce-Sud...
.
He was president of the party from 1973–1974, but was expelled on November 3, 1975. He founded the Parti national populaire
Parti national populaire
The Parti national populaire or PNP was a minor political party in Quebec, Canada that operated in the 1970s....
with former Liberal cabinet minister Jérôme Choquette
Jérôme Choquette
Jérôme Choquette is a lawyer and politician in Quebec, Canada.-Background:Choquette was born in Montreal, Quebec, and studied at the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Academy and Collège Stanislas in Montreal, a Roman Catholic private school and the most elite institution of its kind in Quebec...
on December 14, 1975, and was re-elected in the 1976 provincial election
Quebec general election, 1976
The Quebec general election of 1976 was held on November 15, 1976 to elect members to National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. It was one of the most significant elections in Quebec history, rivalled only by the 1960 general election, and caused major repercussions in the rest of Canada...
as the only PNP Member of the National Assembly.
Federal politics
He was appointed leader of the federal Social Credit Party of CanadaSocial 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...
on March 30, 1979, and resigned his National Assembly seat on April 5, 1979.
Under Roy, the party won the tacit support of the sovereigntist
Quebec sovereignty movement
The Quebec sovereignty movement refers to both the political movement and the ideology of values, concepts and ideas that promote the secession of the province of Quebec from the rest of Canada...
Parti Québécois
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
, which formed the government of Quebec. Social Credit attempted to rally the separatist and nationalist vote: Canadian flags were absent at its campaign kick-off rally, and the party's slogan was C'est à notre tour ("It's our turn"), which was reminiscent of the popular separatist anthem Gens du pays
Gens du pays
"Gens du pays" has been called the unofficial national anthem of Quebec. Written by poet, songwriter, and avowed Quebec nationalist Gilles Vigneault , it was first performed by Vigneault on June 24, 1975 during a concert on Montreal's Mount Royal at that year's Fête nationale du Québec ceremony...
that includes the chorus, "C'est à votre tour de vous laisser parler d'amour". The party focused its platform on constitutional change, promising to fight to abolish the federal government's never-used right to disallow any provincial legislation, and stating that each province has a "right to choose its own destiny within Canada". Despite these attempts to win nationalist and separatist votes, the party was reduced to six seats in the 1979 federal 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...
.
While his party provided some support to the minority Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
government, Prime Minister Joe Clark
Joe Clark
Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
was unwilling to repicrocate and he refused to provide the Socred caucus with official party status or form a coalition. When the PC government presented its December budget which included a controversial gas tax opposed by the Liberals and NDP, the Socreds demanded that the gas tax revenues be allocated to Quebec which Clark turned down. The Social Credit caucus abstained on the non-confidence motion, which led to the defeat of the Clark government and an election on February 18, 1980.
The abstention by Social Credit on this important vote contributed to the growing perception that the party had become irrelevant following the death of iconic leader 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...
. Roy and all other Socred candidates were defeated in 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...
. The death of the Social Credit candidate in the riding of Frontenac, Quebec resulted in the postponement of the election in that riding to March 24. Roy sought to return to the House of Commons in the by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
, but lost to the Liberal candidate. Roy resigned from the leadership on November 1, 1980.
Retirement
Roy returned to business and community involvement, serving as director of Geoffrion Leclerc from 1981–1988, director of a community collegeCommunity college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
(Cégep
Cégep
CEGEP is an acronym for , which is literally translated as "College of General and Vocational Education" but commonly called "General and Vocational College" in circles not influenced by Quebec English. It refers to the public post-secondary education collegiate institutions exclusive to the...
Lévis-Lauzon) from 1984–1985, member of the Beauce economic council from 1981, as well as participating in Rotary Club activities and local celebrations.
He published his autobiography (Député à Québec et à Ottawa—mais toujours Beauceron !, ISBN 2-89448-421-6) in 2005.
See also
- National Assembly of QuebecNational Assembly of QuebecThe National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
- List of third party leaders (Quebec)
- History of QuebecHistory of QuebecQuebec has played a special role in Canadian history; it is the site where French settlers founded the colony of Canada in the 17th and 18th centuries.-Paleoindian Era :...
External links
Biography at the National Assembly of QuebecNational Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...