Pierre Langlois

Pierre Langlois is a Canadian economist and political strategist.

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, he graduated from the Université de Montréal with a B.A. (1998) and a M.A (1999) in economics. His master dissertation paper was on growth theory with empirical evidences from U.S. metropolitan areas.

He opted to pursue his graduate studies in Finance at Boston College, but finally accepted a position as an economist at the Department of Finance of Quebec in August 1999. In 2000, he accepted a position as an associate economist at the Conference Board of Canada.

Political thought and involvement

Langlois is known to be influenced by endogenous growth theory and new Keynesian economics.

Fiscal Imbalance

Langlois was a student activist between 1994 and 1999, where he was elected president of the Economics Student Association of the Université de Montréal.

He was first involved in Canadian federal politics as an active supporter of Jean Charest’s Progressive Conservative Party during the 1997 Canadian general election. Charest’s electoral platform, let the future begin, was aggressive in terms of fiscal relief and was the first political manifesto to recognize the structure of what would later be known as the Canadian fiscal imbalance.

Langlois viewed that the federal transfer cuts were to lead to a severe financial crisis in most provinces, including Quebec.

In 1998, Pierre Langlois followed Charest to the Quebec Liberal Party, where he became a key organizer in the La Pinière riding. Shortly after, disappointed by the provincial Liberals, Langlois left the party.

Cost of the actual federal system

Langlois states that smaller countries can achieve more efficient governance than large and complex federated states ie: Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Ireland.

Economic advisor

While working at the Ottawa-based Conference Board of Canada as an associate economist, Langlois was recruited by newly-appointed Parti Québécois finance minister, Pauline Marois. Langlois, at only 26 years old, quickly became a senior top advisor. He was highly involved in the budget preparation and other legislative operations and was a key line writer for the daily question period.

In 2003, Langlois was appointed by the office of the Premier of Quebec as an economic advisor for the upcoming provincial election. Pierre Langlois is seen in the movie "À Hauteur d'homme", which is a documentary of the 2003 PQ campaign.

Between 2003 and 2005, Langlois served as a political content advisor to leadership candidate Pauline Marois.

Parti Québécois and Bloc Québécois involment

In 2005, Langlois was approached to replace Marcel Lussier, who was fighting cancer, as the Bloc Québécois candidate in the Brossard—La Prairie riding. He refused, alleging his already packed political agenda.

During the 2006 federal election, Bloc Québécois officials asked Langlois to manage Lussier’s campaign against incumbent Liberal minister Jacques Saada. Langlois delivered a surprise victory for the Bloc in this traditionally Liberal riding.

In June 2006, Langlois declined to run for the PQ in the provincial riding of La Prairie, alleging family reasons.

Pierre Langlois is currently working as an economist and a regulation expert.

References

* [http://lapresseaffaires.cyberpresse.ca/article/20080611/LAINFORMER/806110785 La Presse: Ottawa chambarde la loi pour contrer le blanchiment] June 11, 2008
* [http://monteregieweb.com/main+fr+01_300+Une_majorite_de_deputes_en_faveur_de_la_30_au_nord.html?ArticleID=511705 Le Reflet: Une majorité de députés en faveur de la 30 au nord] November 3, 2007
* [http://www.hebdos.net/lrd/accueil/formatImprimable.asp?article_id=133945 Le Reflet: Pierre Langlois ne sera pas candidat] June 17, 2006
* [http://www.ledevoir.com/2006/02/03/101195.html Le Devoir: Le Québec emprunte aux Mexicains] February 3, 2006
* [http://www.vigile.net/05-6/souv-8.html La Presse: Un vote comme dans une téléréalité] June 19, 2005
* [http://www.vigile.net/ds-actu/docs4a/9-2.html Le Devoir: Marois cachait une autre surprise à Landry ] Septembre 2, 2004