Preceded by Joseph-Octave Samson Name Philippe Hamel | Succeeded by Joseph-William Morin | |
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Born October 12, 1884
Quebec City, Quebec ( 1884-10-12 ) Died January 22, 1954(1954-01-22) (aged 69)
Quebec City, Quebec Political party Action liberale nationale
Union Nationale | ||
Kids - MGMT (Philippe Hamel official cover)
Philippe Hamel (October 12, 1884 – January 22, 1954) was a nationalist and progressive politician in Quebec, Canada.
Contents
Background
He was born on October 12, 1884, in Quebec City.
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 as an Action liberale nationale candidate in the 1935 election in the district of Quebec-Centre.
When his party merged with the Conservative Party of Quebec to form the Union Nationale, Hamel became one of Maurice Duplessis's most important campaign leaders. He was returned to office in the 1936 election and the Union Nationale won the election.
Excluded from the Cabinet
After he secured his job as Premier, 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 Rene Chaloult, Oscar Drouin, Joseph-Ernest Gregoire and Adolphe Marcoux had left the Union Nationale. Hamel did not run for re-election in the 1939 election.
Death
He died on January 22, 1954.
Legacy
Hamel's main objective did not take place while he was in office. However, the government of Adelard Godbout bought the Montreal Light Heat & Power Co., which became Hydro-Quebec, in 1944. Furthermore, nearly all privately owned electric corporations were nationalized and merged to Hydro-Quebec in 1962-63, under the premiership of Jean Lesage.