Huguette Lachapelle

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Huguette Lachapelle (October 28, 1942 – December 15, 2021) was a Canadian politician. Lachapelle served in the National Assembly of Quebec from 1981 to 1985, representing the Montreal riding of Dorion as a member of the Parti Québécois (PQ).[1]

Early life and career

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Lachapelle was born in Saint-Basile, Quebec. She was a graduate of the Elie Business College à Montréal and was a parliamentary aide for PQ cabinet minister Lise Payette from 1976 to 1981.[1][2]

Legislator

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Lachapelle was elected to the Quebec legislature in the 1981 provincial election. She was subsequently elected to the PQ party executive in December 1981, appointed one of three deputy government whips in René Lévesque's government on September 22, 1982, and promoted to chief government whip on December 4, 1984. She served in the latter position until October 23, 1985.[2][3][4]

Lévesque resigned as PQ leader and premier in 1985, and Lachapelle supported Pierre-Marc Johnson's successful bid to succeed him.[5] When asked about rival candidate Pauline Marois's prospects of winning, Lachapelle responded that she did not believe Quebecers were ready for a woman to be premier. Johnson distanced himself from this statement, and some political observers believed that it helped to increase Marois's public profile.[6][7][8]

Lachapelle was defeated in the 1985 provincial election, losing by a narrow margin to Liberal candidate Violette Trépanier.[9]

After politics

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Lachapelle worked in Quebec's justice department from 1986 until her retirement in 2002.[1] She died on December 15, 2021, at the age of 79.[10]

Electoral record

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1985 Quebec general election: Dorion
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Violette Trépanier 12,724 51.71
Parti Québécois Huguette Lachapelle 10,226 41.56
New Democratic Paul Comtois 653 2.65
Progressive Conservative Robert Zambito 290 1.18
Parti indépendantiste Normand Lacasse 268 1.09
Humanist Alain Despaties 155 0.63
Communist Line Chabot 76 0.31
United Social Credit Réal Bastien 66 0.27
Commonwealth of Canada M. Luisa Grau 56 0.23
Christian Socialist André St-Arnaud 55 0.22
N/A (Workers) Mario Caluori 36 0.15
Total valid votes 24,605
Rejected and declined votes 453
Turnout 25,058 74.58
Electors on the lists 33,601
Source: Official Results, Le Directeur général des élections du Québec.
1981 Quebec general election: Dorion
Party Candidate Votes %
Parti Québécois Huguette Lachapelle 14,551 51.54
Liberal Henri-François Gautrin 12,657 44.83
Union Nationale François Lefebvre 524 1.86
Workers Communist Suzanne Barbeau Foisy 161 0.57
Workers Gilles Frenière 114 0.40
Marxist–Leninist Ginette Boutet 88 0.31
Independent Raymond Beaudoin 74 0.26
United Social Credit Fernand Bélisle 66 0.23
Total valid votes 28,235 100.00
Rejected and declined votes 666
Turnout 28,901 82.58
Electors on the lists 34,997
Source: Official Results, Le Directeur général des élections du Québec.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Biography". Dictionnaire des parlementaires du Québec de 1792 à nos jours (in French). National Assembly of Quebec.
  2. ^ a b David Wimhurst, "Dorion: Three candidates feel they can win riding," Montreal Gazette, 29 November 1985, p. 7.
  3. ^ "Top PQ executives to run unopposed," Globe and Mail, 9 November 1981, p. 22
  4. ^ "PQ whips shuffled," Globe and Mail, 24 September 1982, p. 4
  5. ^ "Johnson welcomes challenge but says he'll win leadership," Montreal Gazette, 24 July 1985, p. 5.
  6. ^ "Duhaime decides to stay out of PQ race," Montreal Gazette, 25 July 1985, p. 4
  7. ^ "Bouquets and brickbats," Montreal Gazette, 27 July 1985, p. 2
  8. ^ "Marois hoping to avoid woman as also-ran role," Ottawa Citizen, 21 September 1985, p. 2.
  9. ^ "All but five island seats go Liberal," Montreal Gazette, 3 December 1985, p. 1.
  10. ^ "Boisseau, Huguette". LaPresse.ca. 18 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
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