Pierre-Marc Johnson
Encyclopedia
Pierre-Marc Johnson, , is a Quebec
lawyer
, physician
and politician. He was the 24th Premier of Quebec
from October 3 to December 12, 1985.
, Quebec, on July 5, 1946, Johnson is of French Canadian
and Irish descent
and is a Roman Catholic. He received a degree in law from the Université de Montréal
in 1970 and a medical degree from the Université de Sherbrooke
in 1976.
His father, Daniel Johnson, Sr., served as Premier of Quebec
from 1966
to 1968. His brother, Daniel Johnson, Jr., served as Premier for nine months in 1994.
Each of the Johnsons led different political parties:
, Pierre Marc Johnson successfully ran as the Parti Québécois
candidate for the district of Anjou. Premier
René Lévesque
appointed him to the cabinet
in 1977 and he was re-elected in 1981
.
Johnson served as Minister of Labour
from 1977 to 1980, Minister to Consumers, Cooperatives and Financial Institutions from 1980 to 1981
, Minister of Social Affairs from 1981
to 1984 and Attorney General
from 1984 to 1985.
, Johnson was chosen, following PQ founder René Lévesque
as leader of the party and, consequently, as Quebec Premier.
Johnson was generally considered to be soft on the sovereignty of Quebec
issue. He put independence on the back burner, as Lévesque has begun to do under the so-called "Beau risque
" approach and eventually made this approach the official constitution
al policy of his party, calling it "National Affirmation".
, but his party was defeated by the Liberals, led by Robert Bourassa
.
His leadership was contested by more radical
PQ supporters, such as Gérald Godin
. In December 1987, he resigned as head of the party, Leader of the Opposition
and member of the National Assembly
. He was succeeded as head of the PQ by Jacques Parizeau
, who again made independence a primary goal.
of Law at McGill University
in Montreal and is currently Counsel at the firm of Heenan Blaikie LLP
in Montreal, Quebec. In 2001 he was appointed as chief advisor and negotiator of the Quebec government in the Softwood Lumber dispute between Canada and the United States by then Premier Bernard Landry
.
In October 2006, he was chosen by the Charest government
to preside over a public inquiry
into the collapse of a viaduct
over Autoroute 19
in Laval, Quebec
, leaving five dead and six injured. The choice of Johnson was criticized by both leaders in opposition André Boisclair
(PQ) and Mario Dumont
(Action démocratique du Québec
) because of the possibility of conflict of interest
. As president, he was invested with the responsibility of investigating government administration while being a former Minister of the Quebec Government, a former Premier of Quebec, and, until shortly after this nomination, member of the board of directors
of Ciment Saint-Laurent, a cement
company.
Johnson was appointed by the minority Conservative government to the Canadian delegation at the United Nations
' Bali Conference on climate change. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071204.webali04/BNStory/International
on independence.
In December 2005 he made waves in sovereigntist circles by supporting Liberal candidate and close, longtime friend Raymond Bachand
in a provincial by-election
in the Outremont
riding.
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....
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and politician. He was the 24th Premier of Quebec
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....
from October 3 to December 12, 1985.
Early background
Born in MontrealMontreal
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...
, Quebec, on July 5, 1946, Johnson is of French Canadian
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
and Irish descent
Irish Canadian
Irish Canadian are immigrants and descendants of immigrants who originated in Ireland. 1.2 million Irish immigrants arrived, 1825 to 1970, at least half of those in the period from 1831-1850. By 1867, they were the second largest ethnic group , and comprised 24% of Canada's population...
and is a Roman Catholic. He received a degree in law from 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...
in 1970 and a medical degree from the Université de Sherbrooke
Université de Sherbrooke
The Université de Sherbrooke is a large university with campuses located in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada and Longueuil, a suburb of Montreal approximately west of Sherbrooke. It is one of two universities, and the only French language university, in the Estrie region of Quebec.In 2007, the...
in 1976.
His father, Daniel Johnson, Sr., served as Premier of Quebec
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....
from 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....
to 1968. His brother, Daniel Johnson, Jr., served as Premier for nine months in 1994.
Each of the Johnsons led different political parties:
- Daniel Sr was leader of the conservative Union Nationale party, and had an ambiguous position on the question of independence for Quebec;
- Pierre Marc joined the sovereigntistQuebec sovereignty movementThe 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...
