Maurice Richard (Quebec politician)
Encyclopedia
Maurice Richard is a politician in the Canadian
province of Quebec
. He was a Liberal member of the National Assembly of Quebec
from 1985 to 1994 and is the current mayor of Bécancour
, a position to which he was first elected in 1976.
and received his early education there and in Nicolet
. He attained certification from the Institut national des viandes in 1973 and later operated a food market in Bécancour. He has also been an artist and painter since 1976.
Richard was a councillor in Bécancour from 1971 to 1976 and first served as the town's mayor from 1976 to 1985. He was interviewed by the Globe and Mail in 1983 as part of a feature piece on the community's industrial projects; in the course of the interview, he highlighted Bécancour's port on the St. Lawrence River, its efficient road and rail system, and its low-cost electricity.
Richard came out
as gay
in the 1970s. His sexual identity became an issue when he ran for provincial office in 1985 but did not hurt his standing with the electorate. In a 2011 interview, he said, "Les gens ne sont pas réticents à élire des homosexuels. [...] L’homophobie existe bien sûr dans certains milieux, mais nous sommes reconnus comme une société progressiste."
in the 1985 provincial election
, defeating Parti Québécois
(PQ) cabinet minister Yves Beaumier
by a significant margin. The Liberals won a majority government
in this election, and Richard entered the legislature as a backbench supporter of Robert Bourassa
's administration. In 1988, he chaired a task force that examined Quebec's Sunday shopping
laws; its report recommended that large food stores remain closed on Sundays, but that weekday hours be extended from 62 to 71 hours per week to allow stores to stay open later. Richard also chaired the provincial agriculture, fisheries and food committee from 1987 to 1994.
He was re-elected without difficulty in the 1989 election
but narrowly lost to Parti Québécois challenger Michel Morin
in the 1994 election
as the Liberals were defeated provincially. After his defeat, Richard chaired an internal Liberal Party committee working on policy strategies for the "Non" side in the 1995 Quebec referendum on sovereignty.
aluminum plant.
Richard took part in the ground-breaking ceremony for a solar silicon metal facility in 2007. He supported Hydro-Québec
's 2008 decision to refurbish Bécancour's Candu Gentilly 2
nuclear generating station, saying that his region depends on jobs produced by the plant. In the aftermath of the 2011 Japanese nuclear accidents
, he argued that there was no chance of a similar accident happening in his community. Richard said that Candu's cooling system is much different from that used at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and that the ground under Bécancour is very solid, adding "If people are worried about earthquakes, I strongly suggest they come and live in Bécancour."
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...
province of 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....
. He was a Liberal member of 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...
from 1985 to 1994 and is the current mayor of Bécancour
Bécancour, Quebec
Bécancour is a town in the Centre-du-Québec region of Québec, Canada; it is the seat of the Bécancour Regional County Municipality. It is located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River at the confluence of the Bécancour River, opposite Trois-Rivières.Wôlinak, an Abenaki Indian reserve, is...
, a position to which he was first elected in 1976.
Early life and career
Richard was born in Sainte-Angèle-de-Laval, QuebecSainte-Angèle-de-Laval, Quebec
Sainte-Angèle-de-Laval is a community of the city of Bécancour, Quebec. Bordering as it does the Saint Lawrence River, Sainte-Angèle-de-Laval has a strong naval history; among other things, a Sea Cadet training centre, the CSTC HMCS Quebec, operates there during the summer...
and received his early education there and in Nicolet
Nicolet, Quebec
Nicolet, Quebec is the county seat of Nicolet-Yamaska Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 7,827...
. He attained certification from the Institut national des viandes in 1973 and later operated a food market in Bécancour. He has also been an artist and painter since 1976.
Richard was a councillor in Bécancour from 1971 to 1976 and first served as the town's mayor from 1976 to 1985. He was interviewed by the Globe and Mail in 1983 as part of a feature piece on the community's industrial projects; in the course of the interview, he highlighted Bécancour's port on the St. Lawrence River, its efficient road and rail system, and its low-cost electricity.
Richard came out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
as gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
in the 1970s. His sexual identity became an issue when he ran for provincial office in 1985 but did not hurt his standing with the electorate. In a 2011 interview, he said, "Les gens ne sont pas réticents à élire des homosexuels. [...] L’homophobie existe bien sûr dans certains milieux, mais nous sommes reconnus comme une société progressiste."
