Albert Khelfa
Encyclopedia
Albert Khelfa is a former politician in the Canadian
province of Quebec
. He served in the National Assembly of Quebec
from 1985 to 1994 as a member of the Liberal Party.
, Egypt
, and received a diploma in dental surgery from the University of Cairo. After moving to Canada, he earned a Bachelor's Degree
in education and a certificate in business administration from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
and a certificate in testing and assessment from the University of Montreal. He was a secondary school teacher in comparative biology and human biology in Sorel from 1969 to 1983 and taught English at the primary level from 1983 to 1985. He also served on the executive of the Teachers' Union of Sorel from 1976 to 1980 and was president of the Sorel-Tracy Multicultural Group from 1978 to 1980.
, defeating Parti Québécois
cabinet minister Maurice Martel
in the Richelieu
division. The Liberals won a majority government
in this election under Robert Bourassa
, and Khelfa entered the legislature as a government backbencher. He was appointed to the legislative committee on education and culture in 1986. In 1988, he supported the Bourassa government's compromise on Quebec's language laws, in which only francophone signs, billboards, and posters were permitted outdoors but bilingual sign
s were allowed indoors.
Khelfa was returned again in the 1989 general election
, and was re-appointed to the committee on culture later in the year. He spoke against a neo-nazi rally that was held at a small town in his riding in 1992.
He was defeated by Parti Québécois candidate Sylvain Simard
in 1994
, as the Liberal Party lost power to the PQ provincially.
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 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...
from 1985 to 1994 as a member of the Liberal Party.
Early life and career
Khelfa was born in CairoCairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, and received a diploma in dental surgery from the University of Cairo. After moving to Canada, he earned a Bachelor's Degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in education and a certificate in business administration from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
The Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières , established in 1969 is a campus of the Université du Québec, located in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. The university has 12,500 students in 8 different campuses, including the main one in Trois-Rivières. About 1000 of them come from overseas, from 60...
and a certificate in testing and assessment from the University of Montreal. He was a secondary school teacher in comparative biology and human biology in Sorel from 1969 to 1983 and taught English at the primary level from 1983 to 1985. He also served on the executive of the Teachers' Union of Sorel from 1976 to 1980 and was president of the Sorel-Tracy Multicultural Group from 1978 to 1980.
Legislator
Khelfa was first elected to the Quebec legislature in the 1985 general electionQuebec 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...
, defeating 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...
cabinet minister Maurice Martel
Maurice Martel
Maurice Martel is a former politician in the Canadian province of Quebec. He served in the National Assembly of Quebec from 1966 to 1970 and again from 1976 to 1985, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of René Levesque and Pierre-Marc Johnson.-Early life and career:Martel was born in...
in the Richelieu
Richelieu (provincial electoral district)
Richelieu is a provincial electoral riding in the province of Quebec, Canada. Located in the Montérégie region, the district was created in 1792. Between 1936 and 1944, it was part of the defunct riding of Richelieu-Vercheres...
division. The Liberals 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 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...
, and Khelfa entered the legislature as a government backbencher. He was appointed to the legislative committee on education and culture in 1986. In 1988, he supported the Bourassa government's compromise on Quebec's language laws, in which only francophone signs, billboards, and posters were permitted outdoors but bilingual sign
Bilingual sign
A bilingual sign is the representation on a panel of texts in more than one language...
s were allowed indoors.
Khelfa was returned again in the 1989 general election
Quebec general election, 1989
The Quebec general election of 1989 was held on September 25, 1989, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada...
, and was re-appointed to the committee on culture later in the year. He spoke against a neo-nazi rally that was held at a small town in his riding in 1992.
He was defeated by Parti Québécois candidate Sylvain Simard
Sylvain Simard
Sylvain Simard is a politician and academic based in the Canadian province of Quebec. He has represented Richelieu in the National Assembly of Quebec since 1994 and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Lucien Bouchard and Bernard Landry. Simard is a member of the Parti Québécois .-Early...
in 1994
Quebec general election, 1994
The Quebec general election of 1994 was held on September 12, 1994, to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The Parti Québécois, led by Jacques Parizeau, defeated the incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Daniel Johnson, Jr.....
, as the Liberal Party lost power to the PQ provincially.