François Gendron
Encyclopedia
François Gendron is a politician and teacher in Quebec, Canada. He is the current Member of 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...

 for the riding of Abitibi-Ouest. He represents the 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...

 since 1976.

Gendron went to the Université Laval
Université Laval
Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...

 and obtained diplomas in pedagogy
Pedagogy
Pedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....

 and administration. He was then a teacher at Cité Étudiante Polyno in La Sarre
La Sarre, Quebec
La Sarre is a town in northwestern Quebec, Canada, and is the most populous town and seat of the Abitibi-Ouest Regional County Municipality. It is located at the intersection of Routes 111 and 393, on the La Sarre River, a tributary of Lake Abitibi....

, a coordinator
Coordinator
Coordinator may refer to:*In academics: one who administers the research and teaching activities of the other professors.*Coordinators , genetically engineered humans in the Gundam SEED series...

 at the Commission scolaire Lalonde, and an education counselor
School counselor
A school counselor is a counselor and an educator who works in elementary, middle, and high schools to provide academic, career, college access, and personal/social competencies to K-12 students...

. He was a municipal councilor from 1973–1976 in La Sarre and was the founder of the Education Workers Union of Northwestern Quebec in 1967.

Gendron is the longest active MNA serving, as he was elected for the first time in 1976
Quebec general election, 1976
The Quebec general election of 1976 was held on November 15, 1976 to elect members to National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. It was one of the most significant elections in Quebec history, rivalled only by the 1960 general election, and caused major repercussions in the rest of Canada...

 when the Parti Québécois led by René Lévesque
René Lévesque
René Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec...

 was elected the government for the first time. He was named the Assistant Whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...

 and then the Minister of Public Services. After his 1981
Quebec general election, 1981
The Quebec general election of 1981 was held on April 13, 1981, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Parti Québécois, led by René Lévesque, won re-election, defeating the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Claude Ryan.The PQ won re-election despite...

 re-election, he was named the Minister of Planning, Minister of Planning and Development and Minister of Education (1984–1985).

After the Parti Québécois returned to the opposition benches after the 1985 elections
Quebec 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...

, he was the Deputy Opposition House Leader
House Leader
In Canada, each political party with representation in the House of Commons has a House Leader who is a front bench Member of Parliament and an expert in parliamentary procedure...

 from 1985 to 1987 and 1989 to 1994 and the Opposition House Leader from 1987 to 1989. He was also the critic after the 1989 elections
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...

 for education, municipal and regional affairs.

When the Parti Québécois returned to power 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.....

 with Jacques Parizeau
Jacques Parizeau
Jacques Parizeau, is an economist and noted Quebec sovereignist who was the 26th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from September 26, 1994 to January 29, 1996.-Early life and career:...

 as their leader, he was named Minister of Natural resources
Natural Resources
Natural Resources is a soul album released by Motown girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in 1970 on the Gordy label. The album is significant for the Vietnam War ballad "I Should Be Proud" and the slow jam, "Love Guess Who"...

 and the Deputy Government House Leader. In 1996, he was named the Government Chair Caucus
Caucus chair
A caucus chair is a person who chairs the meetings of a caucus. Often, the caucus chair is assigned other duties as well.-Commonwealth Nations:...

. He would remained in that position after the 1998 elections
Quebec general election, 1998
The Quebec general election of 1998 was held on November 30, 1998, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Parti Québécois, led by Lucien Bouchard, won re-election, defeating the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Jean Charest.After the narrow defeat of...

 until 2002 where he was briefly the Minister of Forest Management and rurality and then the Minister of Natural Resources.

