Éric Dorion
Encyclopedia
Éric Dorion is an administrator and politician in the Canadian
province of Quebec
. He served in the National Assembly of Quebec
from 2007 to 2008, representing Nicolet-Yamaska
as a member of the Action démocratique du Québec
(ADQ).
, and by his own admission had a troubled early life. He received a two-year suspended sentence for illegal possession of a vehicle in 1992, at a time when he was battling drug and alcohol addiction. He has also admitted to having written false cheques in this period. He later regained control of his life and began working for the treatment and prevention of drug addiction; he founded the intervention centre "De l'autre côté de l'ombre" in 1996 and served as its president and director until his election to the Quebec legislature. He also completed a training program in drug addiction and psychology at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
in 1997-98.
In his spare time, he has been a minor league hockey
coach in Bécancour
.
, winning a seat that was previously held by the Parti Québécois
. His criminal background was discovered by the media during the campaign and was reported in newspapers across Canada; he initially denied having a police record, but acknowledged the truth when presented with incontrovertible evidence. ADQ leader Mario Dumont
accused the media of conducting a "witch hunt" against Dorion, whom he said had turned his life around several years earlier. After his election, Dorion said that his top priority would be preventing drug addiction.
The Quebec Liberal Party formed a minority government
after the 2007 election, and the ADQ became the official opposition in the National Assembly. Dorion was appointed as his party's critic for social solidarity. As a legislator, he took part in all-party efforts to ensure that future Quebec legislation would be free of homophobia
. He later helped promote his party's controversial social security reforms in the 2008 Quebec election.
Dorion was personally defeated in 2008, finishing third against Parti Québécois
candidate Jean-Martin Aussant
amidst a provincial swing away from the ADQ. He returned to work at "De l'autre côté de l'ombre" after the election.
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 2007 to 2008, representing Nicolet-Yamaska
Nicolet-Yamaska (provincial electoral district)
Nicolet-Yamaska is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. The riding was created in 1988 from Nicolet...
as a member of the Action démocratique du Québec
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....
(ADQ).
Early life and career
Dorion was born in Drummondville, QuebecQuebec
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 by his own admission had a troubled early life. He received a two-year suspended sentence for illegal possession of a vehicle in 1992, at a time when he was battling drug and alcohol addiction. He has also admitted to having written false cheques in this period. He later regained control of his life and began working for the treatment and prevention of drug addiction; he founded the intervention centre "De l'autre côté de l'ombre" in 1996 and served as its president and director until his election to the Quebec legislature. He also completed a training program in drug addiction and psychology at 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...
in 1997-98.
In his spare time, he has been a minor league hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
coach in Bécancour
Bécancour, Quebec
Bécancour is a town in the Centre-du-Québec region of Québec, Canada; it is the seat of the Bécancour Regional County Municipality. It is located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River at the confluence of the Bécancour River, opposite Trois-Rivières.Wôlinak, an Abenaki Indian reserve, is...
.
Legislator
Dorion was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec in the 2007 general electionQuebec 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...
, winning a seat that was previously held by 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...
. His criminal background was discovered by the media during the campaign and was reported in newspapers across Canada; he initially denied having a police record, but acknowledged the truth when presented with incontrovertible evidence. ADQ leader Mario Dumont
Mario Dumont
Mario Dumont is a television personality and former politician in the province of Quebec. He was a Member of the National Assembly of Quebec , and the leader of the Action démocratique du Québec , from 1994 to 2009...
accused the media of conducting a "witch hunt" against Dorion, whom he said had turned his life around several years earlier. After his election, Dorion said that his top priority would be preventing drug addiction.
The Quebec Liberal Party formed a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
after the 2007 election, and the ADQ became the official opposition in the National Assembly. Dorion was appointed as his party's critic for social solidarity. As a legislator, he took part in all-party efforts to ensure that future Quebec legislation would be free of homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
. He later helped promote his party's controversial social security reforms in the 2008 Quebec election.
Dorion was personally defeated in 2008, finishing 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 Jean-Martin Aussant
Jean-Martin Aussant
Jean-Martin Aussant is a politician in the Canadian province of Quebec. He has represented Nicolet-Yamaska in the National Assembly of Quebec since 2008, first as a member of the Parti Québécois and currently as leader of his own party, Option nationale....
amidst a provincial swing away from the ADQ. He returned to work at "De l'autre côté de l'ombre" after the election.