Louise Beaudoin

Biography

Beaudoin earned a master's degree in history from Université Laval and a master's degree in sociology at the Sorbonne. As a student, like many contemporaries, she was associated with Quebec separatists.

In the 1970s, she worked at the École nationale d'administration publique (ENAP). She was also director of Claude Morin's office. Posted to the Délégation générale du Québec à Paris from 1984–1985, she was close to René Lévesque in the last years of his life.

Beaudoin was elected as a péquiste in the riding of Chambly in 1994, and re-elected in 1998.

During her time as MNA of Chambly, Beaudoin had several portfolios. At various times she was the minister responsible for the Charter of the French Language, international relations, intergovernmental relations, La Francophonie, Culture and Communications, and globalization. She received some English press coverage for her spirited defence of Bill 101 on an episode of 60 Minutes. Her stringent enforcement of Bill 101 didn't play well with the Anglophone communities in Quebec, and she was famously portrayed as a leather-clad dominatrix by popular Montreal Gazette cartoonist Aislin. On several occasions she has made controversial remarks about culture, claiming, for example, that multiculturalism is a Canadian value but not a Quebec one. With Sheila Copps, the Minister for Canadian Heritage, Beaudoin also worked for the adoption of the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, voted on after the September 11 attacks in 2001. The same year, she accused the federal government of lying for not permitting Quebec premier Bernard Landry to participate in the Summit of the Americas.

After eight years as MNA of Chambly, Beaudoin was defeated by the Liberal Diane Legault in 2003. Her defeat was largely attributed to anti-PQ resentment in the Saint-Bruno area of the riding as a result of Bill 170.

After her departure from the National Assembly, she joined the Université du Québec à Montréal as a professor and there continued her studies into globalization.

She was decorated as a commandeur of the Légion d'honneur on September 23, 2004.

She did not run for the PQ in the riding of Chambly in the 2007 elections and her assistant Bertrand St-Arnaud tried to win the seat but lost to adéquiste Richard Merlini.

Beaudoin returned to the political scene in December 8, 2008 by getting elected in Rosemont to succeed the resigned Rita Dionne-Marsolais.

As of 2008, Beaudoin was a host and journalist on Radio-Canada's series 5 sur 5, which answers viewers' questions about a wide variety of topics. She has also served as director of the board for Théâtre Espace Go.

On January 20, 2009, Beaudoin, along with fellow PQ member François Rebello, attended the inauguration of Barack Obama in Washington, D.C.

On June 6, 2011, Beaudoin and caucus mates Lisette Lapointe and Pierre Curzi resigned from the Parti Québécois to sit as independents over the PQ's acceptance of a bill changing the law to permit an agreement between the City of Québec and Quebecor Inc. concerning the construction of an arena in Quebec City.

On April 3, 2012, Beaudoin rejoined the PQ caucus.