Marc Bellemare
Encyclopedia
Marc Bellemare is a Quebecer lawyer and politician from Quebec
.
, studied Law
at the Université de Montréal
and was admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1979.
with the Liberal Party in the Quebec election of 2003
. He was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec
and represented the district of Vanier.
He was appointed to Premier
Jean Charest
's Cabinet
on April 29, 2003 and served as Minister of Justice
and Attorney General
. Bellemare pushed for harsher sentences for organized crime
. He was criticized several times by Justice Fraser Martin for the way he handled a juvenile prostitution case which took place in Quebec City and involved talk show host Robert Gillet.
For several years, Bellemare has been a strong advocate of abolishing Quebec's car insurance law. He tried to convince his colleagues to abolish the provincial no fault car insurance plan that had been established in 1978. The Liberals, who had made the proposed change part of their platform, soon abandoned the idea. Disappointed, Bellemare resigned from his cabinet post on April 27, 2004 and relinquished his seat the next day, lasting less than a year in office.
. His announcement was made on March 11, 2004. He also founded a political party, Vision Quebec, which was registered on February 22, 2005. Bellemare ended up finishing a distant third. (See Quebec municipal elections, 2005
)
An early mayoral election was called in 2007, after the death of incumbent Mayor Andrée Boucher. Bellemare ran and finished a distant third again. He resigned as party leader on December 26, 2007. In 2008, Bellemare unsuccessfully petitioned the Papal Nuncio to Canada
for an eventual visit of Pope
Benedict XVI in Quebec City. Nonetheless, Bellemare was still listed as party leader on the Quebec Chief Election Officer's web site as of June 2008.
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....
.
Background
He was born in Saint-Hyacinthe, QuebecSaint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
Saint-Hyacinthe is a city in southwestern Quebec east of Montreal on the Yamaska River. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 55,823. The city is located in Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality of the Montérégie region, and is traversed by the Yamaska River which flows...
, studied Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at the Université de Montréal
Université 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 was admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1979.
Provincial politics
Bellemare ran as a star candidateStar candidate
A star candidate refers to a high profile individual who has been recruited as a candidate by a political party. Star candidates have usually excelled in fields outside of politics such as academia, business, the media, journalism and/or sports...
with the Liberal Party in the Quebec election of 2003
Quebec general election, 2003
The Quebec general election of 2003 was held on April 14, 2003, to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec . The Parti libéral du Québec , led by Jean Charest, defeated the incumbent Parti Québécois, led by Bernard Landry.-Unfolding:...
. He 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 represented the district of Vanier.
He was appointed to Premier
Premier of Quebec
The Premier of Quebec is the first minister of the Canadian province of Quebec. The Premier is the province's head of government and his title is Premier and President of the Executive Council....
Jean Charest
Jean Charest
John James "Jean" Charest, PC, MNA is a Canadian politician who has been the 29th Premier of Quebec since 2003. He was leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998 and has been leader of the Quebec Liberal Party since 1998....
's Cabinet
Executive Council of Quebec
The Executive Council of Quebec is the cabinet of the government of Quebec, Canada....
on April 29, 2003 and served as Minister of Justice
Minister of Justice (Quebec)
The Minister of Justice is responsible for the administration of courts and prosecutors in Quebec, Canada. The Minister is automatically the Attorney General, and Registrar of Quebec....
and Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
. Bellemare pushed for harsher sentences for organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
. He was criticized several times by Justice Fraser Martin for the way he handled a juvenile prostitution case which took place in Quebec City and involved talk show host Robert Gillet.
For several years, Bellemare has been a strong advocate of abolishing Quebec's car insurance law. He tried to convince his colleagues to abolish the provincial no fault car insurance plan that had been established in 1978. The Liberals, who had made the proposed change part of their platform, soon abandoned the idea. Disappointed, Bellemare resigned from his cabinet post on April 27, 2004 and relinquished his seat the next day, lasting less than a year in office.
Mayoral candidate
After months of rumors, Bellemare announced that he would be candidate for Mayor of Quebec CityQuebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
. His announcement was made on March 11, 2004. He also founded a political party, Vision Quebec, which was registered on February 22, 2005. Bellemare ended up finishing a distant third. (See Quebec municipal elections, 2005
Quebec municipal elections, 2005
The Canadian province of Quebec held municipal elections in its municipalities on November 6, 2005.The municipalities in Quebec for the 2005 election were different than the previous 2001 election, as many municipalities have voted to de-amalgamate....
)
An early mayoral election was called in 2007, after the death of incumbent Mayor Andrée Boucher. Bellemare ran and finished a distant third again. He resigned as party leader on December 26, 2007. In 2008, Bellemare unsuccessfully petitioned the Papal Nuncio to Canada
Apostolic Nunciature in Ottawa
The Apostolic Nunciature in Ottawa is the home of the Papal Nuncio to Canada. Also known as Rockcliffe Manor House, it is one of Ottawa's most expensive homes, appraised at $5.3 million in 2000...
for an eventual visit of Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
Benedict XVI in Quebec City. Nonetheless, Bellemare was still listed as party leader on the Quebec Chief Election Officer's web site as of June 2008.