Céline Hervieux-Payette
Encyclopedia
Céline Hervieux-Payette, PC
(born April 22, 1941, L'Assomption, Quebec
) is the former Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian Senate
, and the first woman ever to hold this position.
In the 1970s, Hervieux-Payette served as a political aide to the Quebec
government of Premier
Robert Bourassa
. She also served as an administrator, as president and commissioner of the Le Gardeur School Board, and director of public relations for Steinberg Inc., a Quebec grocery and department store business.
Hervieux-Payette was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
in the 1979 election
as the Liberal
Member of Parliament for Mercier
. She was re-elected in the 1980 election
, and became parliamentary secretary
to the Solicitor General of Canada
. In 1983, she was appointed by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
to the Canadian Cabinet as Minister of State
(Fitness and Amateur Sport). She then served as Minister of State (Youth) from January to June 1984.
She was not appointed to the Cabinet of John Turner
who succeeded Trudeau as Liberal leader and prime minister in June 1984. She stood as a candidate in the 1984 election
, but was defeated.
She returned to the private sector and served as vice-president, business ventures at the SNC Group, an engineering and manufacturing
firm, from 1985 to 1989. From 1991 to 1995, she was Vice-President, Regulatory and Legal Affairs for Fonorola Inc., a telecommunications firm. She has been counsellor for Fasken Martineau DuMoulin
since 1995.
Hervieux-Payette attempted to re-enter the House of Commons in the 1988
and 1993 elections
but was defeated in both attempts. In 1995, she returned to Parliament
when she was appointed to the Canadian Senate
by Jean Chrétien
. She is expected to remain in the Senate until she reaches the mandatory retirement age of 75 in 2016.
On January 18, 2007, Hervieux-Payette was appointed Leader of the Opposition in the Senate by Liberal leader Stéphane Dion
, whom she had supported during the leadership race. She also became Quebec lieutenant
for Stéphane Dion in October 2007.
On November 3, 2008 she was succeeded as Leader of the Opposition by Jim Cowan
.
In a document reporting the launch of the Model Parliament for North America in the Senate Chamber of Canada under her auspices in 2005, the Senator is quoted as having this to say:
The Model Parliament for North America is a project of the North American Forum on Integration (NAFI), to form an hemispheric union.
Integration is being accomplished via the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) (popularly called the "North American Union") entered into on a de facto basis by former Prime Minister of Canada, Paul Martin, with former U.S. President George Bush and former President of Mexico, Vicente Fox, in March 2005.
However, the SPP is originally a private "initiative" of the multinational corporations forming the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE), a non-governmental organization that launched the idea in 2003. The SPP has been more fully elaborated in a so-called report of an "independent task force" of the CCCE entitled "Building A North American Community", the blueprint for an increasingly united continent. The Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) is a self-appointed private board of multinational corporations supported by the private, US-based Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), of Chatham House Critics observe that the CFR has controlled US foreign policy for decades, notably by fielding only CFR members into top federal and state posts, both elected and appointed, in the USA, including the office of the President.
As for "North American Union" – as the fusion of North America is commonly called—Allan Gotlieb, former Canadian Ambassador to the USA and current Executive member of David Rockefeller's Trilateral Commission declared on video that the events of September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center in New York City, were the "provocative agent" for the design of this EU-style "community". The New American reports, in a republished piece by the late Vilius Brazenas, re-reported on first publication in 2004 by "FindArticles", that "The New European Soviet: the European Union is rapidly descending into totalitarianism. Under NAFTA and the proposed FTAA, U.S. policymakers have adopted the same socialist EU program".
The Model Parliament for a "North American Union", the latter which American activist and former Education advisor to the Reagan Administration, and author of the well known "The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America" Charlotte Iserbyt, has called "The North American Soviet Union", has convened annually since 2005, alternating its meeting place among the three North American countries. The Model Parliament draws upon university students from Canada, the USA and Mexico to enact the roles of "legislators", each representing a different state or province of a united North America. As Iserbyt elsewhere notes, "Regionalism is Communism".
It is therefore important to note that the Model Parliament for North America, as conducted from the outset, envisions not a meeting of the federal Parliament of Canada with the federal Congress of the USA and with that of Mexico, but a meeting of the dismantled provinces of Canada with the dismantled states of the USA and Mexico under a new continental parliament. This clearly anticipates termination of the Canadian Constitution and Parliament, abolition of the constitutions and respective congresses of the USA and Mexico, and the re-federation of the Canadian Provinces with the American and Mexican states under a new, single, EU-style parliament for the North American continent.
The joint questions of the constitutionality of the Model Parliament for North America, the future continental parliament, and the merger of Canada into the USA and Mexico, to eliminate the Constitution of Canada, have yet to come before the Courts of Canada. However, an excerpt from s. 31 of the Constitution Act, 1867 of Canada (previously titled the British North America Act, 1867), suggests some scope for the type of court action that might be expected:
, that herfamily cancelled plans to vacation in Canada, describing the seal hunt as "appalling".
