Jocelyn Coulon
Encyclopedia
Jocelyn Coulon is a author
, columnist
, journalist
, political analyst, and an international research expert in Quebec
, Canada
. He is well known as the author on various military and other international-related published works (books or columns). Coulon ran in a 2007 by-election for the Liberal Party of Canada
in which he lost to the New Democratic Party
(NDP) candidate Thomas Mulcair
.
and obtained a diploma in political sciences. Coulon later became a columnist and journalist for Montreal
's newspaper Le Devoir
and was in charged for the international news section. He worked as a journalist for nearly 15 years from 1985 to 1999 and later made political editorials at La Presse. He was also the director of a weekly revue called Aéromag for three years from 1981 to 1984.
Coulon had published during the 1990s and 2000s various books related to military and international issues including the state of Canada's military
, the United States
, the Iraq War, the United Nations
, Africa, globalization
and the Lebanon-Israel crisis.
Before his attempt at politics, he was also a researcher on various related international affairs but more specialized on military operations. He is currently the director of Francophone Network on Peace Operations of the Centre d'études et de recherches internationales de l'Université de Montréal
and is a guest professor at the university's political sciences department. http://www.cerium.ca/auteur15.html
to run as a Liberal
candidate for the riding of Outremont
in a by-election that was held on September 17, 2007. The seat was vacated by former Transportation Minister
Jean Lapierre
who pursued his career as a political analyst at TVA
. Coulon faced former provincial Liberal Environment Minister Thomas Mulcair
from the NDP.
During his campaign, Coulon had criticized the Conservative
government of Stephen Harper
on the handling of the War in Afghanistan
, accusing them of complying with the policy of US President George W. Bush
.
His nomination was heavily criticized by the B'nai Brith Canada
Jewish group which accused him of being anti-American and anti-Israel based on its view of the Middle East
issues including the Hamas
-Israel
-Lebanon
conflict. The Quebec-Israel Committee
however, stated that B'Nai Brith's statements were exaggerated and that Coulon had every right to be the Liberal candidate. These issues were thought to be important because the local Jewish community in Outremont makes up 10% of the riding demographics.
While Outremont was a Liberal stronghold since 1935 (except for the 1988 election), the NDP won their first Canadian House of Commons
seat in the province of Quebec since 1990. Coulon received 28.5% of the vote while Mulcair finished with 48.6% of the vote. For the most part, the campaign was a tight race between the two candidates, however late polls pointed to an NDP victory, with visits from star party members Ken Dryden
and Justin Trudeau
unable to regain the Liberal lead.
A Dion aide blamed the Outremont by-election on several factors, including poor organization, lack of communications, and lack of a clear policy on Quebec, while former MP Jean Lapierre
suggested that it was due to Dion's 14% approval rating in the province. The Conservatives focused their attacks on the leadership skills of Dion, who had been campaigning in the riding. In addition, the Halifax Chronicle-Herald reported that unidentified "Dion loyalists" were accusing Michael Ignatieff
supporters of undermining by-election efforts. Though Ignatieff phoned up Dion to deny the allegations, the Globe and Mail suggested that the report had a negative impact on the Liberals' morale, citing the NDP's widening lead after the article's release.
The by-election was seen as a crucial test for Dion's leadership, as the Liberals attempting to regaining popularity in Quebec since the loss during the 2006 federal elections
.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, political analyst, and an international research expert in Quebec
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...
. He is well known as the author on various military and other international-related published works (books or columns). Coulon ran in a 2007 by-election for the Liberal Party of Canada
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 which he lost to the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
(NDP) candidate Thomas Mulcair
Thomas Mulcair
Thomas J. "Tom" Mulcair is a Canadian lawyer, university professor, and politician. He is the federal Member of Parliament for Outremont, Quebec, Canada, and currently holds a seat in the New Democratic Party of Canada...
.
Professional and educational background
Coulon went at the Université de MontréalUniversité de Montréal
The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
and obtained a diploma in political sciences. Coulon later became a columnist and journalist for Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
's newspaper Le Devoir
Le Devoir
Le Devoir is a French-language newspaper published in Montreal and distributed in Quebec and the rest of Canada. It was founded by journalist, politician, and nationalist Henri Bourassa in 1910....
and was in charged for the international news section. He worked as a journalist for nearly 15 years from 1985 to 1999 and later made political editorials at La Presse. He was also the director of a weekly revue called Aéromag for three years from 1981 to 1984.
Coulon had published during the 1990s and 2000s various books related to military and international issues including the state of Canada's military
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the Iraq War, the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, Africa, globalization
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
and the Lebanon-Israel crisis.
Before his attempt at politics, he was also a researcher on various related international affairs but more specialized on military operations. He is currently the director of Francophone Network on Peace Operations of the Centre d'études et de recherches internationales de l'Université de Montréal
Centre d'études et de recherches internationales de l'Université de Montréal
The Centre d'études et de recherches internationales de l'Université de Montréal, also known as CÉRIUM, is a center for research in international relations and which is affiliated with Université de Montréal.-Mission:...
and is a guest professor at the university's political sciences department. http://www.cerium.ca/auteur15.html
Politics
In 2007, Coulon entered federal politics when he was handpicked by Liberal leader Stéphane DionStéphane Dion
Stéphane Maurice Dion, PC, MP is a Canadian politician who has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Saint-Laurent–Cartierville in Montreal since 1996. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and the Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 2006 to 2008...
to run as a Liberal
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...
candidate for the riding of Outremont
Outremont (electoral district)
Outremont is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 1949, and since 1968...
in a by-election that was held on September 17, 2007. The seat was vacated by former Transportation Minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
Jean Lapierre
Jean Lapierre
Jean-Charles Lapierre, PC is a Canadian television broadcaster and a former federal politician.He was Paul Martin's Quebec lieutenant during the period of the Martin government. He returned to the Canadian House of Commons after an eleven year absence when he won a seat in the 2004 federal...
who pursued his career as a political analyst at TVA
TVA (TV network)
TVA is a privately owned French language television network in Canada. The network is currently owned by Groupe TVA Inc. , a publicly traded subsidiary of Quebecor Media...