Provincial politician
Richard was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec for NicoletNicolet (provincial electoral district)
Nicolet was a provincial electoral district in the province of Quebec, Canada. Situated in the Montérégie region, the district was formed in 1867 and was later merged in 1973 with Yamaska to form Nicolet-Yamaska....
in the 1985 provincial election
Quebec general election, 1985
The Quebec general election of 1985 was held on December 2, 1985, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The Quebec Liberal Party, led by former premier Robert Bourassa, defeated the incumbent Parti Québécois, led by premier Pierre-Marc Johnson.This election...
, defeating 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...
(PQ) cabinet minister Yves Beaumier
Yves Beaumier
Yves Beaumier was a politician in Quebec, Canada and a three-term Member of the National Assembly of Quebec.-Background:He was born on December 3, 1942 in Trois-Rivières, Quebec and was an educator.-Member of the legislature:...
by a significant margin. The Liberals won a majority government
Majority government
A majority government is when the governing party has an absolute majority of seats in the legislature or parliament in a parliamentary system. This is as opposed to a minority government, where even the largest party wins only a plurality of seats and thus must constantly bargain for support from...
in this election, and Richard entered the legislature as a backbench supporter of Robert Bourassa
Robert Bourassa
Jean-Robert Bourassa, was a politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 22nd Premier of Quebec in two different mandates, first from May 12, 1970, to November 25, 1976, and then from December 12, 1985, to January 11, 1994, serving a total of just under 15 years as Provincial Premier.-Early...
's administration. In 1988, he chaired a task force that examined Quebec's Sunday shopping
Sunday shopping
Sunday shopping refers to the ability of retailers to operate stores on Sunday, a day that Christian tradition typically recognizes as the Sabbath, a "day of rest". Rules governing shopping hours, such as Sunday shopping, vary around the world but some European nations continue to ban Sunday shopping...
laws; its report recommended that large food stores remain closed on Sundays, but that weekday hours be extended from 62 to 71 hours per week to allow stores to stay open later. Richard also chaired the provincial agriculture, fisheries and food committee from 1987 to 1994.
He was re-elected without difficulty in the 1989 election
Quebec general election, 1989
The Quebec general election of 1989 was held on September 25, 1989, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada...
but narrowly lost to Parti Québécois challenger Michel Morin
Michel Morin
Michel Morin was a politician in Quebec, Canada and a three-term Member of the National Assembly of Quebec.-Background:He was born on March 27, 1948 in Saint-Célestin, Centre-du-Québec and made career in education. Before he ran for office, he was a political activist with the Progressive...
in the 1994 election
Quebec general election, 1994
The Quebec general election of 1994 was held on September 12, 1994, to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The Parti Québécois, led by Jacques Parizeau, defeated the incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Daniel Johnson, Jr.....
as the Liberals were defeated provincially. After his defeat, Richard chaired an internal Liberal Party committee working on policy strategies for the "Non" side in the 1995 Quebec referendum on sovereignty.
Return to municipal politics
Richard began his second tenure as mayor of Bécancour in 1995 and was re-elected in 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2009. He has devoted significant attention to industrial issues; in 2004, he convened a meeting between local business and labour leaders in a bid to resolve a strike at an AlcoaAlcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
aluminum plant.
Richard took part in the ground-breaking ceremony for a solar silicon metal facility in 2007. He supported Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec is a government-owned public utility established in 1944 by the Government of Quebec. Based in Montreal, the company is in charge of the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity across Quebec....
's 2008 decision to refurbish Bécancour's Candu Gentilly 2
Gentilly Nuclear Generating Station
Gentilly Nuclear Generating Station is a Canadian nuclear power station located near Bécancour, Quebec. The facility derives its name from the Gentilly suburb of the city of Bécancour, in which it is located...
nuclear generating station, saying that his region depends on jobs produced by the plant. In the aftermath of the 2011 Japanese nuclear accidents
2011 Japanese nuclear accidents
This is a list of articles describing aspects of the nuclear shut-downs, failures, and nuclear meltdowns triggered by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.-Fukushima nuclear power plants:* Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant...
, he argued that there was no chance of a similar accident happening in his community. Richard said that Candu's cooling system is much different from that used at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and that the ground under Bécancour is very solid, adding "If people are worried about earthquakes, I strongly suggest they come and live in Bécancour."