Harry Blank
Encyclopedia
Harry Blank was a Canadian politician from Quebec
and a seven-term member of the National Assembly of Quebec
.
, Quebec
and was the son of Udel Blank and Molly Zinman. He served in active military duty during World War II
, serving during the waning months of the war in Europe. He attended college at McGill University
and was admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1950.
, Blank ran as a Liberal candidate in the provincial district of Montréal—Saint-Louis
. Even though the Liberal vote was divided between his supporters and those of incumbent Dave Rochon, he narrowly won the election. He was easily re-elected in the 1962
, 1966
, 1970
, 1973
, 1976
and 1981
elections. He was appointed Deputy Vice President of the National Assembly in 1971 and was Vice President (Deputy Speaker) of that institution from 1973 until 1976.
, Official Opposition Leader Robert Bourassa
prevented Blank from running as a Liberal candidate and offered the nomination to star candidate
Jacques Chagnon
.
Blank refused to retire from politics and ran as an Independent candidate. He received 20% of the vote and finished third behind Chagnon, who won the election, and the Parti Québécois
candidate.
. He still resides in Montreal.
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....
and a seven-term member of 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 background
Blank is Jewish. He was born on May 24, 1925 in MontrealMontreal
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....
and was the son of Udel Blank and Molly Zinman. He served in active military duty during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, serving during the waning months of the war in Europe. He attended college at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
and was admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1950.
Political career
In the 1960 electionQuebec general election, 1960
The Quebec general election of 1960 was held on June 22, 1960 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec, Canada. It was one of the most significant elections in Quebec history, rivalled perhaps only by the 1976 general election...
, Blank ran as a Liberal candidate in the provincial district of Montréal—Saint-Louis
Saint-Louis (provincial electoral district)
Saint-Louis was a provincial electoral district located in Quebec, Canada. The Montreal region district was formed in 1966 from parts of Montreal-Saint-Louis which was formed in 1912. From 1890 to 1912, it was also known as Montreal division 3 district...
. Even though the Liberal vote was divided between his supporters and those of incumbent Dave Rochon, he narrowly won the election. He was easily re-elected in the 1962
Quebec general election, 1962
The Quebec general election of 1962 was held on November 14, 1962, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Jean Lesage, won re-election, defeating the Union Nationale led by Daniel Johnson, Sr..In an unusual move,...
, 1966
Quebec general election, 1966
The Quebec general election of 1966 was held on June 5, 1966, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The Union Nationale , led by Daniel Johnson, Sr, defeated the incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Jean Lesage....
, 1970
Quebec general election, 1970
The Quebec general election of 1970 was held on April 29, 1970 to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The former Legislative Assembly had been renamed the "National Assembly" in 1968...
, 1973
Quebec general election, 1973
The Quebec general election of 1973 was held on October 29, 1973 to elect members to National Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Robert Bourassa, won re-election, defeating the Parti Québécois, led by René Lévesque, and the Union Nationale .The Liberals won a...
, 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...
and 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...
elections. He was appointed Deputy Vice President of the National Assembly in 1971 and was Vice President (Deputy Speaker) of that institution from 1973 until 1976.
Decline
In the 1985 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...
, Official Opposition Leader 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...
prevented Blank from running as a Liberal candidate and offered the nomination to star candidate
Star candidate
A star candidate refers to a high profile individual who has been recruited as a candidate by a political party. Star candidates have usually excelled in fields outside of politics such as academia, business, the media, journalism and/or sports...
Jacques Chagnon
Jacques Chagnon
Jacques Chagnon is a politician in Quebec, Canada. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Concordia University and graduate degrees in political science and in Law from the Université de Montréal...
.
Blank refused to retire from politics and ran as an Independent candidate. He received 20% of the vote and finished third behind Chagnon, who won the election, and 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...
candidate.
Retirement
After his defeat, Blank returned to law practice. He earned a pristine honor by being appointed to the Queen's CounselQueen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
. He still resides in Montreal.