François-Joseph Laflèche (4 October 1879 – 2 June 1945) was a Conservative

Conservative Party of Canada (historical)

The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...

 member of 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...

. He was born in Saint-Wenceslas, Quebec

Saint-Wenceslas, Quebec

Saint-Wenceslas, Quebec is a community in Nicolet-Yamaska Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada. The town is situated at a bend in the Bécancour River. The northern branch of Autoroute 55 terminated at the 9e rang of Saint-Wenceslas until its completion in October 2006...

 and became a physician, surgeon and pharmacist.

Laflèche was educated at the Nicolet Seminary, then at school in Trois-Rivières. He earned his Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 degree at the Université de Sherbrooke

Université de Sherbrooke

The Université de Sherbrooke is a large university with campuses located in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada and Longueuil, a suburb of Montreal approximately west of Sherbrooke. It is one of two universities, and the only French language university, in the Estrie region of Quebec.In 2007, the...

. He was also licenced for medical practice in the American state of Maine

Maine

Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...

.

He was elected to Parliament at the Richmond—Wolfe

Richmond—Wolfe

For other electoral districts with similar names, see Richmond Richmond–Wolfe was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1997.It was created as by the British North America Act of 1867.It was abolished in 1966 when...

 riding in the 1930 general election

Canadian federal election, 1930

The Canadian federal election of 1930 was held on July 28, 1930 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 17th Parliament of Canada...

. After serving his only term, the 17th Canadian Parliament

17th Canadian Parliament

The 17th Canadian Parliament was in session from September 8, 1930 until August 14, 1935. The membership was set by the 1930 federal election on July 28, 1930, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections until it was dissolved prior to the 1935 election.It was controlled by a...

, Laflèche was defeated by James Patrick Mullins

James Patrick Mullins

James Patrick Mullins was a Liberal party member of the Canadian House of Commons and served as mayor of Bromptonville at one time. He was born in Saint-Mathias, Quebec and became an insurance agent by career....

 of the Liberals

Liberal Party of Canada

The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...

 in the 1935 federal election

Canadian federal election, 1935

The Canadian federal election of 1935 was held on October 14, 1935 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 18th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal Party of William Lyon Mackenzie King won a majority government, defeating Prime Minister R.B. Bennett's Conservative Party.The central...

.

In 1934, Laflèche proposed a motion to legally require Canadian voters to cast a ballot at federal elections at a time when Australia and South Africa had already enacted compulsory voting

Compulsory voting

Compulsory voting is a system in which electors are obliged to vote in elections or attend a polling place on voting day. If an eligible voter does not attend a polling place, he or she may be subject to punitive measures such as fines, community service, or perhaps imprisonment if fines are unpaid...

 laws.

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