Pierre Reid
Encyclopedia
Pierre Reid is a politician and educator in the Canadian
province of Quebec
. He has served in the National Assembly of Quebec
since 2003, representing Orford as a member of the Quebec Liberal Party. Reid is a former cabinet minister in Jean Charest
's government.
He is not to be confused with a senior public servant in Quebec named Pierre Reid.
. He holds a Bachelor of Science
degree from Université Laval
(1970) and a Ph.D.
in mathematics from Université de Paris XI (1974).
After working as a computer consultant for IBM Canada, Reid became a professor of administrative data processing at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
in 1976. Two years later, he joined the business administration department at the Université de Sherbrooke
. He became a vice-rector of the university in 1989, and four years later he defeated Marie Malavoy
to become university rector.
Reid supported the Université de Sherbrooke's links to Gaz Métropolitain, which provided a $105,000 scholarship for research in the natural gas sector. He speculated about privatizing some academic programs in 1996, to find new revenue sources in light of government cutbacks. In 2001, he welcomed a $4.7 million investment from the government of Canada
to fund health researchers on campus.
Reid was appointed as an associate deputy minister at Industry Canada
in 2001.
for the Liberal Party in the 2003 provincial election
and was easily elected as the member of the national assembly for Orford. The Liberal Party won a majority government
in this election under Jean Charest's leadership, and Charest appointed Reid as his education minister on April 29, 2003. A Montreal Gazette report from this period indicated that Reid was well regarded for his skills as a manager and administrator.
University funding
Reid made significant changes to university student funding in 2004, shifting $103 million from bursaries to repayable loans. He also announced that student loans would become easier to obtain and that repayments would be proportional to income after graduation; in some cases, graduates would not be required to make payments during periods of unemployment.
Student leaders and the opposition Parti Québécois strongly criticized the shift from bursaries to loans, describing it as a betrayal of the province's lower-income students. The Canadian Federation of Students
also criticized Reid's repayment policy, with one student leader sarcastically describing it as "Study now, pay forever." Reid argued in response that his changes would allow more studies to register at universities.
There were several protests against Reid's funding reforms in 2004 and 2005, including one protest in February 2005 that turned violent. Reid promised to re-invest "massive" funding into loans and bursaries after a revolt of the Liberal Party's youth wing in late 2004, but did not remain in the education portfolio long enough to carry this out.
Reid promised in November 2004 that he would maintain Quebec's long-standing university tuition freeze during the Charest government's first mandate, but would not make any commitments beyond that time.
Jewish private schools funding
In December 2004, Reid announced a new association between Quebec's public schools and Jewish
private schools in a bid to improve cultural ties. This decision was made after the firebombing of one of Montreal
's United Talmud Torah
schools which resulted in the destruction of a library.
The following month, Quebec media sources discovered that the Charest government had agreed to pay full funding to Jewish private schools through the cultural association. This was a shift from a previous policy of funding about sixty per cent of the costs. The funding decision was made without cabinet approval or discussion; when it became public knowledge, Reid indicated that other private religious and cultural schools would also be eligible for such funding. Several public school officials, teachers groups, and parents groups criticized the decision on the grounds that it would undermine public education.
The Charest government was ultimately forced to cancel its plans following an extremely negative public reaction. While still supporting the funding change in principle, Charest acknowledged that his government had handled the matter poorly. One Montreal Gazette columnist argued that the Charest government mishandled the issue by not announcing its funding policy change from the beginning. The controversy damaged Reid's public standing.
High schools
In May 2003, Reid announced that francophone schools would start English
lessons in the first grade and devote more class time to English-language education. The previous Parti Québécois
government had brought English lessons forward from the fourth to the third grade, but had reduced the overall time devoted to English.
Reid announced in 2004 that persons with serious criminal records would not receive provincial teaching certificates. He dropped plans to introduce a professional teaching order after teachers voted in large numbers against the plan.
Federal initiatives
In addition to serving as provincial education minister, Reid was also appointed to a two-year term as chair of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada in October 2003. Reid was critical of the Canadian Council on Learning
introduced by Jean Chrétien
's federal government, saying that its money would be better spent on provincial initiatives.