In her responding letter, Hervieux-Payette wrote that what she finds horrible is "the daily massacre of innocent people in Iraq, the execution of prisoners – mainly blacks – in American prisons, the massive sale of handguns to Americans, and the destabilization of the entire world by the American government's aggressive foreign policy, etc."
She later clarified her remarks, arguing that Americans should worry about their own country's behaviour before pointing fingers at other nations. Bill Graham
, leader of the Liberal official opposition, subsequently issued a statement saying that the letter "reflect her personal opinions and not those of the Liberal Party of Canada."
On April 23, 2009, Hervieux-Payette unveiled the Universal Declaration on the Ethical Harvest of Seals, seeking support from countries, NGO's and scientists to establish universal standards on seal harvest.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(born April 22, 1941, L'Assomption, Quebec
L'Assomption, Quebec
L'Assomption is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada on the L'Assomption River. It is the seat of the Regional County Municipality of L'Assomption. It is located on the outer fringes of the Montreal urban area....
) is the former Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
, and the first woman ever to hold this position.
In the 1970s, Hervieux-Payette served as a political aide to the 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....
government of Premier
Premier of Quebec
The Premier of Quebec is the first minister of the Canadian province of Quebec. The Premier is the province's head of government and his title is Premier and President of the Executive Council....
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...
. She also served as an administrator, as president and commissioner of the Le Gardeur School Board, and director of public relations for Steinberg Inc., a Quebec grocery and department store business.
Hervieux-Payette was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in the 1979 election
Canadian federal election, 1979
The Canadian federal election of 1979 was held on May 22, 1979 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 31st Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of Liberal Party of Canada after 11 years in power under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Joe Clark led the Progressive...
as the Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Member of Parliament for Mercier
Mercier (electoral district)
Mercier was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 2004. In 2003, the district was abolished and split into the La Pointe-de-l'Île and Honoré-Mercier ridings...
. She was re-elected in the 1980 election
Canadian federal election, 1980
The Canadian federal election of 1980 was held on February 18, 1980 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 32nd Parliament of Canada...
, and became parliamentary secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to the Solicitor General of Canada
Solicitor General of Canada
The Solicitor General of Canada was a position in the Canadian ministry from 1892 to 2005. The position was based on the Solicitor General in the British system and was originally designated as an officer to assist the Minister of Justice...
. In 1983, she was appointed by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
to the Canadian Cabinet as Minister of State
Minister of state (Canada)
A Minister of State is a junior cabinet minister in the Canadian Cabinet, usually given specific responsibilities to assist a senior cabinet minister in a specific area....
(Fitness and Amateur Sport). She then served as Minister of State (Youth) from January to June 1984.
She was not appointed to the Cabinet of John Turner
John Turner
John Napier Wyndham Turner, PC, CC, QC is an English Canadian lawyer and retired politician, who served as the 17th Prime Minister of Canada from June 30 to September 17, 1984....
who succeeded Trudeau as Liberal leader and prime minister in June 1984. She stood as a candidate in the 1984 election
Canadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
, but was defeated.
She returned to the private sector and served as vice-president, business ventures at the SNC Group, an engineering and manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
firm, from 1985 to 1989. From 1991 to 1995, she was Vice-President, Regulatory and Legal Affairs for Fonorola Inc., a telecommunications firm. She has been counsellor for Fasken Martineau DuMoulin
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin
Fasken Martineau is an international business law firm with more than 650 lawyers and offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, Québec City, London, Paris and Johannesburg. The Firm has present in the Middle East in Riyadh in affiliation with Osool Law Firm...
since 1995.
Hervieux-Payette attempted to re-enter the House of Commons in the 1988
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
and 1993 elections
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
but was defeated in both attempts. In 1995, she returned to Parliament
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
when she was appointed to the Canadian Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
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....
. She is expected to remain in the Senate until she reaches the mandatory retirement age of 75 in 2016.
On January 18, 2007, Hervieux-Payette was appointed Leader of the Opposition in the Senate by Liberal leader Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Maurice Dion, PC, MP is a Canadian politician who has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Saint-Laurent–Cartierville in Montreal since 1996. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and the Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 2006 to 2008...
, whom she had supported during the leadership race. She also became Quebec lieutenant
Quebec lieutenant
In Canadian politics, a Quebec lieutenant is a politician, from Quebec, usually a francophone and most often a Member of Parliament or at least a current or former candidate for Parliament, who is selected by a senior politician such as the Prime Minister or the leader of a national federal party,...
for Stéphane Dion in October 2007.
On November 3, 2008 she was succeeded as Leader of the Opposition by Jim Cowan
Jim Cowan
James S. "Jim" Cowan is a Canadian lawyer and Senator from Nova Scotia. He was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Paul Martin on March 24, 2005. He represents the Liberal Party of Canada...
.
