Philippe Hamel was a nationalist

Quebec nationalism

Quebec nationalism is a nationalist movement in the Canadian province of Quebec .-1534–1774:Canada was first a french colony. Jacques Cartier claimed it for France in 1534, and permanent French settlement began in 1608. It was part of New France, which constituted all French colonies in North America...

 and progressive

Progressivism

Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...

 politician 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...

.

Member of the legislature

Hamel entered politics to achieve the nationalization of all privately-owned electric companies. He first won a seat to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec

Legislative Assembly of Quebec

The Legislative Assembly of Quebec was the name of the lower house of Quebec's legislature until 1968, when it was renamed the National Assembly of Quebec. At the same time, the upper house of the legislature, the Legislative Council, was abolished...

 as an Action libérale nationale

Action libérale nationale

The Action libérale nationale was a short-lived provincial political party in Quebec, Canada. It was founded during the Great Depression and led by Paul Gouin. The ALN played an important role in the foundation of the Union Nationale.-Origin and beliefs:The party was created in 1934 by...

 candidate in the 1935 election

Quebec general election, 1935

The Quebec general election of 1935 was held on November 25, 1935 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada...

 in the district of Québec-Centre.

When his party merged with the Conservative Party of Quebec to form the Union Nationale, Hamel became one of Maurice Duplessis

Maurice Duplessis

Maurice Le Noblet Duplessis served as the 16th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from 1936 to 1939 and 1944 to 1959. A founder and leader of the highly conservative Union Nationale party, he rose to power after exposing the misconduct and patronage of Liberal Premier Louis-Alexandre...

's most important campaign leaders. He was returned to office in the 1936 election

Quebec general election, 1936

The Quebec general election of 1936 was held on August 17, 1936 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The Union Nationale, led by Maurice Duplessis, defeated the incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Adélard Godbout.This marked the end of slightly more...

 and the Union Nationale won the election.

Excluded from the Cabinet

After he secured his job as 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....

, Duplessis kept many of the more progressive and independent-minded members of his party on the backbench. Therefore Hamel was offered no portfolio. By 1937, he and colleagues René Chaloult

René Chaloult

René Chaloult was a nationalist politician in Quebec, Canada.-Political career:Chaloult first won a seat to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec as a Union Nationale candidate in the 1936 election in the district of Kamouraska...

, Oscar Drouin

Oscar Drouin

Oscar Drouin was a politician in Quebec, Canada.-Member of the legislature:Drouin won a by-election in 1928 and became the Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec for the district of Québec-Est...

, Joseph-Ernest Grégoire

Joseph-Ernest Grégoire

Joseph-Ernest Grégoire was a French Canadian politician.-Background:He was born in Disraeli, Quebec on July 31, 1886. He was an attorney and a professor. He also was the father of Gilles Grégoire, a co-founder of the Parti Québécois....

 and Adolphe Marcoux

Adolphe Marcoux

Adolphe Marcoux was a physician and a nationalist politician in Quebec, Canada.Marcoux won a seat to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec as a Union Nationale candidate in the 1936 election in the district of Quebec County...

 had left the Union Nationale. Hamel did not run for re-election in the 1939 election

Quebec general election, 1939

The Quebec general election of 1939 was held on October 25, 1939 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada...

.

Legacy

Hamel's main objective did not take place while he was in office. However, the government of Adélard Godbout

Adélard Godbout

Joseph-Adélard Godbout was an agronomist and politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 15th Premier of Quebec briefly in 1936, and again from 1939 to 1944. He was also leader of the Parti Libéral du Québec .-Youth and early career:Adélard Godbout was born in Saint-Éloi...

 bought the Montreal Light Heat & Power Co., which became 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....

, in 1944. Furthermore, nearly all privately-owned electric corporations were nationalized and merged to Hydro-Québec in 1962-63, under the premiership of Jean Lesage

Jean Lesage

Jean Lesage, PC, CC, CD was a lawyer and politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 19th Premier of Quebec from 22 June 1960, to 16 August 1966...

.

Footnotes