Daniel Boucher (politician)
Encyclopedia
Daniel Boucher is a politician in Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
. He served on the Montreal city council
from 1994 to 1998, originally as a member of Vision Montreal
and later as an independent. Boucher has also sought election to the Canadian House of Commons
and the National Assembly of Quebec
.
in Canadian federal politics.
in the Montreal electoral division of Anjou. Former Front de libération du Québec
militant Paul Rose had wanted to seek the party's nomination, but could not do so as he was on parole from a life sentence for the murder of Quebec politician Pierre Laporte
. The Quebec NDP was not affiliated with the Canadian New Democratic Party
during this period, and the federal party openly dissociated itself from the Quebec organization in the by-election. Boucher finished a distant third against Parti Québécois
candidate Pierre Bélanger
.
Boucher later ran as a Bloc Québécois candidate in the 1993 Canadian federal election
for the Montreal division of Papineau—Saint-Michel. Some pundits believed he had a reasonable chance of winning, though on election day he finished second against Liberal
incumbent André Ouellet
. Boucher was thirty-six years old during the election and identified as a social worker.
as a candidate of Pierre Bourque
's Vision Montreal party, defeating Montreal Citizens' Movement
incumbent Micheline Daigle in the Jean-Rivard division. He served for two years as a supporter of Bourque's administration and chaired the city's finance and economic-development committee. In 1996, he shelved a proposal to charge full taxes on churches and religious institutions, arguing that he would wait for the provincial government's direction on the issue.
In an interview published by the Montreal Gazette on 15 June 1996, Boucher said that several members of Vision Montreal had concerns about the party's internal management and believed too much power was invested with the mayor and the Montreal executive committee
. He added that he was not planning to resign from the party and that Bourque had been receptive to criticism thuis far. Only ten days later, however, he and fellow councillor Hubert Deraspe left the party to sit as independents; in making this decision, Boucher remarked that "all the qualified people [had] left Vision Montreal" and that it was "a party in name only."
Boucher and Deraspe later accused Bourque of trying to buy the support of disgruntled councillors by introducing a council pay increase. When allegations were made about illegal fundraising by Vision Montreal, they sought to persuade Vision councillors to defect to the opposition. In January 1998, Boucher introduced a motion of censure against Bourque and executive committee chair Noushig Eloyan
.
Also in January 1998, Boucher joined an informal opposition alliance called the Coalition for Montreal's Future, led by fellow ex-Vision councillor Sammy Forcillo
. Boucher served as the group's critic for municipal services, with a focus on sports and leisure.
Boucher ran for re-election as an independent candidate in the 1998 municipal election
and lost to Vision Montreal's Nicole Roy-Arcelin
. He attempted to return to council in the 2001 election
as a candidate of Gérald Tremblay
's Montreal Island Citizens' Union, but lost to Vision candidate Frank Venneri
.
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, 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....
, Canada
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...
. He served on the Montreal city council
Montreal City Council
The Montreal City Council is the governing body of Montreal, Quebec. The head of the city government in Montreal is the mayor, who is first among equals in the City Council. The mayor is Gérald Tremblay, who is a member of the Union des citoyens et des citoyennes de l'Île de Montréal...
from 1994 to 1998, originally as a member of Vision Montreal
Vision Montreal
Vision Montreal is a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It has been in existence since 1994 and presently forms the Official opposition on Montreal City Council under leader Louise Harel.-Origins:...
and later as an independent. Boucher has also sought election 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...
and 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...
.
Early life and career
Boucher was a bus driver for a seniors' residence in the early 1990s. A Quebec sovereigntist, he was an early supporter of the Bloc QuébécoisBloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
in Canadian federal politics.
Early bids for public office
While still supporting the Bloc Québécois at the federal level, Boucher ran as a New Democratic Party of Quebec (NDP) candidate for a 1992 provincial by-electionBy-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in the Montreal electoral division of Anjou. Former Front de libération du Québec
Front de libération du Québec
The Front de libération du Québec was a left-wing Quebecois nationalist and Marxist-Leninist paramilitary group in Quebec, Canada. It was active between 1963 and 1970, and was regarded as a terrorist organization for its violent methods of action...
militant Paul Rose had wanted to seek the party's nomination, but could not do so as he was on parole from a life sentence for the murder of Quebec politician Pierre Laporte
Pierre Laporte
Pierre Laporte was a Canadian lawyer, journalist and politician who was the Deputy Premier and Minister of Labour of the province of Quebec before being kidnapped and killed by members of the group Front de libération du Québec during the October Crisis. Mr...
. The Quebec NDP was not affiliated with the Canadian New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
during this period, and the federal party openly dissociated itself from the Quebec organization in the by-election. Boucher finished a distant third against 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...
candidate Pierre Bélanger
Pierre Bélanger
Pierre Bélanger is a lawyer and politician in the Canadian province of Quebec. He was a Parti Québécois member of the National Assembly of Quebec from 1992 to 1998 and was a cabinet minister in the government of Lucien Bouchard....