PQ in the aftermath of the 1970 October CrisisOctober CrisisThe October Crisis was a series of events triggered by two kidnappings of government officials by members of the Front de libération du Québec during October 1970 in the province of Quebec, mainly in the Montreal metropolitan area.The circumstances ultimately culminated in the only peacetime use...
; - Daniel, Jr., who had close ties to Power Corporation, backed the federalistQuebec federalist ideologyQuebec federalist ideology revolves around the concept of Quebec remaining within Canada, in opposition to the desires of Quebec sovereigntists and proponents of Quebec independence....
Liberals by 1977.
Member of the Cabinet
In 1976Quebec general election, 1976
The Quebec general election of 1976 was held on November 15, 1976 to elect members to National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. It was one of the most significant elections in Quebec history, rivalled only by the 1960 general election, and caused major repercussions in the rest of Canada...
, Pierre Marc Johnson successfully ran as 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...
candidate for the district of Anjou. 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....
René Lévesque
René Lévesque
René Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec...
appointed him to the cabinet
Executive Council of Quebec
The Executive Council of Quebec is the cabinet of the government of Quebec, Canada....
in 1977 and he was re-elected in 1981
Quebec general election, 1981
The Quebec general election of 1981 was held on April 13, 1981, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Parti Québécois, led by René Lévesque, won re-election, defeating the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Claude Ryan.The PQ won re-election despite...
.
Johnson served as Minister of Labour
Workforce
The workforce is the labour pool in employment. It is generally used to describe those working for a single company or industry, but can also apply to a geographic region like a city, country, state, etc. The term generally excludes the employers or management, and implies those involved in...
from 1977 to 1980, Minister to Consumers, Cooperatives and Financial Institutions from 1980 to 1981
Quebec general election, 1981
The Quebec general election of 1981 was held on April 13, 1981, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Parti Québécois, led by René Lévesque, won re-election, defeating the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Claude Ryan.The PQ won re-election despite...
, Minister of Social Affairs from 1981
Quebec general election, 1981
The Quebec general election of 1981 was held on April 13, 1981, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Parti Québécois, led by René Lévesque, won re-election, defeating the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Claude Ryan.The PQ won re-election despite...
to 1984 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...
from 1984 to 1985.
Premier of Quebec
In the leadership election of 1985Parti Québécois leadership election, 1985
The Parti Québécois leadership election of 1985 was held to elect a new leader of the Parti Québécois, the main sovereigntist and social democratic political party in Quebec, Canada. It elected Pierre-Marc Johnson at the helm of the party...
, Johnson was chosen, following PQ founder René Lévesque
René Lévesque
René Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec...
as leader of the party and, consequently, as Quebec Premier.
Johnson was generally considered to be soft on the sovereignty 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...
issue. He put independence on the back burner, as Lévesque has begun to do under the so-called "Beau risque
Beau risque
In Quebec politics, le beau risque is a political catch phrase describing the "risk" the Parti Québécois took in asking Quebecers to support Progressive Conservative Brian Mulroney and accept the Constitution Act, 1982...
" approach and eventually made this approach the official constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
al policy of his party, calling it "National Affirmation".
Leader of the Official Opposition
He was re-elected to the legislature in 1985Quebec 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...
, but his party was defeated by the Liberals, led by 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...
.
His leadership was contested by more radical
Pur et dur
Pur et dur is a term used in Quebec politics to refer to hardliners of the Parti Québécois and the Quebec independence movement. It is most commonly used in the media, where it was popularized. It is also used to criticize some members of the Parti Québécois...
PQ supporters, such as Gérald Godin
Gérald Godin
Gérald Godin was a Quebec poet and politician.Born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, he worked as a journalist at La Presse and other newspapers and magazines...
. In December 1987, he resigned as head of the party, Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Official Opposition (Quebec)
This is a list of the leaders of the opposition party of Quebec, Canada since Confederation .Note that the leader of the Opposition is not always the leader of the political party with the second-largest number of seats, in cases where the leader of that party does not have a seat.There was no...
and member of the National Assembly
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...
. He was succeeded as head of the PQ by Jacques Parizeau
Jacques Parizeau
Jacques Parizeau, is an economist and noted Quebec sovereignist who was the 26th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from September 26, 1994 to January 29, 1996.-Early life and career:...
, who again made independence a primary goal.