Gendron was re-elected in the 2003
Quebec general election, 2003
The Quebec general election of 2003 was held on April 14, 2003, to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec . The Parti libéral du Québec , led by Jean Charest, defeated the incumbent Parti Québécois, led by Bernard Landry.-Unfolding:...

 and 2007 general elections
Quebec general election, 2007
The Quebec general election of 2007 was held in the Canadian province of Quebec on March 26, 2007 to elect members of the 38th National Assembly of Quebec. The Quebec Liberal Party led by Jean Charest managed to win a plurality of seats, but were reduced to a minority government, Quebec's first in...

 and was the National Assembly's Third Vice-President (Third Deputy Speaker of the House) from 2003 to 2007.

On May 9, 2007, Gendron was elected Acting Leader of the Parti Québécois over Marie Malavoy
Marie Malavoy
Marie Malavoy is a Quebec politician and teacher. She is the current Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Taillon in the Montérégie region and represents the Parti Québécois....

, following the resignation of André Boisclair
André Boisclair
André Boisclair is a politician in Quebec, Canada. He was the leader of the Parti Québécois, a social democratic and separatist party in Quebec....

.

During his tenure as acting leader, he played a major role in the adoption of the 2007 budget tabled by Liberal Finance Minister Monique Jérôme-Forget
Monique Jérôme-Forget
Monique Jérôme-Forget is a psychologist and a former Quebec politician. She was the Member of National Assembly for the riding of Marguerite-Bourgeois in the Montreal region as a member of the Quebec Liberal Party between 1998 and 2009...

, as it was during a Liberal minority government. The Parti Québécois had requested additional funding for health, education and the regions as well as a reduction of the income tax cuts that were planned by the Liberals to be $950 million. The Liberals accepted an increase total funding of $111 million without reducing the tax cut and have increased taxes for oil and bank companies. Gendron and the PQ mentioned that the funding was not sufficient to vote for the budget, but only Gendron, House Leader Diane Lemieux
Diane Lemieux
Diane Lemieux is a politician in Quebec, Canada. She was the Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Bourget as a member of the Parti Québécois from 1998 to 2007....

 and Finance critic François Legault
François Legault
François Legault is a politician in Quebec, Canada, and former member of the National Assembly of Quebec. A member of the Parti Québécois , he was first elected in the 1998 Quebec election in the riding of Rousseau in the Lanaudière region.-Life and career:Legault was born in...

 took part of the vote in which the budget passed 46–44 on June 1, 2007.

On August 20, 2007 an article from La Presse reported that Gendron will replace Diane Lemieux
Diane Lemieux
Diane Lemieux is a politician in Quebec, Canada. She was the Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Bourget as a member of the Parti Québécois from 1998 to 2007....

 as the House Leader of the second opposition group when the National Assembly of Quebec resumes in October 2007.

On October 21, 2008, Gendron was named the President of the National Assembly of Quebec. Initially, Maxime Arseneau
Maxime Arseneau
Maxime Arseneau is a radio host and teacher and former Quebec politician. He was the Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Îles-de-la-Madeleine. He represents the Parti Québécois and was a former minister in the cabinets of Former Premiers Lucien Bouchard and Bernard Landry...

 was the PQ candidate for the position as well as Marc Picard
Marc Picard
Marc Picard is a politician in the province of Quebec, Canada. He currently represents the Chutes-de-la-Chaudière district at the National Assembly of Quebec as an independent....

 for the Action democratique du Quebec
Action démocratique du Québec
The Action démocratique du Québec, commonly referred to as the ADQ is a centre-right political party in Quebec, Canada. On the sovereignty question, it defines itself as autonomist, and has support from both soft nationalists and federalists....

 and Yvon Vallieres
Yvon Vallières
Yvon Vallières is a Quebec politician and teacher. He is the current Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Richmond in the Estrie region. Formerly the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food from 2003 to 2007, he is the current Chair of the Government Caucus...

 for the Liberals. After Picard and Arseneau dropped their candidacy, both opposition parties supported the nomination of Gendron. He is the first MNA from an opposition party to be named as President of the National Assembly since 1887. He would serve in that capacity until after the 2008 provincial election.

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