Reid supported the Charest government's plan to sell part of the Mont-Orford National Park
to private interests in 2006, despite the concerns of environmental groups and some Liberal backbenchers. Critics noted that Reid was the friend of a key developer who stood to benefit from the sale, although Reid responded that his friend was only one of many potential buyers.
Reid was narrowly re-elected in the 2007 provincial election
, which reduced the Liberals to a minority government
. He was returned to a third term in the 2008 election, as the Liberals regained majority status. He has not been returned to cabinet.
In 2010, Reid and Canadian prime minister
Stephen Harper
announced funding for a new arena in honour of hockey
coach Pat Burns
, who was suffering from and later died of terminal cancer. The arena is located in Stanstead
, in Reid's Orford division.
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 has served in 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...
since 2003, representing Orford as a member of the Quebec Liberal Party. Reid is a former cabinet minister in 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 government.
He is not to be confused with a senior public servant in Quebec named Pierre Reid.
Early life and academic career
Reid was born in Jonquière, QuebecQuebec
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 holds a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree from Université Laval
Université Laval
Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...
(1970) and a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in mathematics from Université de Paris XI (1974).
After working as a computer consultant for IBM Canada, Reid became a professor of administrative data processing at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
The Université du Québec à Chicoutimi is a branch of the Université du Québec founded in 1969 and based in the Chicoutimi borough of Saguenay, Quebec. UQAC has secondary study centers in La Malbaie, Saint-Félicien, Alma and Sept-Îles...
in 1976. Two years later, he joined the business administration department at 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...
. He became a vice-rector of the university in 1989, and four years later he defeated Marie Malavoy
Marie Malavoy
Marie Malavoy is a Quebec politician and teacher. She is the current Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Taillon in the Montérégie region and represents the Parti Québécois....
to become university rector.
Reid supported the Université de Sherbrooke's links to Gaz Métropolitain, which provided a $105,000 scholarship for research in the natural gas sector. He speculated about privatizing some academic programs in 1996, to find new revenue sources in light of government cutbacks. In 2001, he welcomed a $4.7 million investment from the government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
to fund health researchers on campus.
Reid was appointed as an associate deputy minister at Industry Canada
Industry Canada
Industry Canada is the department of the Government of Canada with responsibility for regional economic development, investment, and innovation/research and development. The department employs 6104 FTEs across Canada....
in 2001.
Education minister
Reid was 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...
for the Liberal Party in the 2003 provincial election
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:...
and was easily elected as the member of the national assembly for Orford. The Liberal Party 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 under Jean Charest's leadership, and Charest appointed Reid as his education minister on April 29, 2003. A Montreal Gazette report from this period indicated that Reid was well regarded for his skills as a manager and administrator.
University funding
Reid made significant changes to university student funding in 2004, shifting $103 million from bursaries to repayable loans. He also announced that student loans would become easier to obtain and that repayments would be proportional to income after graduation; in some cases, graduates would not be required to make payments during periods of unemployment.
Student leaders and the opposition Parti Québécois strongly criticized the shift from bursaries to loans, describing it as a betrayal of the province's lower-income students. The Canadian Federation of Students
Canadian Federation of Students
The Canadian Federation of Students is the largest student organization in Canada. Founded in 1981, the stated goal of the CFS is to work at the federal level for high quality, accessible post-secondary education.-Structure:...
also criticized Reid's repayment policy, with one student leader sarcastically describing it as "Study now, pay forever." Reid argued in response that his changes would allow more studies to register at universities.
There were several protests against Reid's funding reforms in 2004 and 2005, including one protest in February 2005 that turned violent. Reid promised to re-invest "massive" funding into loans and bursaries after a revolt of the Liberal Party's youth wing in late 2004, but did not remain in the education portfolio long enough to carry this out.
Reid promised in November 2004 that he would maintain Quebec's long-standing university tuition freeze during the Charest government's first mandate, but would not make any commitments beyond that time.
