Background

He was born on March 6, 1929 in Montreal and became an attorney. He is the cousin of writer Hubert Aquin

Hubert Aquin

Hubert Aquin was a novelist, political activist, essayist, filmmaker and editor....

.

Liberal Activist

Early on, Aquin was a supporter of the Liberal Party of Quebec. He as President of the party's Youth Commission from 1959 to 1963 and President of the party from 1963 to 1964.

Member of the legislature

Aquin won a seat 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...

 in 1966

Quebec general election, 1966

The Quebec general election of 1966 was held on June 5, 1966, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The Union Nationale , led by Daniel Johnson, Sr, defeated the incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Jean Lesage....

 in the district of Dorion

Dorion (provincial electoral district)

Dorion was a provincial electoral district in the province of Quebec, Canada. Located in the Montreal region, the riding was formed in 1966 from parts of Montreal-Jeanne-Mance. In 1994, it became part of the new Laurier-Dorion...

. In the aftermath of French President Charles de Gaulle

Charles de Gaulle

Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....

's visit to Canada, Aquin declared himself in favor of the political independence of Quebec

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...

 and left his party to sit as an Independent.

With René Lévesque and other supporters, he co-founded the Mouvement Souveraineté–Association in April 1968, which officially became the 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...

 in October of that same year. In November 1968 though, Aquin resign his seat.

Footnotes