. Coulon faced former provincial Liberal Environment Minister Thomas Mulcair
Thomas Mulcair
Thomas J. "Tom" Mulcair is a Canadian lawyer, university professor, and politician. He is the federal Member of Parliament for Outremont, Quebec, Canada, and currently holds a seat in the New Democratic Party of Canada...
from the NDP.
During his campaign, Coulon had criticized the Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
government of Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
on the handling of the War in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
, accusing them of complying with the policy of US President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
His nomination was heavily criticized by the B'nai Brith Canada
B'nai Brith Canada
B'nai Brith Canada is the Canadian section of B'nai Brith . It was founded in 1875 and is the country's oldest Jewish service organization.-Members:...
Jewish group which accused him of being anti-American and anti-Israel based on its view of the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
issues including the Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
-Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
-Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
conflict. The Quebec-Israel Committee
Quebec-Israel Committee
The Quebec-Israel Committee is an organization in the Canadian province of Quebec. Devoted to pro-Israel advocacy, it is a member of the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy and an affiliate of the Canada-Israel Committee .The committee's activities include missions to Israel and media...
however, stated that B'Nai Brith's statements were exaggerated and that Coulon had every right to be the Liberal candidate. These issues were thought to be important because the local Jewish community in Outremont makes up 10% of the riding demographics.
While Outremont was a Liberal stronghold since 1935 (except for the 1988 election), the NDP won their first 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...
seat in the province of Quebec since 1990. Coulon received 28.5% of the vote while Mulcair finished with 48.6% of the vote. For the most part, the campaign was a tight race between the two candidates, however late polls pointed to an NDP victory, with visits from star party members Ken Dryden
Ken Dryden
Kenneth Wayne Dryden, PC, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, businessman, author, and former NHL goaltender. Dryden is married with two children and four grandchildren and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame...
and Justin Trudeau
Justin Trudeau
Justin Pierre James Trudeau, MP is a Canadian politician. He has represented the Montreal electoral division of Papineau in the Canadian House of Commons since 2008 as a member of the Liberal Party and currently serves as the party's critic for youth, post-secondary education, and amateur...
unable to regain the Liberal lead.
A Dion aide blamed the Outremont by-election on several factors, including poor organization, lack of communications, and lack of a clear policy on Quebec, while former MP Jean Lapierre
Jean Lapierre
Jean-Charles Lapierre, PC is a Canadian television broadcaster and a former federal politician.He was Paul Martin's Quebec lieutenant during the period of the Martin government. He returned to the Canadian House of Commons after an eleven year absence when he won a seat in the 2004 federal...
suggested that it was due to Dion's 14% approval rating in the province. The Conservatives focused their attacks on the leadership skills of Dion, who had been campaigning in the riding. In addition, the Halifax Chronicle-Herald reported that unidentified "Dion loyalists" were accusing Michael Ignatieff
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
supporters of undermining by-election efforts. Though Ignatieff phoned up Dion to deny the allegations, the Globe and Mail suggested that the report had a negative impact on the Liberals' morale, citing the NDP's widening lead after the article's release.
The by-election was seen as a crucial test for Dion's leadership, as the Liberals attempting to regaining popularity in Quebec since the loss during the 2006 federal elections
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
.
Published works
- En première ligne: Grandeurs et misères du systeme militaire (At first ligne: the lengths and miseries of the military system) (1991)
- La dernière croisade: La Guerre du Golfe et le role caché du Canada (The last crusade: The Gulf WarGulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
and the hidden role of Canada) (1992) - Les Casques Bleus (Soldiers of Diplomacy: The United Nations, Peacekeeping, and The New World Order) (1994) http://www.carleton.ca/e-merge/v1_br/v1_bos1.html
- L'Aggression, les États-Unis, l'Irak et le monde (The aggression, the United States, Irak and the world) (2004)
- Guide du Maintien de la paix (2005) (Guide for maintaining the world peace) (2004)
- Le moment unipolaire (The unipolar moment) (2005)
- La nouvelle FINUL: espoirs et dangers (The new UNIFIL:hopes and dangers) (2005)
- La morale au temps de la peste (The morale during the era of the pest) (2005)
- Guide du Maintien de la paix (2007) (Guide for maintaining the world peace) (2006)
- Les maux de l'Afrique (AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
's Wounds) (2006) - La naissance de deux géants (The birth of two giants) (2006)
- Le naufrage d'une illusion: Changer l'Irak pour mieux la reconstruire (The sinking of an illusion: Changing Irak for a better reconstruction) - one chapter in Réalités nationales et mondialisation (National realities and GlobalizationGlobalizationGlobalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
) (2007) - Guide du Maintien de la paix (2008) (Guide for maintaining the world peace) (2007)