Jewish private schools funding
In December 2004, Reid announced a new association between Quebec's public schools and Jewish
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
private schools in a bid to improve cultural ties. This decision was made after the firebombing of one of 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 United Talmud Torah
United Talmud Torahs of Montreal
United Talmud Torahs of Montreal is a private coed Jewish day school system that includes an elementary and a high school on two campuses; One located in the Saint Laurent borough, the other in the Snowdon neighbourhood of the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough in Montreal, Quebec...
schools which resulted in the destruction of a library.
The following month, Quebec media sources discovered that the Charest government had agreed to pay full funding to Jewish private schools through the cultural association. This was a shift from a previous policy of funding about sixty per cent of the costs. The funding decision was made without cabinet approval or discussion; when it became public knowledge, Reid indicated that other private religious and cultural schools would also be eligible for such funding. Several public school officials, teachers groups, and parents groups criticized the decision on the grounds that it would undermine public education.
The Charest government was ultimately forced to cancel its plans following an extremely negative public reaction. While still supporting the funding change in principle, Charest acknowledged that his government had handled the matter poorly. One Montreal Gazette columnist argued that the Charest government mishandled the issue by not announcing its funding policy change from the beginning. The controversy damaged Reid's public standing.
High schools
In May 2003, Reid announced that francophone schools would start English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
lessons in the first grade and devote more class time to English-language education. The previous 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...
government had brought English lessons forward from the fourth to the third grade, but had reduced the overall time devoted to English.
Reid announced in 2004 that persons with serious criminal records would not receive provincial teaching certificates. He dropped plans to introduce a professional teaching order after teachers voted in large numbers against the plan.
Federal initiatives
In addition to serving as provincial education minister, Reid was also appointed to a two-year term as chair of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada in October 2003. Reid was critical of the Canadian Council on Learning
Canadian Council on Learning
The Canadian Council on Learning is a channel for lifelong learning, encouraging and supporting data-based decisions about learning during all stages of life, from early childhood through to the senior years.-History:...
introduced by Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
's federal government, saying that its money would be better spent on provincial initiatives.
Government services minister and backbencher
Widely regarded as having mishandled the university funding and Jewish private school files, Reid was demoted to government services minister after a cabinet shuffle on February 18, 2005. An editorial in the Montreal Gazette later described this as a "make-work" position for Reid. This position offered him a much lower public profile, and he was dropped from cabinet entirely on February 27, 2006. During his time as government services minister, Reid announced that the Charest government would replace an information management system approved by the previous ministry.Reid supported the Charest government's plan to sell part of the Mont-Orford National Park
Mont-Orford National Park
Mont-Orford National Park is a national park of Quebec, Canada. It is located west of the city of Sherbrooke, in southeastern Quebec.-External links:*...
to private interests in 2006, despite the concerns of environmental groups and some Liberal backbenchers. Critics noted that Reid was the friend of a key developer who stood to benefit from the sale, although Reid responded that his friend was only one of many potential buyers.
Reid was narrowly re-elected in the 2007 provincial election
Quebec general election, 2007
The Quebec general election of 2007 was held in the Canadian province of Quebec on March 26, 2007 to elect members of the 38th National Assembly of Quebec. The Quebec Liberal Party led by Jean Charest managed to win a plurality of seats, but were reduced to a minority government, Quebec's first in...
, which reduced the Liberals to a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
. He was returned to a third term in the 2008 election, as the Liberals regained majority status. He has not been returned to cabinet.
In 2010, Reid and Canadian prime minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
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...
announced funding for a new arena in honour of hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
coach Pat Burns
Pat Burns
Patrick Burns was a National Hockey League head coach. Over 14 seasons between 1988 and 2004, he coached in 1,019 games with the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and New Jersey Devils...
, who was suffering from and later died of terminal cancer. The arena is located in Stanstead
Stanstead, Quebec
Stanstead is a town of about 3,000 people, part of the Memphrémagog Regional County Municipality in the Estrie region of Québec. Stanstead is located on the Canada-United States border across from Derby Line, Vermont....
, in Reid's Orford division.