Life after leaving politics
Both a lawyer and a physician, he is a former ProfessorProfessor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Law at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in Montreal and is currently Counsel at the firm of Heenan Blaikie LLP
Heenan Blaikie
Heenan Blaikie LLP is a full service Canadian law firm. It practices in the areas of business, labour and employment, litigation, taxation, entertainment law and intellectual property law. The firm was founded in 1973 by Roy Heenan, Donald Johnston, and Peter Blaikie...
in Montreal, Quebec. In 2001 he was appointed as chief advisor and negotiator of the Quebec government in the Softwood Lumber dispute between Canada and the United States by then Premier Bernard Landry
Bernard Landry
Bernard Landry, is a Quebec lawyer, teacher, politician, who served as the 28th Premier of Quebec , leader of the Opposition and leader of the Parti Québécois .-Personal:...
.
In October 2006, he was chosen by the Charest government
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....
to preside over a public inquiry
Public inquiry
A Tribunal of Inquiry is an official review of events or actions ordered by a government body in Common Law countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland or Canada. Such a public inquiry differs from a Royal Commission in that a public inquiry accepts evidence and conducts its hearings in a more...
into the collapse of a viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
over Autoroute 19
Quebec Autoroute 19
Autoroute 19, also known as Autoroute Papineau , is an autoroute in Quebec. It crosses the Rivière des Prairies via the Papineau-Leblanc Bridge, connecting the borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville in Montreal and the Duvernay neighbourhood in Laval.There are plans to widen Route 335 to four lanes,...
in Laval, Quebec
Laval, Quebec
Laval is a Canadian city and a region in southwestern Quebec. It is the largest suburb of Montreal, the third largest municipality in the province of Quebec, and the 14th largest city in Canada with a population of 368,709 in 2006...
, leaving five dead and six injured. The choice of Johnson was criticized by both leaders in opposition André Boisclair
André Boisclair
André Boisclair is a politician in Quebec, Canada. He was the leader of the Parti Québécois, a social democratic and separatist party in Quebec....
(PQ) and Mario Dumont
Mario Dumont
Mario Dumont is a television personality and former politician in the province of Quebec. He was a Member of the National Assembly of Quebec , and the leader of the Action démocratique du Québec , from 1994 to 2009...
(Action démocratique du Québec
Action démocratique du Québec
The Action démocratique du Québec, commonly referred to as the ADQ is a centre-right political party in Quebec, Canada. On the sovereignty question, it defines itself as autonomist, and has support from both soft nationalists and federalists....
) because of the possibility of conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
. As president, he was invested with the responsibility of investigating government administration while being a former Minister of the Quebec Government, a former Premier of Quebec, and, until shortly after this nomination, member of the board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of Ciment Saint-Laurent, a cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
company.
Johnson was appointed by the minority Conservative government to the Canadian delegation at 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...
' Bali Conference on climate change. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071204.webali04/BNStory/International
Attitude about sovereignty
Johnson refused to take a stance regarding the 1995 Quebec referendum1995 Quebec referendum
The 1995 Quebec referendum was the second referendum to ask voters in the Canadian province of Quebec whether Quebec should secede from Canada and become an independent state, through the question:...
on independence.
In December 2005 he made waves in sovereigntist circles by supporting Liberal candidate and close, longtime friend Raymond Bachand
Raymond Bachand
Raymond Bachand is a politician, a businessman and a lawyer in Quebec, Canada. He is the Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Outremont, and a member of the Quebec Liberal Party caucus. He is also the current minister of Finances and Revenue in the cabinet of Premier of...
in a provincial by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in the Outremont
Outremont
Outremont may refer to:*Outremont, Quebec - a borough and former town in Montreal*Outremont - a Canadian federal electoral district*Outremont - a Quebec provincial electoral district...
riding.
Elections as party leader
Johnson lost in December 1985 election after becoming leader in October. Johnson became as opposition leader and stepped down as party leader in 1987 (with next election in 1989).Select publications
- Johnson, Pierre Marc & Karel Mayrand. "Beyond Trade: Broadening the Globalization Governance Agenda." Guiding Global Order: G8 Governance in the Twenty First Century. (Ashgate: Aldershot, 2000). Link to item
See also
- Politics of QuebecPolitics of QuebecThe politics of Quebec are centred on a provincial government resembling that of the other Canadian provinces, namely a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The capital of the province is Quebec City, where the Lieutenant Governor, Premier, the legislature, and cabinet reside.The...
- List of Quebec general elections
- Timeline of Quebec historyTimeline of Quebec historyThis article presents a detailed timeline of Quebec history. Events taking place outside Quebec, for example in English Canada, the United States, Britain or France, may be included when they are considered to have had a significant impact on Quebec's history....
External links
- National Assembly biography (in French)