Model Parliament for North America – Regionalism
The Honourable Liberal Senator, Céline Hervieux-Payette is the self-styled "GODMOTHER" of the Model Parliament for North America.In a document reporting the launch of the Model Parliament for North America in the Senate Chamber of Canada under her auspices in 2005, the Senator is quoted as having this to say:
"As the 'godmother' of this first inter-parliamentary simulation on North American integration, I am delighted to welcome you to the Senate of Canada.
The world of nation states, inherited from the treaties of Westphalia of 1648, seems to be fading in the West. First economic, then financial and now political integration of the countries of Europe gives a strong signal that a new style of regional governance is the way of the future."
The Model Parliament for North America is a project of the North American Forum on Integration (NAFI), to form an hemispheric union.
Integration is being accomplished via the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) (popularly called the "North American Union") entered into on a de facto basis by former Prime Minister of Canada, Paul Martin, with former U.S. President George Bush and former President of Mexico, Vicente Fox, in March 2005.
However, the SPP is originally a private "initiative" of the multinational corporations forming the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE), a non-governmental organization that launched the idea in 2003. The SPP has been more fully elaborated in a so-called report of an "independent task force" of the CCCE entitled "Building A North American Community", the blueprint for an increasingly united continent. The Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) is a self-appointed private board of multinational corporations supported by the private, US-based Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), of Chatham House Critics observe that the CFR has controlled US foreign policy for decades, notably by fielding only CFR members into top federal and state posts, both elected and appointed, in the USA, including the office of the President.
As for "North American Union" – as the fusion of North America is commonly called—Allan Gotlieb, former Canadian Ambassador to the USA and current Executive member of David Rockefeller's Trilateral Commission declared on video that the events of September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center in New York City, were the "provocative agent" for the design of this EU-style "community". The New American reports, in a republished piece by the late Vilius Brazenas, re-reported on first publication in 2004 by "FindArticles", that "The New European Soviet: the European Union is rapidly descending into totalitarianism. Under NAFTA and the proposed FTAA, U.S. policymakers have adopted the same socialist EU program".
The Model Parliament for a "North American Union", the latter which American activist and former Education advisor to the Reagan Administration, and author of the well known "The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America" Charlotte Iserbyt, has called "The North American Soviet Union", has convened annually since 2005, alternating its meeting place among the three North American countries. The Model Parliament draws upon university students from Canada, the USA and Mexico to enact the roles of "legislators", each representing a different state or province of a united North America. As Iserbyt elsewhere notes, "Regionalism is Communism".
It is therefore important to note that the Model Parliament for North America, as conducted from the outset, envisions not a meeting of the federal Parliament of Canada with the federal Congress of the USA and with that of Mexico, but a meeting of the dismantled provinces of Canada with the dismantled states of the USA and Mexico under a new continental parliament. This clearly anticipates termination of the Canadian Constitution and Parliament, abolition of the constitutions and respective congresses of the USA and Mexico, and the re-federation of the Canadian Provinces with the American and Mexican states under a new, single, EU-style parliament for the North American continent.
The joint questions of the constitutionality of the Model Parliament for North America, the future continental parliament, and the merger of Canada into the USA and Mexico, to eliminate the Constitution of Canada, have yet to come before the Courts of Canada. However, an excerpt from s. 31 of the Constitution Act, 1867 of Canada (previously titled the British North America Act, 1867), suggests some scope for the type of court action that might be expected:
"Disqualification of Senators
31. The Place of a Senator shall become vacant in any of the following Cases:
(2) If he takes an Oath or makes a Declaration or Acknowledgment of Allegiance, Obedience, or Adherence to a Foreign Power, or does an Act whereby he becomes a Subject or Citizen, or entitled to the Rights or Privileges of a Subject or Citizen, of a Foreign Power"
Controversy
Hervieux-Payette became involved in controversy in March 2006 when she responded to an American couple's letter to all Canadian Senators protesting the annual seal hunt in Newfoundland. The American, Anne McLellan, told Canadian television channel, CTV Television NetworkCTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
, that herfamily cancelled plans to vacation in Canada, describing the seal hunt as "appalling".
In her responding letter, Hervieux-Payette wrote that what she finds horrible is "the daily massacre of innocent people in Iraq, the execution of prisoners – mainly blacks – in American prisons, the massive sale of handguns to Americans, and the destabilization of the entire world by the American government's aggressive foreign policy, etc."
She later clarified her remarks, arguing that Americans should worry about their own country's behaviour before pointing fingers at other nations. Bill Graham
Bill Graham
William Carvel "Bill" Graham, PC QC is a former Canadian politician, who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of National Defence, and Leader of the Opposition and interim Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.-Personal life:...
, leader of the Liberal official opposition, subsequently issued a statement saying that the letter "reflect her personal opinions and not those of the Liberal Party of Canada."
On April 23, 2009, Hervieux-Payette unveiled the Universal Declaration on the Ethical Harvest of Seals, seeking support from countries, NGO's and scientists to establish universal standards on seal harvest.