.
Boucher later ran as a Bloc Québécois candidate in the 1993 Canadian federal election
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...
for the Montreal division of Papineau—Saint-Michel. Some pundits believed he had a reasonable chance of winning, though on election day he finished second against 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...
incumbent André Ouellet
André Ouellet
André Ouellet, P.C., Q.C. is a former Chairman of Canada Post, and a long time Liberal politician in Canada.First elected to the Canadian House of Commons in a 1967 by-election, Ouellet served in a number of different positions in the cabinets of Prime Ministers Pierre Trudeau and Jean Chrétien...
. Boucher was thirty-six years old during the election and identified as a social worker.
Municipal politician
Boucher was elected to the Montreal city council in the 1994 municipal electionMontreal municipal election, 1994
The 1994 Montreal municipal election took place on November 6, 1994. Pierre Bourque was elected to his first term as mayor, defeating incumbent Jean Doré...
as a candidate of Pierre Bourque
Pierre Bourque
Pierre Bourque, CQ is a businessman and politician in Quebec, Canada. He founded the Vision Montreal political party and served as mayor of Montreal from 1994 to 2001.-Background:...
's Vision Montreal party, defeating Montreal Citizens' Movement
Montreal Citizens' Movement
The Montreal Citizens' Movement was a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It existed from 1973 to 2001.-Origins:...
incumbent Micheline Daigle in the Jean-Rivard division. He served for two years as a supporter of Bourque's administration and chaired the city's finance and economic-development committee. In 1996, he shelved a proposal to charge full taxes on churches and religious institutions, arguing that he would wait for the provincial government's direction on the issue.
In an interview published by the Montreal Gazette on 15 June 1996, Boucher said that several members of Vision Montreal had concerns about the party's internal management and believed too much power was invested with the mayor and the Montreal executive committee
Montreal Executive Committee
The Montreal Executive Committee is the executive branch of the municipal government of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The committee reports directly to city hall and is responsible for generating documents such as budgets and by-laws, which are then sent to the Montreal city council for approval...
. He added that he was not planning to resign from the party and that Bourque had been receptive to criticism thuis far. Only ten days later, however, he and fellow councillor Hubert Deraspe left the party to sit as independents; in making this decision, Boucher remarked that "all the qualified people [had] left Vision Montreal" and that it was "a party in name only."
Boucher and Deraspe later accused Bourque of trying to buy the support of disgruntled councillors by introducing a council pay increase. When allegations were made about illegal fundraising by Vision Montreal, they sought to persuade Vision councillors to defect to the opposition. In January 1998, Boucher introduced a motion of censure against Bourque and executive committee chair Noushig Eloyan
Noushig Eloyan
Noushig Eloyan is a Canadian politician, who served on the Montreal City Council from 1994 to 2009 and ran for the Canadian Parliament for the electoral riding of Ahuntsic in the May 2, 2011 elections as a member of the federal Liberal Party of Canada....
.
Also in January 1998, Boucher joined an informal opposition alliance called the Coalition for Montreal's Future, led by fellow ex-Vision councillor Sammy Forcillo
Sammy Forcillo
Savino "Sammy" Forcillo is a Canadian politician and a City Councillor in Montreal, Quebec.-Background:He has Italian ancestry and has a degree from the École nationale d'administration publique .-Civic Party:...
. Boucher served as the group's critic for municipal services, with a focus on sports and leisure.
Boucher ran for re-election as an independent candidate in the 1998 municipal election
Montreal municipal election, 1998
The city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada held municipal elections on November 1, 1998, to elect a mayor and city councillors. Pierre Bourque was returned to a second term as mayor against a divided opposition....
and lost to Vision Montreal's Nicole Roy-Arcelin
Nicole Roy-Arcelin
Nicole Roy-Arcelin is a Canadian politician, a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 1993 and a city councillor in Montreal.-Background:...
. He attempted to return to council in the 2001 election
Montreal municipal election, 2001
The 2001 Montreal municipal election took place on November 4, 2001, to elect a mayor and city councillors in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Gérald Tremblay defeated incumbent Pierre Bourque to become mayor of the newly amalgamated city....
as a candidate of Gérald Tremblay
Gérald Tremblay
Gérald Tremblay is a Canadian politician and businessman currently serving his third term as mayor of Montreal and as president of the Montreal Metropolitan Community...
's Montreal Island Citizens' Union, but lost to Vision candidate Frank Venneri
Frank Venneri
Frank Venneri is a politician in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He served on the Montreal city council from 1986 to 1990, was re-elected in 1998, and has been returned to council in every election since then...
.